Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach, and thank the Deputy Leader for setting out the proposed Order of Business. I want to start off by thanking Senator Catherine Ardagh, and former Senator, Averil Power, the CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, for organising the Daffodil Day coffee morning in the House this morning. It was very well attended, and I thank all involved, and the Irish Cancer Society for the enormous work it does in supporting people with cancer. We all know of its great work.

I do not know if anyone listened to "Drivetime" yesterday evening, but I happened to be going to Carrick-on-Shannon and I listened it. Alan Fay and Andrea Reilly, both members of Empowering People in Care, EPIC, which is a youth council that supports people with disabilities and empowers people who have lived in care, or who have come from care, spoke very movingly about their issues and concerns.EPIC is a national organisation that works with children and young people currently living in State care or not. It was moving. I recommend its report to everyone. I uploaded it and it is going out to every Oireachtas Member here today. It asks the contributors if they were to write a book about their life experience. It is full of quotes from these people in the service and asks what would they call it, which is how the report got its name. They talk about their care experiences in sections called, for example, "Headphones", "Odd shoes", "My experience," and "Don't miss my ability". It is about the unique lives and experience of people. I encourage people to play back the podcast. It was a very moving piece and has been mentioned several times since. Their ask is for people to listen to their voices and read their words in this report. It is peppered with their quotes. They say they wish to be given safe and inclusive opportunities to express their views, but more importantly, they want their views to be listened to and acted upon. What can we in the Oireachtas do? Surely, we can ask to have it discussed in the Committee on Disability Matters. That is important. More importantly, we can use it to inform us as policy makers. I encourage people to read that.

I strongly commend the Bill in the name of Senator Boylan and Sinn Féin regarding dogs and animal welfare. It is important. My one ask is that we get a commitment today, if possible, from the office of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, that he will agree to honour his commitment to come to this House next week for a debate and statements regarding Inland Fisheries Ireland. I have prepared a proposal for tomorrow's Order of Business. I hope it will not be necessary, but I will be circulating it this afternoon. If this House does not have a commitment from the Minister, we can expect to discuss this tomorrow on the Order of Business.