Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh ambasadóir na Gearmáine, an t-ambasadóir Gill. Gabhaimid buíochas leis as ucht theacht anseo inniu chun lá náisiúnta na Gearmáine, a bheidh ar siúl ar an Satharn, a cheiliúradh. I have many happy memories of my many visits to Germany especially with the Lender family in Auweiler, Cologne, a city with which my home city, Cork, is twinned. What we all have in common is an aspiration for a better future. Along with others, my party, Fine Gael, aspires to achievement of a new and unified Irelan…

We are delighted to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, to the House.

I welcome the girls from Christ King secondary school in Cork, who are here as guests of the Taoiseach. They are all very welcome and I hope they enjoy their day.

Glaoim ar an Seanadóir Noonan. Tá sé chun a chuid ama a roinnt leis an Seanadóir Cosgrove. Tá an t-am roinnte i mbabhta amháin de thrí nóiméad agus babhta eile de chúig nóiméad. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank the Senator and I apologise to her for being a little bit more strict on the time. Members will be aware we ran about 15 minutes over on the Order of Business so we will now ask Senator Flynn to speak for eight minutes. Before I do, can I get an agreement that the remaining speakers will have two minutes each because I need to bring the Minister of State back in?

If Senator Flynn is happy with that, we will give three minutes to Senators Byrne, Costello and Scahill.

As we are caught for time, we will adhere strictly to two minutes. There are four remaining speakers, starting with Senator Cathal Byrne.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Sula gcríochnaíonn muid, cuirim fáilte roimh ár gcuairteoirí. I welcome the guests of Deputy Michael Collins, Chris O’Donovan and Aisling Butler. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, an Teachta O'Callaghan, as ucht teacht isteach chun na rúin atá os ár gcomhair a phlé. Sula dtosóidh mé, cuirim fáilte roimh na daltaí ar fad ón Scoil Idirmheánach i gCill Orglan. Is cuimhin liom go maith an fhoireann peile iontach a bhí acu in 1996, nuair a bhuaigh an scoil Corn Uí Ógáin, ós rud é gur chailleamar cluiche ceannais na Mumhan an bhliain chéanna. I remember the superb football team from 1996 which came from the Intermediate School in Killorglin. It won the Hogan Cup in wha…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Richmond, as teacht isteach chun páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht. Tá sé tábhachtach a rá gurb é seo an ghéarchéim is deacra ó thaobh fuinnimh de atá feicthe i stair an domhain. Níl a leithéid feicthe againn le blianta anuas. Dá bharr sin, tá formhór na ndeacrachtaí atá againn ag teacht ó chomhthéacs idirnáisiúnta. Nílim ag iarraidh éalú ó na freagrachtaí atá againn mar pholaiteoirí agus mar Rialtas ach is tábhachtach an méid sin a rá. At the outset, I will make what m…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an rún seo. Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí Ní Chuilinn agus Harmon as ucht é a thabhairt isteach ós rud é gur ábhar thar a bheith tábhachtach é. As a lifelong sports fan and participant, sport has given me an awful lot throughout the course of my life. It teaches a lot of life skills, regardless of whether those who enter into sport participate at an elite or high performance level or at a level where participation is more important. The focus on increasing participation and inclusion in sp…

On behalf of the Fine Gael group, I also welcome today's proposal as articulated by Senator Gallagher. International co-operation in the area of crime prevention is of crucial importance and is becoming increasingly important given the international transnational nature of crime in the modern world in which we live. The fact that the Republic of Korea has protocols in place that are similar to the general data protection regulation, GDPR, guidelines with which we would be familiar in relation to the retention and u…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta O'Donnell, as ucht teacht isteach maidin inniu chun déileáil leis an ní seo, a bhaineann le Westgate Foundation i mBaile an Chollaigh i gCorcaigh. Tá sé riachtanach go ndéanfar gach aon iarracht na seirbhísí iontacha atá á soláthar ag Westgate Foundation a chosaint. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an obair ar fad atá déanta aige ar son Westgate Foundation agus as an gcuairt a thug sé air i mí an Mhárta chun na seirbhísí ar fad a fheiscint agus chun bualadh leis a…

I thank the Minister of State for his response and acknowledge the behind-the-scenes work going on between the HSE management in the south-west region and the management team at Westgate, which is crucial. I neglected to mention one thing in my initial contribution, of which the Minister of State will be well aware. It was opportune he came down and visited, given he is also a Minister of State in the Department of housing. It is the fact that Westgate provides housing and sheltered housing. I mentioned in my openi…

You still have 30 seconds. It is just counting down.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as glacadh leis na trí ní, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Ryan chomh maith.

Ba mhaith liom ar dtús mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire, an Teachta O'Callaghan, as ucht teacht isteach go dtí an Seanad tráthnóna chun an mBille a phlé agus chun éisteacht agus labhairt linn mar gheall air agus mar gheall ar na leasuithe éagsúla atá os ár gcomhair. Cuirim fáilte roimh Paula Doyle agus na feisirí feachtas eile atá inár measc, atá tar éis an-chuid oibre a dhéanamh chun an dlí a athrú. Cuirim fáilte rompu go léir. Ó thaobh Cuid 8 den Bhille, agus go háirithe alt 22 atá os ár gcomhair, agus níos l…

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Ardagh, chuig an Seanad chun páirt a ghlacadh i ndíospóireacht an lae inniu. Is riachtanach iad na hAchtanna um Chionta in aghaidh an Stáit a chosnaíonn an Stát ar bhagairtí sceimhlitheoireachta ó ghrúpaí paraimíleata, eagraíochtaí, agus daoine aonair le beagnach 90 bliain anuas. Ós rud é go bhfuil bagairtí sceimhlitheoireachta fós ann, ciallaionn sé go bhfuil forálacha na ngníomhartha a chosnaíonn an Stát agus ár ndaoine gach pioc chomh tábhachtach inniu…

I dtosach báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, an Teachta O’Callaghan, as ucht teacht isteach arís chun déileáil leis an mBille. Is céim thábhachtach í an Bille seo chun ár ndlíthe a bhaineann le cosaint leanaí a neartú, go háirithe i gcásanna foréigean baile nó foréigean teaghlaigh ina ndúnmharaíonn tuismitheoir amháin an tuismitheoir eile agus na himpleachtaí atá aige seo ar chearta an tuismitheora sin a mhaireann maidir le caomhnóireacht na leanaí a mhaireann. They had an argument, she went out to buy groceries w…

Thar ceann Fhine Gael, cuirim fáilte roimh an mBille um Cheartas Coiriúil (Comhar Idirnáisiúnta maidir le Fianaise Leictreonach agus Nithe Eile), 2026. Mar atá léirithe ag an Aire, is céim dhualgais í seo chun Treoir 2023/1544 ó Pharlaimint na hEorpa a chur i bhfeidhm. As has been referenced by both the Minister and Senator Gallagher, the enactment of this Bill will fulfil the commitment made in the programme for Government to implement the e-evidence package in line with Directive 2023/1544. One of the most import…