Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank colleagues for all their expressions of sympathy. We join together this morning to remember Private Seán Rooney.

I acknowledge Senator Fitzpatrick's involvement in the campaign to have our hospital named after Dr. Kathleen Lynn, who certainly was an incredibly impressive person. I thank the Senator for that.

To Senator Carrigy I say bualadh bos to Longford Slashers Ladies GFA. I wish them continued success. I have a feeling this is only the start of great things.

Senators Higgins and Chambers both acknowledged the launch of the Joint Committee on Gender Equality's report entitled Unfinished Democracy: Achieving Gender Equality. The report contains 40-plus recommendations in respect of which we have put timelines in order that we can keep people in check. I really hope we do keep them in check. Commitments have been made not only by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste but also by all the Ministers across the line Departments who need to shake things up to make sure that we see an equal future for our women and girls very soon.

Senators Buttimer and Maria Byrne both asked for debates on emergency departments, particularly those in Limerick and Cork, and the HIQA report after Christmas. I am sure the new Leader will organise that.

I thank Deputy Malcolm Byrne, who prepared the motion on today's Order Paper seeking for us to join the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN. Not everybody will recognise that although the names on the list are wide and varied, Senator Malcolm Byrne wrote the vast majority of the motion, otherwise it would not have been ready today's Order Paper. I acknowledge his commitment. I will certainly prod the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in the hip to see whether we can get him to spend the very small amount of money needed before Christmas in order that we might bring the matter to fruition.

Senator Murphy spoke about the continuing saga of the imprisonment of Mr. Robert Pether. Mr. Pether's wife, Desree, contacts me nearly every day, if not every second day. Things at this time of year are always heightened emotionally for us whether it is grief or otherwise. Desree is watching her husband deteriorate in front of her eyes and her two children having to grow up without their father. I am told that we are doing everything we can. Somehow, it just does not feel like we are doing everything we can when we are watching a man wasting away. I want to tell Desree that he is in our thoughts and that we will continue to keep working on her behalf.

I thank Senator Black for acknowledging the Dr. Kathleen Lynn campaign.

Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke not only about the Unfinished Democracy: Achieving Gender Equality report and its ambitions but also the need for a referendum on Articles 40 and 41 of the Constitution. It would be a very good time for us to have the referendum around extending the franchise to the presidential elections as we committed to do in the programme for Government.

I acknowledge Senator Boyhan's poignant review of the letter by little Ivan. When he brought it up a couple of weeks ago, it really got us all in the gut that this little boy has the choice of anything in the letter he wrote to Santa, because we all know Santa brings whatever children ask for in their letters in most cases. All Ivan wants is his daddy home and electricity. These are things we take so much for granted that we do not even think about them. There are families in Ireland at the moment who are worried about paying their electricity bills. Most people in this country do not have to worry about not being able to turn on the lights when they get up in the morning or about having frightened children. Sometimes, we need that reality check. Senator Boyhan was very right to commend the agencies and, indeed, all the Irish citizens who extended such an enormous welcome. Particularly in the last number of weeks, all those people who are lucky enough to have holiday homes offered them to some of the thousands of people who are still living in hotels. I want to point out that when Senator Boyhan said some of the 75,000 Ukrainians that are here will want to stay, we would absolutely be damn lucky if they did want to stay. I want to put that on the record.

Senator Kyne asked for me to raise Iran's despicable human rights records with the ambassador, which I will be very happy to do today.

Senator Chambers opened proceedings by commending Deputy Bacik, who is a wonderful role model for women, particularly young women who would like to get into politics. She really can show us that it is possible to do it all. I acknowledge her contribution to this House and to the Dáil.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for steering us over the past two and a half years. The running of this House is an example of his commitment. The way he changed things and shaped the House around his personality is to be commended. I particularly thank him for the role he played in the Seanad 100 celebrations. It was such a pleasure to work with him to achieve the outcomes so efficiently. We had a number of presentations, particularly on Monday which, unfortunately, I had to watch from my bed because I was smothering. It was a wonderful event to watch, however. I will put on record that while the Taoiseach's and everybody else's contributions were lovely, Dr. John Bowman is a class act. He was absolutely wonderful on Monday. I will write to him on all of our behalf to thank him for the wisdom and wit he added to the occasion.

A number of years ago, we would have considered that the walls of these Houses were adorned mostly by the portraits of men who made contributions to public life over the past 100 years, and rightly so. I am not trying to brush them out. For a lot of the time, however, the women who played equal roles have been brushed out. There are now 200-plus women on the walls of Leinster House, and that is down to the Cathaoirleach. I thank him, because it means a lot. Sometimes, these things are seen outside as being kind of silly and trivial. Being seen and being present both really mean a lot. I thank the Cathaoirleach for that important contribution.