I express my sympathies on the tragic loss of the five friends in Dundalk. I extend my sympathies to their family, friends and the wider community. It has been a weekend of very mixed emotions. I want to express huge congratulations to the Irish football team. Like Senator Brady, I remember Italia 90 well. There is a new boy in town. The boy Roy must move over for the boy Troy. It is an amazing success. As another Senator said, it is great that a younger generation can see what we witnessed when we were younger and…

I do not oppose any investment in the ESB infrastructure - it is very welcome - but what I am concerned about, and what I do oppose, is where this investment will go and what the money is to be spent on. I will speak in support of the amendments tabled by both Senators Collins and Higgins. All their amendments are really well thought out. They make a lot of sense and they have put a lot of work into them. I really hope the Minister of State listens to these amendments because there is a very palpable feeling in the…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The Ursuline College in Sligo was founded in 1850 and is celebrating its 175th anniversary, on which I congratulate the staff and all the students. I worked in the college for 17 years as a youth liaison worker and my daughter is a student there so I have a big interest in the college. If one looks at a photograph of the school from its early days one can see a very recognisable and beautiful structure. Much construction has taken place through the years. The school has worked rea…

I thank the Minister of State for the response but it is very disappointing. I note the line "it is not feasible to give an indicative timeline for delivery." I appreciate that there are lots of capital projects happening. I hope that the Minister of State can relay to the Department that there is an urgency due to the real fear of the lapse in planning permission. Over the 11 years since the new school project was recommended, €500,000 has been spent on the repair and maintenance of the old buildings. Also, these …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I echo my fellow Senators' sentiments that we welcome that there is going to be rapid investment in ESB Networks, but it is about how and where this is spent and how it relates to the rest of Government policy. I will talk in particular about my own area and securing the supply in parts of the north west, which is the area that has been most severely affected by outages over the past 12 months. It means ensuring in the medium term that power lines are clear of possible disruption from f…

My amendment is along similar lines to that of Senator Nelson Murray. It is an easy fix. This amendment would repeal the common law rule that, where it is proven that a defamatory statement has been published, then general damage is automatically presumed. The right to defend one's good name in front of a jury is of course fundamental, but we must accept that something has gone wrong when retailers are facing legal actions for what are manifestly non-defamatory statements. Whether it is asking for a receipt, refusi…

I move amendment No. 10c: In page 13, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: " Amendment of section 31 of Principal Act 17 . Section 31 of the Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (3): “(3) In an action for damages for defamation— (a) general damage shall not be presumed, and (b) when making an award (if any) of general damages, regard shall be had to all of the circumstances of the case.".".

My Labour Party colleagues in the Dáil introduced a motion today calling for the State to urgently adopt a well-overdue compassionate and health-led public approach to drug use. While the Government has promised over the years to pursue a health-led approach, it has failed to put this into effect. All over our country, in small villages, small towns and cities, people are struggling with problem drug use and addiction. They need support and not to be cast into the throws of the criminal justice system. We all know …

I welcome the Minister of State. Many Senators have raised this issue as members of the foreign affairs committee. I ask for a straight answer about the timeline for the occupied territories Bill and the advice of the Attorney General. My Labour Party colleague and my party's spokesperson on foreign affairs, Deputy Duncan Smith, has asked the Tánaiste if we would get an answer in October and was told it will probably be in November. From talking to Senator Black, I understand a meeting had been scheduled for last w…

We do not really have a response yet and do not have a timeline. The danger is that, because of the presidential election and then we are going to be coming up to Christmas, this issue will be kicked down the road again. The Minister of State mentioned the fragile ceasefire. It is very fragile, but surely the ceasefire would be kept in place if Israel knew that there would be some sanctions or that it could not get away with this. Since 7 October 2023, the Israeli aggression on Palestine has resulted in 69,215 peop…

Many speakers, on both the Opposition and Government sides, have spoken passionately about this Bill. I completely agree with Senator Ruane that there is an opportunity for the Government to step back and take out the amendment. As Senator Nicole Ryan said, the proposal is for only three months of free travel. Senator Ruane noted that when she first read the Bill, she thought it would surely pass. When we found out today there would be a timed amendment, none of us could believe it. The Bill proposes a very simple …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I will talk briefly about apprenticeships. The Minister said in his opening address that it is great to see much more investment in apprenticeships and further education and training, in particular. I worked for a time in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, MSLETB, in a training centre so I can see the level of support that students are getting. My first Bill as a Senator relates to the inclusion of apprenticeships under the minimum wage. The Minister said in his openi…

We will split the time.

I welcome the Sinn Féin motion and I thank the party for bringing it forward. We all know very well the concerns about the cost of childcare and, as a parent of three children, I know they are very real. Childcare is an expensive business, and it should be. After all, we have highly qualified professional staff caring for our children, who are the most precious members of our society. This is not a service that can be delivered on the cheap and yet the system has been designed to deliver just that, a quality system…

That is fine.

Low pay is cited by 86% of early years educators as being the main reason for leaving the sector. Experienced early years educators, managers and even providers continue to leave the sector. Many choose to become special needs assistants, where the starting salary is €16.83 per hour - €1.30 above the base rate for an early years educator and €2.68 above the minimum wage. On the other hand, qualified national school teachers receive €44.67 per hour, almost three times the hourly rate of an early years educator. Is i…

I will speak about the amended scheme for remediation of defective blocks. Reliance is upon the standard IS 465 of 2018 which is unfit for purpose. It assesses superficial damage, not structural stability, and needs revision based on the best scientific evidence available on pyrrhotite sulfate attack. Engineers have downgraded recommendations for the full demolition of properties to partial demolition or remediation. We have heard from experts who say that partial demolition is a long-term disaster. We have seen on…

I thank the Minister of State for displaying a real interest in this. The non-demolition option is not working because, as I said earlier, if there is a defective block the deterioration can go into healthy blocks without people knowing. As such, demolition is the only option and this is what people want. Deputy Charles Ward got elected based on this, as did county councillors, because people feel they are not being listened to. I appreciate there is going to be a review. We have a model that works and that is what…

Anyone who was listening to Claire Byrne yesterday would have been struck by the very sad but uplifting story of Claire Colum from Strokestown in Roscommon. Ms Colum spoke about her daughter Kate, who was five years old when she died following a severe strep A infection on 31 March 2023. Kate had been admitted to Sligo University Hospital on the Wednesday of that week after she became very ill. Kate had Down's syndrome. She was a very robust little girl and it was unusual for her to be ill. Kate's parents knew some…

I welcome the Minister of State. His being here again is a reflection of the interest we have in rail in the west. He knows this well himself. For once, I am not going to be talking about the western rail corridor. I will refer to it only at the very end. I have a picture to hand to show the significant rail gaps referred to in the all-Ireland rail review. The document recognises there are significant gaps in rail network coverage. There was never a truer word. Nothing grabs attention like a map. A picture paints a…