The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the address to Seanad Éireann by MEPs representing the European Parliament South constituency, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; and No. 1 a , on the Supplementary Order Paper, Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 - Second Stage, to be taken at 11.45 a.m., with the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, any other Senators not to exceed five min…

We started this morning with Senator Fitzpatrick, who spoke about the importance of our capital city and said that Ireland deserves to have a capital that is safe to live in and safe to visit. She also spoke about the Dublin city task force and the importance of its work on revitalising the city. Senator Fitzpatrick has put a lot of work into the development of the task force and brought forward legislation a number of years ago with Deputy Lahart, which pre-empted this task force. The point of it is to bring all s…

I never mentioned anything about people caught up with sex trafficking being innocent. I am talking about Epstein's tentacles in terms of social gatherings. People who got caught up attending social gatherings had no idea of the horrific activities that he was responsible for. Of course, there were those who attended gatherings and were complicit - absolutely. The point I am making is that not everybody who is now being associated with Epstein is guilty of this type of crime. We have to remember that. I know one gi…

I move: That, in accordance with Standing Order 63(1) and the approval of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, Seanad Éireann agrees that, in respect of the European Parliament South Constituency, Ms Kathleen Funchion MEP, Mr. Billy Kelleher MEP, Mr. Seán Kelly MEP, Mr. Michael McNamara MEP, and Ms Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP, may attend and be heard in Seanad Éireann on Wednesday, 18th February, 2026, and that the following arrangements shall apply: The proceedings shall commence at 2:30 p.m., shall…

As somebody who rented for 16 years I know only too well the vulnerability of being a tenant. There is the lack of security of tenure and not knowing month to month if a place will remain home. It is important to point out that this is the first time that any Government has introduced a national system of rent control, which I welcome. One of the earlier speakers said that this legislation will not fix the housing crisis. It will not. It was never meant to fix the housing crisis because a lot of measures need to wo…

Next Tuesday at 2.30 p.m.

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Commencement matter. I acknowledge his commitment and compassion in relation to special education. The Minister of State visited the school across the road from the one I am going to speak about a number of months ago when we went to the Patrician Primary School in Newbridge. He will recall it is an old building. It needs a special ASD class. The physical element of the school is not leading to that at the moment but we are working together to provide same. …

I acknowledge that the NCSE allocation and review process are important to ensure SNAs are provided where they are most needed. I also acknowledge that the number of SNAs in County Kildare has increased to 989 this year. That is significant, along with the 74% increase in the number of special classes in Kildare from 2021 to today. That is all really important. However, it does not take away from the cut that the Patrician Catholic Secondary School has been told to expect. I know that the Minister of State's vision…

I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. I extend the sympathies of my own party and indeed the House to the people of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia. It was absolutely shocking to wake up this morning and listen to the breaking news that ten people have been killed and 29 injured in a school shooting in a small community. We know how absolutely devastating this is for the community. I was in Canada just before Christmas, and had the opportunity to meet some terrific Canadian people. Our ambass…

I thank the Minister of State for being here. She and the Government have acknowledged that the current system in relation to assessments of need is not fit for purpose. I welcome that, but families in Kildare and nationwide need to see that recognition matched with action, additional staffing, transparent timelines and a very clear plan to eliminate the existing backlog. We acknowledge that there is a big backlog nationally. When we look at the figures, we can see that the scale of the backlog in CHO 7 in Kildare …

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I mentioned the figures from last May because I did not have the up-to-date figures but, obviously, since May and December another 500 children went over that period of time. Some 2,125 applications are overdue and, at any level, that is shameful. I acknowledge the Minister of State outlined some of the changes that are being made and I appreciate that and the fact that 11 new teams have been established. I also appreciate the fact the Minister of State mentioned the …

I support the Order of Business. It has been wonderful to see so many Brigid events around the country, particularly in Kildare. I congratulate Kildare County Council, Solas Bhride, Into Kildare and the dean of St. Brigid's Cathedral, Kildare, for all the wonderful events that were hosted, despite the bad weather, across County Kildare. They were a pleasure to attend, particularly the inaugural Spirit of Kildare Awards ceremony, which was the brainchild of Mayor Carmel Kelly. That was held on Sunday night. Several …

As the Leader knows, Lá Fhéile Bríde is almost upon us. I hope everybody has a good bank holiday weekend. It is important to remember the legacy of Brigid. She was somebody who showed great compassion and she supported unmarried mothers and supported farmers. She is the patron saint of the honeybee and of agriculture. There are celebrations right around the country but particularly in Louth and most certainly in Kildare. I encourage those who have the opportunity to go and remember this remarkable woman, who is the…

I thank the Minister of State for being here. We know that aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland. Approximately one in seven women will be diagnosed with it. The HSE provides a variety of treatment options for women with breast cancer depending on its stage, grade and severity. Among these options is a mastectomy, which is a procedure that removes the breast after which patients can have breast reconstruction surgery, a procedure that replaces the breast tissue previousl…

I thank the Minister of State. In her response, she acknowledged that "breast reconstruction surgery following treatment is an important part of a patient's recovery and should be accessible to everybody". It is not just an important part; it should be an urgent part. It is not cosmetic. It is a recognised component of cancer recovery. At the moment, public patients are facing prolonged uncertain waits. It appears from the statistics that women's reconstructive surgery is consistently deprioritised within the elect…

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his lovely tribute to our dear friend, Brian. I know that he was a close friend and colleague of yours. Brian was kind, generous and compassionate. He was passionate about public service and he showed huge resilience in the face of adversity and lifelong health challenges. He had a trademark smile and maybe you could call it a grin. Even looking at photographs of him, you can see that mischievous grin on his face. You can see the force of such a strong personality who absolutely loved …

I thank all 19 Senators who contributed on this afternoon's Order of Business. We started with Senator Maria Byrne. Along with everyone else who spoke this afternoon, Senator Byrne paid great tribute to our former colleague Brian Crowley and extended sympathies to his family, to the Cathaoirleach, who had a very strong personal relationship with Brian, and to the Fianna Fáil family. It is very much appreciated. I know that his family certainly appreciate all of that. Senator Byrne also spoke about the Academy Award…

I move: That Seanad Éireann: - expresses its deep sadness on the death of Brian Crowley; - conveys its sincere condolences to his family; and - expresses its gratitude for his notable contribution, as a member of Seanad Éireann, to Irish public life and for his dedicated service to the people of Ireland.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, for being here and for proposing this motion, which Fianna Fáil welcomes and supports. It is hard to think that in less than a month, it will have been four years since this war of aggression against Ukraine started. Since 2014, when Russia seized Crimea and fuelled a lot of fighting in the Donbas area, tensions have been very high. It is difficult to think, however, that nearly four years have passed. We see the incredible impact on the people of Ukraine. At every opport…

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I will move a motion for an expression of sympathy by the House at the end of the Order of Business. The Order of Business is No. 1, the Mental Health Bill 2024 - Committee Stage (Resumed), to be taken at 12.30 p.m. and to adjourn at 3 p.m., if not previously concluded.