Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Warfield's points on late-night licensing.

I raise the question of the HSE decision-making process. We have all felt frustration with it. This matter concerns children's disability services in Gorey, where there is a very good network team. The speech and language therapist has gone on maternity leave, and I wish her the best with that. Obviously, this maternity leave was indicated early on to the HSE. It is only now that the HSE has decided to seek a replacement. We know how much of a shortage there is of speech and language therapists. It is not acceptable, for those families and young people who are impacted and need access to a speech and language therapist, that the HSE did not make alternative plans quickly enough while knowing this post would be vacant. This is symptomatic of the problem with the HSE and its decision-making process. Conducting interviews once the speech and language therapist has gone on maternity leave is short sighted. It speaks to a bigger problem within the HSE. We often talk about the shortage of speech and language therapists. We need a full debate on the issues around speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, and I would be grateful if the Deputy Leader could facilitate that.

I share Senator Gavan's concern around the rise of the far right and extremism in Europe. However, Renew Europe and ALDE have always stood up against this. In fact, we called out the EPP over Orbán's continued membership of that group. Extremism does not only come from the far right. Senator Gavan shares his group, the hard-left group in the European Parliament, with people who are supporting extreme views on the hard left. He shares his group with Mick Wallace and Clare Daly. Sinn Féin's MEP has a record of supporting Russia during his time in the European Parliament. If the Senator is going to attack-----