Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We will go into private session to deal with some housekeeping matters.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Good morning. I welcome you all to the public session of our meeting. The first item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting. Are those agreed? Agreed.

I will now read the formal notice on privilege. This is a requirement, so bear with me. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the place which Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, any member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. I genuinely hope that I do not ever have to do that.

I propose that the petitions considered by the committee at this meeting and previous meetings will be published and that the replies from the Departments and any other bodies will also be published. Is that agreed? Agreed.

We have nine petitions for consideration today. These petitions were originally submitted during the time of the Thirty-Third Dáil but could not be concluded due to its dissolution. They have now been resubmitted. Once we have had a chance to review them, I will ask that members agree that we continue with these petitions, where the previous Dáil left off, as requested by the previous petitioners. Can we also agree to merge previous documentation received? As you know, we are going to do this formally and in public session to ensure that we have on the public record the nine petitions. I will read them out now and then take any members' views on them.

P00002/25 to allow Irish people abroad their voting rights was submitted by Ms Gráinne McLoughlin.

P00003/25 concerns changes to citizenship legislation and was submitted by Ms Gráinne McLoughlin.

P00005/25 on travel grievance for short-stay and tourism purposes within the CTA for residents was submitted by Mr. Nagesh Siddegowda.

P00006/25 is to give practical application to the right not to attend religious instruction in schools, submitted by Atheist Ireland.

P00007/25 is a call to ban election posters in Ireland, submitted by Mr. Evin Conway.

P00008/25 is on justice and safety, submitted by Mr. C.J. Gaffney.

P00009/25 seeks to amend the Child Care Act 1991 to provide HIQA with the necessary powers to sanction Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, when it fails to meet its statutory obligations and was submitted by the Alliance of Birth Mothers Campaigning for Justice.

P00010/25 is for a reform of insurance for thatched heritage properties, submitted by Ms Katie McNellis.

P00012/25 seeks justice for those abused in homes run by the State, submitted by Mr. Corwyn Bertrand-Fuchs.

I ask that the committee recommend we continue with these petitions where the previous Dáil left off, as requested by the petitioners, and agree to accept that we use all previous documentation received. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Sorry, members. Before I asked you to agree that, I should have asked you if you had any views to offer. We are in public session now, so any views you have can be put onto the public record. If members have a view, I would be happy to take it now.

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I do not, Chair. I just welcome this. It is nice to see some of these petitions coming back on. I congratulate the caseworkers, as you did, Chair. We get the summary notes but we do not see the files, which are very thick. A lot of work goes into this.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A lot of work goes into ensuring we have the documentation here, and we greatly appreciate that.

If there is no further business, members, that concludes our consideration of public petitions for this morning. I invite members of the public to submit petitions via our online portal, which is available at petitions.oireachtas.ie. I also encourage members to invite people to make petitions. A petition may be addressed to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a matter of general public concern or interest or an issue of public policy.

Does any member have any other business - aon ghnó eile?

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

No, Chair.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Níl aon ghnó ar bith eile? Does any member wish to raise any matter at this stage?

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

No, Chair.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Then I will adjourn the meeting. The committee now stands adjourned until 24 June 2025, when we will meet in private session and in public session.