I too would like to extend a fáilte romhat to our dignitaries from France and wish them a happy Bastille Day. I want to raise an issue regarding social welfare payments. People on jobseeker's allowance or on farm assist may sometimes have to come off those payments if they receive some work. They may be working on a part-time basis, so they notify the Department of Social Protection and the payment is ceased. Sometimes the work, especially if it is seasonal, finishes up and when the person reapplies for the payment…

I want to raise the case of an 18-year-old woman living in Cavan. She was admitted to Cavan General Hospital in September 2025. She was 17 at the time and spent four weeks there with symptoms of vomiting, constant headaches and light sensitivity. One doctor thought it was chronic meningitis and talked about doing a lumbar puncture but other doctors disagreed. No procedure was carried out and no determination was made as to what was actually wrong. She was given antibiotics and sent home. She ended up back in hospit…

There has been a lot of discussion recently about how best to protect our young people, especially our under-18s, from certain social media sites and pornography. The statistics from Rape Crisis Ireland are very concerning when they talk about the rise of online misogyny and what they are calling the "manosphere". It is an international network of influencers promoting male supremacy and anti-feminist ideologies. That is connected closely to multinational corporations, which are only interested in making profit, ha…

Lucy is on work experience. I wish to raise the issue of cuts to allowances for Reserve Defence Force members. Cuts were introduced in 2011 as part of austerity measures after the economic crash. The public sector was badly hit by quite severe cuts at the time. The Reserve Defence Force allowance was cut by 25% and it was taxed for the first time after that as well. This was severely felt by the members of the Reserve Defence Force. Many of the cuts implemented at that time have been reversed but the cut to the Res…

Ireland has a good reputation for the production of high-quality food, achieved primarily on our family farms where there is traceability from farm to fork, but this is dependent on the continuation of the family farm. That is in danger because of the age profile of our farmers. I attended a briefing by Macra last week and some stark statistics were provided. Over one third of Irish farmers are over 65 years of age. Forty per cent have no identified successor, with 20% having no successor at all. Only 4.3% of our f…

Sinn Féin will engage constructively with the Bill. We support the orderly winding down of NAMA, the completion of the IBRC process and the transfer of the remaining activities to the NTMA. However, let me clear that we will continue to demand accountability for the failures of the banking collapse and for the deeply damaging and flawed political choices that followed. Those choices cost people their homes, their livelihoods and their futures. Accountability cannot be brushed aside simply because an agency is being…

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I want to speak in support of amendment No. 26 and any of the amendments that call for an outright ban on the use of counselling notes in cases of sexual violence and rape. If any of us knows a person who has been raped or sexually assaulted, they will know the life-changing and devastating impact it has. They will also know how vital counselling is in the context of trying to address the trauma, process what happened and put a devastated life back together. If these amendments are rejected, this legislation risks …

I was contacted recently by a person I have known for a long time but had not spoken to in some time. She was telling me how her husband has been diagnosed with dementia. It is progressing quite rapidly to the stage where she has realised she needs additional help to care for him. In the midst of this, her GP advised her to apply for the long-term illness card, which she did. However, she was refused because dementia is not included on the long-term illness scheme. It really should be. It is a life-long lasting con…

I second the amendment.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 29, after “subsection (4)” to insert “and (4A)” Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 relate to the safety of victims. As we know, for this register to go ahead the victim must give their consent. We want to make sure the victims are safeguarded when giving consent. While they may have endured years of violence, coercive control or whatever the offence was and while the person has been convicted of that crime and hopefully will be serving a sentence, it does not mean that the control, inti…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(4A) For the purposes of subsection (2)(d), the court shall be satisfied that— (a) the consent of the victim is freely and voluntarily given, (b) the victim has been provided with sufficient information and access to appropriate supports, including from specialist domestic violence services, to enable informed and safe decision-making, and (c) such consent may be withdrawn at any time prior to the inclusion of the judgment in the Re…

I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, line 33, to delete “3 years” and substitute “5 years”. The proposals in amendments Nos. 6, 7 and 8 are to delete three years and substitute it with five years on lines 33 and 37 on page 4 and line 3 on page 5. They are also to include that the court: may, in making an order under subsection (2), specify that a longer period shall apply before an application for removal may be made, having regard to— (a) the nature and seriousness of the offence, and (b) the need to protect the saf…

I am disappointed that the Minister will not accept five years. I understand absolutely that when someone goes on the register, they are on it until they apply to come off it. I cannot imagine that any person will not apply to come off it once the three-year period is up. I do not know why anybody would want to remain on it. It is a good idea to have the register, and I support it. I think it acts as a deterrent to people to perpetrate violence, mainly against women. I imagine that people will not want to stay on t…

I move amendment No. 7: In page 4, line 37, to delete "3 years" and substitute "5 years".

I move amendment No. 8: In page 5, line 3, to delete "3 years" and substitute "5 years".

I move amendment No. 9: In page 5, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: "(9A) Notwithstanding subsection (9), the court may, in making an order under subsection (2), specify that a longer period shall apply before an application for removal may be made, having regard to— (a) the nature and seriousness of the offence, and (b) the need to protect the safety and wellbeing of the victim and, where relevant, any children or dependents.".

I move amendment No. 11: In page 5, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following: “(ai) section 2, where the offence is committed against a spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or person in an intimate relationship;”. The register is currently limited to indictable offences, including that of coercive control, and that is welcome. However, many cases of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence are also reflected across certain summary proceedings. For instance, while domestic violence orders originate in family …

I move amendment No. 12: In page 5, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: “(ha) an offence under section 33 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018;”