Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Senator Pippa Hackett to the Chamber. It is a happy and proud day for the Senator and her family. I wish her well.

I join other Senators in condemning what happened with Deputy Martin Kenny. It is absolutely abhorrent that his car was burned and his family was frightened. It really disgusts me. I spoke to the Deputy earlier. He has young teenagers who understand the danger. It is such a difficult situation. We have all become used to the negativity and the abuse we get online. When it comes to our homes and our families, it is a different story. I think we all have to speak out against that. We all disagree on occasion - I suppose we agree on occasion - but at the end of the day, this type of intimidating criminal behaviour should not be tolerated in a democracy.

I seek a debate on the report on State-funded contraception, which follows on from a request made by the Minister for Health. There is a lot of detail in the report. There has been a great deal of media discussion on what is being proposed. People have debated whether long-acting contraceptives should be provided and what age groups should be involved. The provision of State-funded contraception was one of the fundamental ancillary recommendations of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. Obviously, this recommendation must be a fundamental part of our efforts to avoid unwanted and crisis pregnancies. I am seeking a debate in the House on this topic as soon as possible.