Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to touch on what Senator Byrne initially spoke about regarding Ukraine. I wish the Cathaoirleach and the Ceann Comhairle well. I understand they will be travelling to Ukraine on Monday. It is a great day for both our Houses that the Cathaoirleach and the Ceann Comhairle’s counterparts in Ukraine are extending an invitation to them. I wish them a safe journey. I hope it will be a successful trip. I hope they will bring our good wishes. More important, I hope they will bring back some messages to us.

I would ask the Leader, with the support of the Cathaoirleach, that we would have some sort of statement or engagement about the trip. While the Cathaoirleach will be there as our representative and as Cathaoirleach of this esteemed Chamber, the communication should be two way. It is a matter of bringing messages out, but it is also about passive listening. It is about bringing messages back to this Chamber. I would like if we could set some time aside - it does not need to be a lot of time - during which the Cathaoirleach might be able to share his experiences of this trip as well as what he heard in terms of passive listening. I wish the Cathaoirleach well and a safe journey next Monday. It is to be hoped we will see him at the end of the week.

I would ask the Leader if we could have some debate about the Ukraine crisis and, importantly, about the issue of education. Through this crisis, we have many thousands of young children in Ireland, and they are welcome. It is important we respect their identity and we put all the supports in place for that identity. This is especially the case as it relates to the transition of language, communication and the spoken language of English. It is so important they have the ability and the educational support that is necessary to continue their native tongue while they are here, but also that they have the great opportunity to learn another language. What an opportunity. Children absorb like a sponge. They will be able to speak fluent English in 12 months. That is the reality of it. I would have loved to have had that opportunity. This is a crisis, but there is a different opportunity coming out of the crisis. It is really important we put supports in place. The education and training boards, ETBs, are potentially a place where this can happen within local communities. I ask that we have a focused debate on the challenges and plans we have to put in place to support education for children and to support them, their parents and older people to learn the English language in this country.