Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It would be more in the Senator's line to support the workers than play politics with the issue in here. The reality is that the prevalence of Covid-19 is increasing, staff are missing, airlines across the world and in Europe are cancelling flights every day and there are strikes in parts of the world. I applaud the Dublin Airport Authority for being proactive, notwithstanding the difficulties it does have. I take the point the Senator made about taking staff welfare on board and how you look after workers is a fundamental point to which we should come back. I hope the Minister for Transport or the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton or whichever Minister the Leader can get will come to this House for a debate on the plans to make sure that the travelling public are not discommoded in this summer season.

I rise primarily to mention the celebration of Dublin Pride last Saturday. I thank the Leader and the Leas-Chathaoirleach for their presence at Dublin Pride last Saturday along with so many other Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and across political parties, staff from Departments and the staff here in Leinster House. It was a wonderful day but sadly, the event was marked by the news that two people were killed in Oslo that morning, which was an attack based on religious grounds against members of the LGBT community.

June is Pride month. Let us consider how far Pride has come, from where it began to where it was last Saturday. It is important that we do not let the month of June pass without calling for a debate on diversity and equality to be arranged before the summer recess. I ask for that debate conscious that we had a peaceful and celebratory Pride march and events last Saturday, for which I thank the organisers of Dublin Pride and all who participated on that wonderful day. As I am very conscious that two people were killed in Oslo that night, I recognise that as a society, we have come on a journey but have more to do. Today, in the Upper House of the Oireachtas, I wish to remember the two people who were killed in Oslo while celebrating Pride and acknowledge that we could walk safely and without fear in Dublin last Saturday afternoon.