In this current cost-of-living crisis, all decisions should be made with the needs of vulnerable people at heart. Just over a month ago today, a brave family from County Sligo waived their right to anonymity. This family won their court case against their father, who sexually abused five of his children when they were between the ages of three and 17. The Central Criminal Court heard harrowing evidence of abuse and neglect, including times when the children were left hungry and locked in a room to drink their own u…

The Minister of State is very welcome. I am delighted, as this is relevant to both of us in our area. I will give some background to Project WAVE, which stands for Working towards Academic and Vocational Equity. It is a project which everyone associated with Atlantic Technological University, ATU, is very proud of. It gives students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to attend college. The students attending Project WAVE recently visited me here in Leinster House and met several Senators and TDs. These …

That is wonderful news. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I am delighted to hear it. People will be absolutely thrilled. It is not only for the students. Kevin said that it was an emergency and that there were only eight weeks left. It will alleviate so many of their concerns and worries. It is fantastic news. I give a big shout-out to all the staff like Tamsin, Jeanette and Róisín for all the work they do and the impact it is having not only on the students but, as the Minister of State said, on the wider commu…

I want to focus my remarks on the debacle of the SNA cuts. I welcome the decision to pause the roll-out of the proposed cuts to SNAs and also the announcement of the €19 million for additional SNA supports. However, the question as to where this money came from still has to be asked. While it is very welcome, how could it be just plucked out of thin air? Because parents and school communities have been contacting people across the country about the long-term security of this, I would encourage people to take part i…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Roinnfidh mé mo chuid ama leis an Seanadóir Noonan. Nuair a bhí mé ag smaoineamh aréir ar cad a déarfainn inniu, tháinig seanmhothúcháin orm, náire agus eagla. Bhí imní orm nach bhfuil mo chuid Gaeilge maith go leor lena bheith ag labhairt anseo inniu. Is dócha nach bhfuilim i m'aonar. Thug m'athair, Seán Ó Ceallacháin, grá mór dár dteanga dhúchais dom. Is mór an trua nach labhraíonn níos mó daoine ár dteanga álainn ó lá go lá agus ó dhubh go dubh. I ndáiríre, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I commend and thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Flynn and Black on bringing forward this Bill today. The Labour Party fully supports this important legislation. When the Institutional Burials Act 2022 passed through the Oireachtas four years ago it was a victory for the tireless campaigners, survivors and families of Tuam and other mother and baby homes. The work of people like Catherine Corless, who has rightly been mentioned here many times tonight, uncovered the facts of the burials at …

Last week, the Seanad debated the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, which I think is the most important legislation that has come before us so far. Because of the Government's desire to guillotine it, we did not really have the opportunity to interrogate it fully. Rushed legislation is bad legislation. Yesterday on my local radio station, Ocean FM, Shona Sheridan, a young woman from Manorhamilton who is an HR master's student, was interviewed. She spoke about the plight of new graduates an…

I thank everyone again for letting me take this slot. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit as well. It is no exaggeration to say that our society was built upon the work of volunteers. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine as they say after all. In the 2022 census, the CSO found that over 700,000 people in the State were regularly giving their time and expertise for a voluntary cause. That is incredible. We can see that in every town and village. We know they keep our services alive. It has been said too that the vo…

What the Minister is saying is so insulting. There is more to the Opposition than Sinn Féin. As a party, we have tabled 69 amendments to the Bill. The Minister is saying that we are not providing any constructive criticism. The Labour Party has been in government. We have a very good track record of building houses in this country. I cannot say the same, unfortunately, about Fianna Fáil, particularly if the Minister wants to go down the route of talking about the building of social housing being halted. The Ministe…

They certainly do, but local authorities need to employ more staff and funding that comes within the gift of the Minister.

Yes.

Absolutely not. Who caused the housing crash? Who crashed the economy?

Who caused the housing crash? Who gave the brown envelopes to Bertie Ahern? Who did that?

Who handed over the brown envelopes to developers?

I move amendment No. 7: “Notices of termination: temporary ban 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or any other enactment or rule of law, the period of 3 years commencing on the passing of this Act is deemed to be an emergency period within the meaning and for the purposes of section 5 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 and that section, with the exception of subsection (6)(b), applies accordingly.”. I welcome the Minister back to the House. It looks like I have the …

There is no doubt we all want to solve this crisis. Labour has a strong track record on housing. We had the housing Department while in government. We put forward proposals that were not always supported, but we also put forward proposals that were supported. We definitely do not want to disagree with this. We see there is, of course, room for a rental market, but we have put in 69 amendments and I cannot understand why none of them were taken up. We have a track record and a history. We have been calling for a Sta…

I second.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. It is great to have her here and I thank her for her proactive approach to the Bill. It is great that she will allow it to pass Second Stage. I know how hard Senator Harmon has worked on this legislation and it is an absolute privilege for me to have met Sophie and Shane to hear their story. Sophie is a true inspiration. I am fully in support of calling it Sophie's Law when it is enacted. I welcome and thank all of the SNAs from Fórsa and the teachers from the INTO. Without their suppor…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. A couple of weeks ago on the Order of Business, I raised the 100th anniversary of an event that so far has gone largely unmarked in the commemorations surrounding the decade of centenaries. Since then, I have had the pleasure of meeting a group of the surviving relatives of the Peterhead Ten and have come to realise not only the extent of the sacrifice these brave men made, but also the unique significance of their contributions. I will give a bit of background to this issue. I kn…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. He confirmed I am right that they are still eligible for this even though the period falls outside the decade of centenaries. As there have been a number of different local authorities involved, would it be possible to go between Longford County Council and Leitrim County Council and for both to work together?