Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join in welcoming the French ambassador. As Deputy Leader, I acknowledge the show of unity being displayed by everybody today in absolutely condemning the horrific attacks on Paris last week. They were appallingly brutal attacks on people enjoying sports and cultural life in a great city that is so well known to all of us. It really represents an attack on all of us on our doorstep in Europe. It is an attack on democracy, our way of life, our values and our civilisation. That is perhaps a summary of the sentiments that colleagues expressed today. I join with all of them in such expressions. I also have enormous sympathy and solidarity with the French people and the families of the bereaved and those who are injured. We must also remember those who were bereaved and injured in other attacks on Beirut last week, in which more than 40 people were killed, and the attack on the Russian aeroplane, which killed so many civilians.

It is appropriate that we marked the French attacks with a minute's silence today. I remind colleagues that there is a book of condolences in the French Embassy and I was privileged to be there yesterday, along with Senator van Turnhout and colleagues from the other House, to sign it after it was signed by an tUachtarán, Michael D. Higgins. The President and the Taoiseach have expressed the sympathy and solidarity of the Irish people with the French after this horrific attack.

I agree with colleagues who have asked for a debate in this House on the bigger context and security issues arising from those attacks.I will certainly seek a debate on that issue in early course.

On a more positive note, before I respond to Senators, I wish to again thank colleagues, all of whom, I think, expressed such a warm welcome to our new colleague, Senator Máiría Cahill. I join again in expressing my own fáilte mór to Máiría. She is very welcome here. I welcome her family who are in the Public Gallery. I also welcome the directors of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and One in Four, Ellen O'Malley Dunlop and Maeve Lewis, respectively. We are delighted to have them in the Gallery. We are delighted to have Senator Cahill join us as a member of the Labour Party group of Senators in the Seanad. I know she will make a tremendous contribution here and that she will be a powerful advocate for the rights of victims and survivors of abuse and of violence. She has started already on a very constructive note in that regard.

I again thank all colleagues for their warm welcome and for their lovely words about our new Senator and also about our colleague, Jimmy Harte. I extend a warm welcome to Amy Rose Harte, his daughter, who is in the Gallery. I thank the Harte family for all they have done and all the support they have given all of us. We all very much wish Jimmy Harte a speedy recovery. We hope we will see him soon visiting us again here in the Seanad. I hope he is celebrating the wonderful win, which many of the Senators mentioned, of the Irish team last night in Lansdowne Road and our qualification for the championships. I understand there is also good news from Stormont on the Northern Ireland leaders having reached agreement after two months of negotiations. I hope there is something there for the former Senator Harte and all of us to celebrate.