Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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I join with the Cathaoirleach in extending a very warm welcome to the ambassador and I wish her a very happy Estonia day. Before I outline the Order of Business, I must say this is one of the most surreal of times, and I am half a century old. It is incredible that we are watching in real-time, potentially, the destruction of tens if not hundreds of thousands of people's lives in an action which is very obvious to me but very difficult to understand. I put on record that our hearts and our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine today. I really hope that there is swift and demonstratively supportive action and response on behalf of the world leaders who have the opportunity to try to avert this to save people's lives.

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Linda Ervine, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, report of the Seanad Committee of Selection to be taken on conclusion of No. 1, without debate; No. 3, National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 1.15 p.m., to adjourn after 40 minutes, if not previously concluded; and No. 4, statements on mental health and CAMHS, to be taken at 2 p.m., to conclude at 4 p.m. if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, all Senators not to exceed six minutes, and the Minister be given no less than ten minutes to reply.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Like my colleagues, I would like to welcome the ambassador, H.E. Aino Lepik von Wirèn, on this the Estonian national day and share with her our concerns around the unwarranted invasion of Ukraine by Russia and to make very clear from these Houses and this country that we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We have seen troops and military vehicles from Belarus entering Ukraine and it is now very clear that the dictators that are Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko do not respect the rule of law or international agreements. We need to make clear that Ireland and Europe’s quarrel is not with the ordinary people of Belarus and Russia but with their leaders. This is a battle for democracy, for human rights and, in many ways, as referred to by the Leader, it is Europe’s defining moment.

Very strong action has to be taken at European Union level. I support cutting Russia off from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, SWIFT. This is something the Baltic states have sought. I said yesterday that all oligarchs and their families with links to Vladimir Putin in the European Union should have their visas withdrawn.

I spoke yesterday about the food security implications of this conflict but today I raise the potential for cybersecurity attacks. Ireland and Europe need to be braced for cyberattacks. These will either be state-sponsored or state-tolerated by Russia. Ukraine is already experiencing distributed denial-of-service attacks and we know that Russia has used cyberattacks in the past.

This is Estonia’s national day but Estonia knows that in 2007, when it had a dispute with Russia, that there were a series of co-ordinated cyberattacks emanating in Russia and directed against it. It is part of the Kremlin’s playbook. It used it against Georgia in 2008, when it annexed Crimea in 2014, and we know about Russian interference in the American elections and in other areas. We should not forget that the largest attack ever on a health service anywhere in the world was on the HSE last year and that it emanated from Russia. I raised in this House before the question about our cyber capabilities and defence.

I refer to the National Cyber Security Centre.There are plans to upgrade and provide additional staff but it is not adequate to meet the potential of some of these attacks. I have also said Ireland should take part in the permanent structured co-operation, PESCO, groups and co-operate with European neighbours to deal with questions around cybersecurity and cyberterrorism. We should have no doubt that because European countries will stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Ukraine, Russia will seek to deploy its playbook and engage in cyberattacks. We need a full and proper debate around cybersecurity.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I also welcome the Estonian ambassador to the Chamber this morning in recognition of its national day. I spent some time in Talinn a number of years ago and it is a beautiful city and part of the world. I concur absolutely with the comments of my colleagues and the Leader on what is currently is happening in Ukraine. We all study or read about history and we learned about the assassination of the archduke and the invasion of Poland, along with other events. This war is starting in Europe before our eyes and we are getting updates on social media. It is not just a small invasion and it is now a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is quite clear that Mr. Putin and some of his allies do not believe in diplomacy and strung along discussions or talks while making plans for an invasion. Up to very recently they were denying there were any plans for an invasion but it was to be expected that there would be a full-scale invasion. Our thoughts and payers go out to all innocent people who will be caught up in the conflict, which will have an impact both in terms of loss of life and across the region and in other countries neighbouring Ukraine and which may be fearful for their sovereignty and their people's lives at the hands of a dictator.

Déanaim comhghairdeas le gach duine a bhí páirteach sa scannán "An Cailín Ciúin", funded by Screen Ireland, TG4 and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The film, "An Cailín Ciúin", recently won awards in Berlin at its international film festival and is proof of the talent that follows opportunities in the region. Atlantic Academy is a new training hub in Galway and it encourages the growth and development of film and television industry in the west. We have a proud tradition in this over the years and TG4 and the excellent work it does is testament to that. That an Irish language film has gained international awards is testament to that energy, innovation, determination and work ethic. We can do more.

