Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We were fortunate to welcome the Ukrainian ambassador, H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko, to Gorey yesterday. It was an emotional day during which she met local families who have been supported by schools in the community and by voluntary activity. There is a drop-in centre at Gorey Youth Needs Group where people come to provide information. Active groups have sprung up around the county, including in Riverchapel and Kilmuckridge, where Councillor Mary Farrell is actively involved. Support groups have also sprung up in Rosslare and in communities around the country. While others have spoken about this issue, we must acknowledge all the voluntary groups who are opening their doors and hearts to try to provide support. Many of the Ukrainian families arriving here have questions they need answered and it is important that we put structures in place to do that. One of those questions is around Ukrainian teachers and whether their teaching qualifications will be recognised. We have shortages in particular subject areas and the matter needs to be addressed quickly with the Teaching Council. I ask the Leader to raise that matter with the Minister for Education.

I join with Senator Hoey. Since the Seanad last sat, we have seen the terrible killings of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee. We also saw the attack on Evan Somers in Dublin city centre. All of the signs point to the fact that the only reason these people were attacked was because they were gay men.There is much to celebrate in this country, we have come a long way and it is a much more open and tolerant country than it was in the past. However, this shows that we still have a long way to go. Words count and language matters and the words and language we use in these Houses, whether somebody is part of a minority or is a refugee, is something that counts. I am conscious of Senator Buttimer's remarks and it would be appropriate that coming up to the anniversary of the marriage equality referendum we would consider having a debate on the rights of LGBT+ people in this country. We should celebrate how far we have come and discuss how far we need to go.