Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Buttimer and all Members of this House in celebrating Pride month and lamenting RTÉ's role in this situation. It would be welcome if the Leader could facilitate a debate on the issue. As we have come out of the pandemic, this is our first Pride month in almost three years during which we can get together and celebrate. In the Dublin Central constituency, we will be celebrating Pride.

The same constituency will tomorrow be celebrating one of the country's most famous literary sons, namely, James Joyce. He may have been born on the south side but he had the good sense to move to the north side. He spent an awful lot of time in my neck of the woods. He lived on Claude Road and St. Peter's Road. He went to school in O'Connell School on the North Circular Road and Belvedere College on Great Denmark Street before he emigrated and wrote his masterpiece, of which we are all very proud. It will be celebrated tomorrow not just in Dublin but all around the world. I congratulate the organisers of the 2022 Bloomsday festival. I do not know if any of my colleagues have had the chance to engage in the festival or to experience any of the wonderful events involved. There is a programme of literature, art, culture and music. It is a joy to celebrate and we should all do so and commend all of those involved.

I also commend the organisers of the Stoneybatter festival, which will take place in Dublin Central this weekend. Stoneybatter is one of the oldest villages in our city. A village with cobblestones and cattle markets, Stoneybatter features in Ulysses, as does Arbour Hill. In particular, the City Arms Hotel on Prussia Street features. The people and businesses of Stoneybatter have got together to organise the festival and the village will be buzzing for this year's celebrations after the pandemic.Stoneybatter will be buzzing with food, music, entertainment, culture and climate action. I encourage anybody who is in the city this weekend to come to Stoneybatter. If they have not had enough excitement and entertainment there, they need to come on Sunday to Mountjoy Square, which is the most perfect of Georgian squares in Dublin city. This Sunday will be Super Soul Sunday in Mountjoy Square and gospel choirs from all over the city will come to lift the square with their gospel singing. It is free of charge from 12 noon to 6.30 p.m. I invite everybody in the city, or anywhere, to come to Dublin Central this weekend to enjoy and celebrate the strong, vibrant and diverse community that is Dublin Central and that makes us all so proud of it.