I welcome the fact that Screen Ireland is supporting a number of training and development initiatives, including Atlantic Academy. As the chief executive of TG4, Mr. Alan Esslemont, has said, there is basically a regional imbalance now with infrastructure like this outside of Dublin and with the Irish language. This will create a stronger pipeline of film and television professionals with Irish language skills. There is a real shortage of people skilled in the area who are required to meet existing demand and a new course will be run by TG4 in the area of camera lighting, sound editing and other skills. It is certainly welcome because the talent is there and we need to nurture and grow it. I see the potential for Irish language and English language films based in Ireland. It is a very important industry.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I welcome the Estonian ambassador and acknowledge the presence in the Chamber of a student from the Royal and Prior School in Raphoe, Ms Jennifer Holly, who has come to witness our democratic institution in operation.

I fully concur with what has been said about Ukraine. As far as I am concerned, the extent of sanctions that must be imposed must be massive and they will cause hurt in the West. We must accept that if we really mean that we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we will have to take the economic cost if we are not going to become involved militarily, which is clearly not going to happen at all.

Our democratic institutions remind me of the following. In July 2020 the Seanad Bill was published and Second Stage took place in this House in November. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, sent his Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, to this House to support an amendment that the Bill should not be read a Second Time until 31 December 2021. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, gave assurances to the House and said the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, was fully committed to engaging in this process and he would engage with Senators before that Christmas. That never happened. He said he would come back to the House in May 2021 with his proposals but that never happened. Before May 2021, I contacted the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and was assured he was establishing a group among Government parties of Members of the Oireachtas to discuss evolving proposals. That never happened. Those three commitments have been broken and I am putting it on record in this House that they have been seriously broken.

When the Seanad reform implementation group was established by the Government, I was asked to chair it by the members of that committee, and that was against the wishes of the then Minister, former Deputy Shane Ross. It was an all-party group and we brought back our report, which I submitted to the Taoiseach. It was in accordance with the terms of reference that the Government made and it was to implement the Manning proposals because it was part of that Government's programme.

I will finish by saying this. I went to visit the Taoiseach in early 2019 and he told me he had no interest in implementing the recommendations of the Manning report because he did not agree with it. He reminded me he was an abolitionist when it came to the Seanad. I know the Leader of the House played a role in that referendum as well and I am not making any points in that regard. The people of Ireland are not content to leave this House unreformed. The drumbeat of people saying we should be abolished is beginning to grow again.

I demand that the Government live up to its promises in this regard. The Green Party tried to get it into the programme for Government this time around but it was fobbed off with assurances. I am not going to be fobbed off with assurances and I make it very clear that from now on, co-operation in this House and the orderly transaction of its business will be seriously impeded if the Government does not take reform of the method of election to this House seriously. I have not gone away, you know. Reform has not gone away, you know. It will be raised daily in the House on the Order of Business until the Government lives up to the words and assurances it gave the Irish people, Members of this House and, most important, the members of the implementation group who worked for six months on the basis that they would not be betrayed by a Taoiseach who told them he had no interest in implementing the findings of the report.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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As we all know, there was a referendum in 1979 and, to the best of my knowledge, it is the only referendum question put to and passed by the people that has not been implemented by successive Administrations. I thank everybody involved with the all-party group that worked on the report. It put much effort into the recommendations and drafted legislation. In our 100th year, the referendum question passed four decades ago should be implemented in whatever format the Government sees fit. People in a subsequent referendum voted on the Seanad not as it was but as it could be. I thank Senator McDowell for his hard work in that regard.

I also welcome Ms Jennifer Holly and Samantha to the Gallery and I hope they enjoy their visit to Seanad Éireann this morning.

Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party)
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As one of the two parties against the abolition of the Seanad, I am more than happy for Senator McDowell to bring up the matter of Seanad reform every day.I will certainly support him on it. We will do all that we can to make Seanad reform happen.

I welcome the Estonian ambassador to the Chamber. This should be a day of celebration for the people of Estonia, and it is, but I am very conscious the entire region is living in fear. We have already seen Lithuania looking to call a national state of emergency. What is happening in Ukraine is having a knock-on impact throughout the entire region. I think of all of those living in this country, citizens and not citizens, who have connections with the area and region who are very fearful. I am sure we have all seen the queues of people trying to get out of Ukraine at present. My heart goes out to them. I agree with all of the previous speakers that we have to have the strongest sanctions possible. I agree it will be difficult.

