I hope the paper cuts will not last too long. If he wants to come to any of our offices, we will find similar work for him. I thank all of the Senators for their contributions. Senator Fitzpatrick greeted us with very positive news this morning, and it is always good to get positive news about positive affirmative actions that are making a difference in the lives of people. She spoke about the Taoiseach launching the ninth annual report of the north inner city task force in St. Agatha's Hall yesterday. This task fo…

I move: “That Seanad Éireann: recognises that: - we are at a pivotal moment in our digital transformation; - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we live, how we work, and how we interact as a society; - Ireland has strong digital foundations with our well-established reputation as a digital hub, our exceptional talent base and our vibrant innovation ecosystem; - Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future sets out the Government’s ambition to 2030 to strengthen our position as a digital l…

Yes, Senator Curley and I will share time. The Minister of State, Deputy Collins, is very welcome to the Chamber. We really appreciate him being here. This is an important motion. We may have different views on this but we are all concerned about it. Another commitment we have to make - and our party, Fianna Fáil, is committed to it - is to make the online world safer for everybody, especially children and young people. Our children now are growing up online. It is not all bad. The Internet offers endless opportuni…

We have had a really good debate. It was very worthwhile to air all of the different views and opinions. The motion speaks for itself as it reads. There were very worthwhile contributions from those who wanted to go further, and from some who did not agree with everything that was in it. I take on board what the Minister of State has said about how the views will be reflected on. One thing is incredibly clear: we are all concerned about online safety and we want to do the best we can to ensure our young people are …

We were all shocked right across the country at the level of road deaths over the weekend, particularly the accident in Waterford that took the lives of Brian Frisby and Grace Elliott in such a shocking and immediate way. Brian and Grace lived in Naas with their sons Theo and Fionn. Grace was an SNA at Scoil Na Naomh Uilig in Newbridge and I was speaking to some members of the school community there this morning. They are obviously in complete shock and sadness so our very deepest sympathies go to Theo, Fionn and t…

I am not our spokesperson on defence. I leave that to my esteemed colleague, but, coming from Kildare and knowing many of my friends, neighbours and community members who are members of the Defence Forces, I always take the opportunity to speak on these issues, which are important not just to my county but to my country. I thank those who are in the service because we depend on them in a huge way. The last time I spoke about defence matters in the House was on 21 January when Fianna Fáil had its own motion on the D…

I propose we extend the debate by five minutes.

I add my voice to the Cathaoirleach's words of support for the people of Ukraine. It is always a pleasure to see and meet H.E. Larysa Gerasko. As the Cathaoirleach said, it is sad that we have to meet her so often and to think we have seen four long years of a war of aggression against a very fine, courageous and resilient people. I am thinking of all of those who are still living in Ukraine, those who have had to leave and, of course, all of those who have chosen to make Ireland their home. Last week, we saw the C…

My colleague, Senator Flaherty, and I wish to share time.

Yes.

I wish to share time with my colleague, Senator Flaherty. I wish to speak for six minutes and my colleague will have four minutes.

The Minister of State bounced in here with his usual boundless energy and enthusiasm. It is great to see somebody who really is genuinely passionate about the role they serve. I know he does that in the community element and, of course, around rural transport. The two are also interlinked. That viability and connectivity, particularly in rural communities, is hugely important. Senator Scahill quoted Churchill whom I always like to hear being quoted but I will mention another one attributed to him which is equally f…

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his lovely words about former Senator and councillor, Larry Butler. He was a very gregarious character and his sartorial elegance was always absolutely spot on. He always had the nicest and the best of suits and immaculately polished shoes. He was an absolute gentleman any time I met him and I know everybody who met him had the same experience. Our deepest sympathy to his family. The Order of Business is No. 1, address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament representin…

I thank the 15 Senators who contributed on the Order of Business this morning. We started with Senator Comyn, who spoke about Ash Wednesday and its importance in our calendar, heralding a time not just to abstain but to reflect and take up some type of positive habit. Kindness was the one she suggested. I think we can never have enough kindness in the world, including in this Chamber at times. Senator Comyn also spoke about two housing estates in Drogheda that have particular issues. In Bryanstown Wood, sadly there…

The NCSE is obviously part of the whole story. Part of the problem is that the NCSE seems to have taken the decision to send out these communications unilaterally. That was very regrettable. I am sure there will be conversations about that. That is the end of my response to the Order of Business.

I move: That Seanad Éireann – - expresses its deep sadness on the death of Larry Butler; - 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.

The Minister, Deputy Calleary, is very welcome to the House. Of course, he is always welcome to Kildare. I know he has been there a number of times and if he would like to come to see the area I will talk about, he would absolutely be more than welcome. It is just a small detour on the way home to lovely Mayo. I raise a Commencement in relation to the Moore Abbey estate in Monasterevin, A monastery was originally founded on the Moore Abbey estate in the 6th or 7th century by St. Evin, whom Monasterevin is called af…

I thank the Minister for his response. We were delighted to welcome him to Athy to the Shackleton Experience, which I know he found enthralling. It is fantastic and I would recommend everybody to come to visit it. Of course the Monasterevin town square regeneration project funding was very much welcomed, along with the funding allocations for Clane and Athgarvan. I want to come back briefly to Moore Abbey. I believe this would be a vital regenerative source for the public in Monasterevin and would bring new life an…

I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. Last Wednesday, in the debate on a Commencement matter I raised regarding proposed cuts in the allocation of special needs assistants, SNAs, I described those cuts as indefensible. I was really glad to hear of the decision by the Cabinet this morning that this review of SNA allocations has been paused. Some 200 schools were impacted by the proposal. I spoke last week about Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge, County Kildare, which is absolutely renowned f…

I add my voice of welcome to the ambassador and the convenor. Lithuania is a beautiful country and I always received a very warm welcome from the Lithuanian people when I had the honour and opportunity to visit their country. I look forward to future visits with Deputy Dempsey.