Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to congratulate Ms Noeline Blackwell on an international award she received last night. PILnet is a global non-profit organisation that connects the legal profession around the world to ensure law works for all and Ms Blackwell has done incredible work in the area of domestic violence. She works on a national level but I often hear her on my local radio station, Kildare FM, KFM, so I have no doubt she is on local radio stations right around the country advocating for victims of domestic violence. It is a very well-received award and I wish to congratulate her on it.

Later today I have organised for 30 women from Newbridge Women's Shed to come to Leinster House to see the work carried on in this House and in the Dáil. It is a real pleasure to bring them here. Ms Carmel Cashin in Kildare County Council has done incredible work in founding Women's Sheds around Kildare. There are approximately 40 Women's Sheds nationally. They are a place for women to go, to connect and to do educational and enjoyable things. I have connected with the Rathangan and Newbridge ones and I have found that it really is a great space, particularly for people who are not from the area and for the new Irish. They are similar in a way to Men's Sheds but they do not get any funding whatsoever. They merit getting their own funding from national funding streams and I ask that perhaps we take up that call.

I wish to invite all Members to a briefing at 4 p.m. by an Bainne Beatha. For those who do not know them, they are a group of women who have come together as a result of their experiences of maternity services to try to support women to breastfeed. They are launching their report at 4 p.m. I do not wish to pre-empt their report but they do incredible work and it is really important that we put measures in place to support women with their choice in terms of breastfeeding.

The last matter I wish to raise concerns postgraduate fees. It is fantastic that students at third level are receiving a €1,000 discount, so to speak, this year and at least €500 next year. However, a number of postgraduate students from Kildare have contacted me and I have no doubt students will contact others. It is a concern that this is not extended to postgraduate students. I appreciate that in a budget we can only do so much but it is important to try to find some mechanism to assist those studying at postgraduate level. For many, a postgraduate qualification has become an entry requirement for jobs and they are very expensive.