I join others in wishing Martin Groves all the very best. I also wish Martin Hughes the very best in his new role. I want to raise an issue that was brought forward throughout the summer and particularly highlighted by the fish kill of up to 40,000 fish in the River Blackwater. It is an incident over which the EPA and everybody else seems to be wringing their hands, yet they are unable to determine the source of the fish kill. It was a serious incident of environmental pollution to add to the many others across the…

Before I ask the Minister of State to respond, I ask the Senator to be careful about naming individuals in his contribution. A Aire, tá fáilte romhat.

I remind the Senator to make general comments in relation to electoral form. As the Minister of State has outlined, it is not appropriate for him to reference specific cases.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.

As the EU prepares the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, for the period 2028 to 2035, there are growing concerns that the European Commission is aligning itself with a far-right agenda. The shift threatens to divert financial resources away from the EU’s long-standing commitments to environmental protection, social progress and international development within Europe and globally. While strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and defence capacity is important, and we all agree with that, it must not come at the…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.

Correspondence from the European Commission on securing the nitrates derogation for Ireland will have serious ramifications for the wider rural economy and the agricultural sector generally in terms of demonstrating compliance with the habitats directive. While granting derogations to individual farmers, it is on a subcatchment basis. The requirements for maintaining the nitrates derogation will likely lead to stocking rate reductions for some farmers. This will require them to reduce livestock numbers, increase la…

My colleague has spoken more broadly on the provisions of the Bill. I will speak specifically to the EU anti-SLAPP directive. While provisions of the Bill give effect to aspects of the EU anti-SLAPP directive, and its application to domestic defamation cases is welcome, it falls short of transposing the directive's full set of minimum standards and protections, which Ireland is legally required to implement in full by May 2026. The anti-SLAPP provisions in the Bill apply only to defamation proceedings, even though …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. There have been many excellent contributions this evening on the social, cultural and community needs that are reasons to retain our post office network. I will focus a little on the heritage assets of our towns, looking back at the last programme for Government, under which we introduced the town centres first programme. Thankfully, it has been committed to again in this programme for Government. We can see the invaluable asset the physical presence of our post offices continues …

Sin deireadh an chláir. The House stands suspended until 10.30 a.m.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The Heritage Act 1995 has served us well. It established the Heritage Council and was a visionary piece of work by Michael D. Higgins. However, 1995 is quite a long time ago and there is a commitment from Government to a review of that and to looking at establishing a research function within the Heritage Council. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, for being with us and I would welcome his and his Department's thoughts on the review and when it will be initiated. We ha…

Members are probably used to standing up here and saying they are disappointed with the response they get. I warmly welcome the response from the Minister of State in this case. As I said in my opening remarks, it is really important that we use an evidence-based approach. I refer to that specific point I made about the research function in the Heritage Council, but all of that will be teased out as the working group sets about its task. It will take considerable time. There is no doubt but that it is a significant…

I do not have much to say after that. I thank Senator Ryan for sharing her experience with us. It brings into perspective why we are here this evening. We know that so many families are affected through domestic violence and children in particular are affected greatly. This Bill, first introduced by my colleague Vincent P. Martin in the previous Seanad, had got us to Committee Stage. I thank Senator Clonan and my cross-party colleagues for agreeing to use this slot to bring the Bill forward. Now we see why it is so…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Tá brón orm, a Sheanadóir Ní Chuilinn. Níl an freagra réidh fós so leanfaimid ar aghaidh go dtí Ní i dTosach Suíonna 4.

Gabhaim leithscéal leis an Seanadóir Ní Chuilinn; níl freagra againn. I do apologise most profusely to Senator Ní Chuilinn. We do not have a response to her question from the Department. I just want to say on the Senator's behalf that it is unacceptable. If a Senator goes to the trouble of tabling a Commencement matter, there should be an answer here for them. I apologise again. I will ask that the Cathaoirleach prioritises her question.

I look forward to an all-Leinster all-Ireland hurling final in a few weeks between Dublin and Kilkenny. On 4 June, the Public Accounts Committee in Westminster received and considered a damning report on the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing facility in Cumbria. It heard of a crumbling site where there is a suboptimal workplace culture, where the clean-up will take 135 years at a cost of £135 billion and where there are intolerable risks. It is our next nearest neighbour. It already has a pretty damning track record,…

I understand Senator Crowe will be sharing time with Senator Curley.

We all want the Minister to succeed. We are all supportive of what he is trying to do. I served in the Department for a number of years and know the diligence of the officials working there and that of the Minister's predecessor. We are facing insurmountable challenges with infrastructure, including water and public transport. The proposals put forward are welcome in terms of extending RPZs to the rest of the country because there are pressures in all parts of the country. However, the overarching solution is suppl…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. This important debate is my first opportunity to formally welcome him to the Seanad Chamber. I have just come from a meeting of the climate committee where we discussed in private session the challenges regarding climate change, biodiversity loss and water quality. No sector in Ireland will be more greatly affected by a changing climate, degraded habitats and disimproving water quality than the farming sector. It is critically important to look not just at new markets but to find …

I want to raise two issues, if that is okay. As regards the UN Ocean Conference taking place in Nice, our Taoiseach made a very fine speech there yesterday, but we have a significant challenge with our marine area. Notwithstanding the absence of the marine protected area, MPA, legislation that the previous Government did not get over the line, I question this Government's commitment to getting such legislation in place and moving towards our 2030 targets during its term of office. Significant concerns have been rai…