Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I, too, welcome Senator O'Hara. I am wearing green for him today. I went to Queen's University and spent three very happy years in south Belfast. I am very much looking forward to having another north Belfast voice in the House. I recognise the contribution Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile made to this House. We miss him and his Belfast wit.

Regarding Senator O'Reilly's concerns about the prioritisation of climate action, in our new Taoiseach's speech at the Árd-Fheis it was one of the priorities he outlined. He specifically referred to the importance of empowering farmers in the necessary transformation. I had a meeting yesterday with a group called Retailers Against Smuggling. That certainly outlined to me the extent to which people are availing of black market goods and services. I am startled 25% of people have availed of them in the last year. That includes TV subscription services via dodgy boxes, coal and other fuels, drugs, medicines, supplements, alcohol, vaping products, cigarettes, rolling tobacco and then of course we know of the growth in things like hair and beauty services as well. I appreciate that Covid as a disrupter blurred the lines when it came to people's attitude to accessing products and certain behaviours related to law and order, behaviour on the roads and things like that, but we need to rein this in. It is not good for public health. It is not good for the Exchequer. It is not a good sign and we need to deal with it. We need to engage with people like those in the organisation I mentioned. We need fines, legal reform or law enforcement, but primarily in this instance we need awareness.