Yes, I have a couple of things to say. They mainly centre around what Senator Clonan was talking about and that is, unfortunately, how we have hollowed out our reserve forces to a great extent, to the current abysmal figure of under 2,000. Senator Clonan mentioned the Finnish model and the huge amount of reserve talent it has and the forces there in Finland. Equally, another neutral country in Europe, Switzerland, has an active reserve force of 200,000 troops. This military service is obligatory for men and then vo…

Hear, hear.

Before we go any further, I want to withdraw a remark I made to the effect that any old donkey could carry a standard Steyr AUG rifle. That was just a flourish in the heat of the moment. Carrying a Steyr rifle is a highly responsible job. I would not like it to go down-----

I move amendment No. 2: After "calls for:", to insert the following paragraph: "- an end to the culture of systemic bullying and sexual violence that has persisted in the Defence Forces and ensuring that reprisals against those who raise these issues is no longer tolerated;"

I move amendment No. 3: After "calls for:", to insert the following paragraph: "- a dramatic increase in the Reserve Defence Forces in order to mobilise Ireland’s considerable human talent in the full spectrum of emerging security and defence requirements from cyber to digital and AI-enhanced defence systems and in order to afford Irish citizens the opportunity to vindicate Ireland’s sovereign neutral status by equipping us to deal with emerging natural and man-made threats through voluntary reserve service;"

I second the amendment.

As a tenuous adjunct to the business of serious harm, I suggest that if Elon Musk was recommending that we should not fly with a particular airline that was dodgy from the safety point of view, I would venture to suggest that a great many people in this country would be recommending that airline to Elon Musk.

Two matters are worthy of mention today, one educational and one cultural. During the Christmas holiday period, we lost John Quinn, who was a teacher, educationalist, producer at RTÉ, writer and filmmaker. John Quinn was a gentleman and was marvellous company. He was probably best known for what was not so much an autobiography as a chronicle of his childhood and growing up, Good Night Ballivor, I'll Sleep in Trim: A Childhood Memoir . A native of Ballivor, he was the son of the local sergeant and a proud Meath man…

I stand here in admiration of my dear colleagues Senators Cosgrove and Harmon, the other Members in their group and the people who are here on the days before Christmas, at a time when lots of other people are amuigh ag cóisirí agus ag déanamh ceoil sna tithe tábhairne ar fud na cathrach anocht. We are here to signal our stance, which is that we are with the Senators who have proposed this enlightening Bill. This time last year, I was given a book by a friend titled The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Many people…

On 26 September, we had a very useful debate in the House in relation to Irish sea fisheries. We all went out that day feeling fairly chipper about the Common Fisheries Policy negotiations that were coming up. Even though the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, went out with a lot of people standing at his back in great support, effectively what they got in the Common Fisheries Policy negotiations at the end of last week was a slap in the face. The seafood industry has been treated very poorly. The failure it deliver…

In the Ireland of 40 years ago, bhí sé de nós againn ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar fhéile Mhuire gan smál ar an 8 Nollaig. De dheasca sin, bhí sé de nós againn ag an am sin na scoileanna a dhúnadh ar an lá. Because of that closure on 8 December in years past, it would not have been unusual for young teachers to celebrate the fact that they had a free day by going into town and having a cóisir agus cúpla pionta i lár na cathrach. Deirtear sa seanfhocal gur fearr déanach ná go brách but 42 years ago a friend of mine was g…

Rinne an Seanadóir O’Loughlin tagairt don Lá Idirnáisúnta Cearta Daonna inniu. I want to amplify that a little in the context of the situation that pertains in South Sudan, where, since independence in 2011, there have been two civil wars and one border conflict. South Sudan is led - I use that word advisedly - by the corrupt and brutal dictatorship of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is a Catholic. Some 60% of the people of South Sudan are Christian. South Sudan has immense oil reserves, hence the international …

I will not even take four minutes because I do not want to be boiling my cabbage twice. A lot of what needs to be said has been said by my colleagues on both sides of the House. I commend the efforts of the AILG and LAMA, in working steadfastly for the benefits of councillors. I also want to commend Senators Black, Flynn, Higgins and Ruane on bringing this Bill before the House. It may not be the most judicious legislation in some ways but it is very important legislation. It is very important that this fire and fl…

We heard Senator Boyhan ask the Leader if he could prevail on the new Minister for Education and Youth to come to the Seanad and talk about institutional redress. I want to add to that. I do not know how these things are done but maybe we could prevail on her to do a double gig. This week DCU published an interesting piece of research called the Teacher Occupational Wellbeing Research. It makes for grim reading because four out of five teachers report burn-out symptoms and undue stress from curricular change and ma…

I thank Senator Duffy for his thorough support for my Commencement matter yesterday on the shingles vaccine. The Government's new Accelerating Infrastructure - Report and Action Plan unveiled yesterday promises a lot. The single word I would apply to the plan is "aspirational". It brings to mind the old quip about Brighton Pier; it is good as far as it goes but it is a poor way of getting to France. Let me insert here that, in common with the great majority of our people, I want to see the so-called housing crisis …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo le déileáil leis an gceist an-tábhachtach seo faoi shingles agus an shingles vaccine. The population of the Republic aged 65 or over is approximately 850,000. If they are unvaccinated, one in three of those are likely to get shingles. Around 90% of adults carry the varicella zoster shingles virus and the incidence of infection increases incrementally after the age of 50. Estimates indicate that approximately 40,000 of the cohort have paid the approximate €5…

I will say a couple of things about the response provided by the Minister. First, HIQA, which published its findings in 2024, examined two contradictory cohorts, so the evidence it has given is not pertinent to the argument. I do not doubt for a moment the sincerity of the Minister but I do doubt the Government's ability to do sums. Over four years, 200,000 vaccines per year will cost €50 million a year, or €200 million. There will be 7,000 probable hospitalisations from shingles over four years. Including maintena…

There are a lot of votes in this too.

Many pensioners do not have €500 in their bank account.

We have actually passed five minutes.