I welcome the Minister of State here again and thank him for coming to the House to address my Commencement matter. It asks for the Minister to confirm the nature of the Government's proposed review of legislation that established the electoral mayoralty of Limerick, and to make a statement on same. To give the Minister of State a bit of background, I say that because there has been a lot of commentary about the Mayor of Limerick. It is also important to make the point at the very outset that on 24 May 2019, voters…

The Minister of State has given more than enough detail. He said the review will take place in 2027 and that it will engage with the councils, which is important, various stakeholders, which is also important - I am glad it was confirmed - the consultative forum and other appropriate people. On completion of the review, the Minister will consider the report and make it available to both Houses of the Oireachtas. What more could you ask for? I thank the Minister of State. This will provide greater clarity and certai…

Up here is the problem, not Cork.

I join Senator Costello in congratulating South Dublin County Council on being selected as the LAMA local authority of the year. It is richly deserved. I know Colm Ward, too, and he does an exceptional job. That leads me to focus on the local democracy task force. Its report is complete. It has been signed off and is no longer with the task force. It is not the draft report; it is the report and it will be presented to the Minister tomorrow. Arrangements have been put in place for that to happen. I cannot speculate…

I am happy to support the Order of Business as proposed by the Deputy Leader today. I wish to bring up two issues. One relates to ongoing issues around mental health. Yesterday, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was in the House to deal with my Commencement matter but we did not make a lot of progress. Therefore, I am formally requesting another debate on mental health. I know the Minister of State will be back in the House on 18 March to complete the passage of the Mental Health Bill, which is really important…

I welcome the Minister for State back to the Seanad. It is always good to see her. I thank her for coming here to deal with this Commencement matter, which falls within her remit and responsibilities. I want to set the scene here because that is important. Ironically, I had tabled this Commencement matter yesterday but it was not selected. I am lad it was not selected because today I will be quoting from Judge Alan Mitchell. A posting by RTÉ at 12.10 p.m. yesterday was really interesting because it very much relate…

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive statement. The reality is that there are beds that have not been opened in the facility. Some 50 beds remain empty while people remain in squalid conditions in our prisons. I accept that a lot has been achieved and I would be the first to say that. The reality is that we need to have these 50 beds. We have budgeted for it and the taxpayers have paid. The beds are in place. It is really important that we prioritise. I hear the Minister of State's point about increm…

I thank the Cathoirleach for bringing forward a proposal for a formal vote of sympathy for the former Fianna Fáil Senator Mary White. When I think of Mary White, I think of a very successful entrepreneur, a politician, a republican who espoused the values of a true republic and someone who spent much of her time on this. I knew her well and she was a great friend of mine and a great visitor to my home. I had many a long day and evening with both her and Padraic. They were an incredible, dynamic couple. For me, what…

I welcome the Minister to the House. It is great to see her here. I thank her for coming here to give this matter the attention it deserves. I acknowledge the Civil Engagement Group for its proposal. It is one I support on the basis that the group has made a strong case here on the restrictive nature of the Institutional Burials Act 2022. I want to remember for a moment Catherine Corless, the absolutely fierce objections she faced when she unveiled the information she had found in her endeavours, and the frustratio…

I welcome the Minister and I thank him for facilitating our statements on bluetongue today. I know the Minister has had ongoing engagement and will continue to do so. We may have submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister's office in the last few days in relation to this subject. I know the Minister is committed to coming back to us and I want to thank him for doing that. I also want to acknowledge the very significant and important role of our chief veterinary officer within the Department. It is an amazing…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We very much appreciate his giving his time. The Minister of State has eight minutes to set out his stall. Group spokespersons will have ten minutes each and time may be shared. The Minister of State must be called to reply no later than 6.53 p.m. It may be earlier but that is the guideline. Statements must conclude by 7 p.m.

The next slot was identified for the Independent Group but there is no one taking that slot. I note Senator Noonan has to leave to attend a committee meeting. He is a member of the Cross-Party Group and will have ten minutes. He has indicated he will share if that is okay with all of the Members here. Is it agreed we take them next? Agreed. The rota after that is clearly set out. The Cross-Party Group will take this ten minute slot, the next slot is for Senator O'Loughlin for Fianna Fáil, then it is Sinn Féin, whic…

You are going to share?

The Senator can say that as it comes up. Senator Noonan, is it two minutes and eight minutes?

The House.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Senator Collins is next. She is sharing time with Senator Tully with five minutes each. Is that agreed? Agreed.

On the proposed Order of Business, I am pretty confident that the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 will be discharged today in a timely fashion. I encourage all Senators to come together and respect the different positions taken. There has not been a lot of time. The Order of Business proposes that this Bill be discharged today and a motion for earlier signature by the President be taken. There is no counter-proposal as of now, so it is important we just get on with the business and listen…

First, I wish to pay tribute to Larry Butler. He was a man I knew well. I served with him on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. He had served, prior to that, on Dublin County Council when it arched out into Dún Laoghaire before the merger. I knew him to be a great character; that he certainly was. He was a great colleague and mentor. He was a man who believed in keeping his feet on the ground and keeping in close contact with his constituents. He went on to be elected to the Seanad and he was a man I worked clo…

I wish to raise two matters. There have been some contributions in respect of SNAs. I was also in the Dáil this afternoon to listen to Taoiseach’s Questions. This is not over yet. I will not quote what the Taoiseach said, but I ask people to have a look at his responses, including to some of his backbenchers. This is huge campaign. I welcome that is has paused for the moment. What we need is absolute clarity on the issues involved. I do not doubt that everyone, all parties and none, support the need for additional …