We have known for some time that this was coming. Despite what Mr. Putin said, we all knew it was lies and that nothing was happening or going to happen in subsequent days. We saw this today. It has been lie after lie and we should not expect any different. There has been a delay in action by the EU, the US and the UK. It is no longer acceptable. We have to see what we can do here. Certainly the Russian ambassador in this country has a lot to answer for. This is our closest link. We need to examine whether the ambassador continues to be welcome in this country. The ambassador of Estonia is very welcome. All of the links with diplomacy must mean something. There is no point in having people in our country unless it stands for something. Diplomacy has broken down as Senator Kyne has said. Was there even any effort by Russia? I do not believe there was. I had hoped to speak about a number of other issues but this is the most important issue facing us today and that is what the Order of Business is about.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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Cáineann Sinn Féin gníomhaíochtaí na Rúise agus iad ag sárú teorainn na hÚcráine. I express Sinn Féin's condemnation for the actions of Russia in violating the national territorial integrity of Ukraine. We all stand united in the House, and that is very important, in condemning the latest invasion we have seen in the past 24 hours. We call for all of the necessary diplomatic and political response the State can bring to bear. As other colleagues have said, we have already seen the real humanitarian impact that will play out before our eyes unless there is a step back from these actions. As I encouraged last week, it would be useful for the House to hear an update from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, or whoever the Government deems appropriate, on how the State will use its role on the UN Security Council to co-ordinate humanitarian responses to ensure there is support for those who will be fleeing and seeking refuge, and that the necessary aid and support is delivered to people who will, no doubt, suffer as a result of these actions. This has to be first and foremost in our minds. We need to lean into that international role. We need to lean into our own experience of peace building and conflict resolution. As other colleagues have said, such breaches of international law need to be met with sanction.

I want to reference steps we could take. The State has its own responsibility in this regard. Russia and Vladimir Putin's inner circle possess large amounts of offshore wealth. The IFSC is a major source of finance to the Russian economy, with €118 billion funnelled from the IFSC to Russia between 2005 and 2017, second only to Luxembourg. Often this has been through section 110 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, an issue my colleague, Deputy Mairéad Farrell, has raised in the other House a number of time. For example, VEB, a Russian state investment company whose supervisory board has been controlled by members of Vladimir Putin's Government, raised $9.3 billion between 2010 and 2013 through a section 110 vehicle. We need to hear whether the Government will end the use of section 110 companies, many of which have charitable status, to funnel funds that could be connected to the Russian state apparatus and Vladimir Putin's inner circle. I would welcome the opportunity to have these statements. I join colleagues in sending our solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people at this time.

Rebecca Moynihan (Labour)
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As are my colleagues I am quite frankly stunned by the actions of a brutal dictator and imperialist, Vladimir Putin, in Ukraine. This very much fits in with the regressive foreign policy Russia has adopted over recent years. For example, supporting the brutal dictator Assad in Syria. I hear a lot of people speaking about the biggest war on our doorstop since the Second World War. It is also important to remember Russia's role in the Balkans. It is not 30 years since we had a brutal civil war in the Balkans. It is on the verge of breaking out again. For example, there was Russia's role in not recognising Kosovo for a very long time and in supporting Syria. This is part of an aggressive foreign policy it has adopted on its eastern flank. It is alleged that in 2005, Russia poisoned the Ukrainian opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko. This led to the October revolution. We also saw outbreaks in 2014.

This has not happened out of nowhere. Russia has pursued a very aggressive strategy, particularly since Vladimir Putin took over. It has worsened. I never thought I would see the day there would be boots on the ground going from Russia to a neighbour in Ukraine. I always thought it would use its playbook of cyberattacks, financial measures, funding opposition and Cold War tactics. It is a dark day for Europe and I urge the Irish Government to have a harsh response in terms of sanctions. What the Taoiseach said today is very important. What gives one man the ability to decide that other young men aged 18, 19 or 20 will have their lives taken from them? It is a failure of international diplomacy. It is also a long-planned attack by Vladimir Putin and we have all been played.

I want to raise an issue that is raising disquiet among many people. This is the change in the tenant purchase scheme lowering the eligibility threshold to allow old age pensioners to be included. The timeline for individuals and couples has been extended from one year to ten years. Many people who were applying for the tenant purchase scheme and putting together their P60s have suddenly been told they are no longer eligible. The statutory instrument was signed off at the end of January. Will the Minister reconsider this for people in the process of the tenant purchase scheme so they are still able to apply and are not cut off suddenly?

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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As have many other Members, I want to express my horror and upset at what happened overnight. I got up early this morning to return from Roscommon and I switched on the news after 5 a.m. Having listened over recent days it was probably inevitable it would happen but I still had a belief that Putin would not push this way. The sad thing today is to hear about people being killed and injured. They are innocent people.I am really shocked by the arrogance of the attack. Most of us accepted that there might be some incursion into this alleged independent area, as Russia calls it, but we now see that Russia seems to be targeting a far greater number of areas.

I was one of the foolish people who said for many years that maybe Putin and Russia are different, but that is not the case. We are now dealing with a really dangerous individual. I have been in contact with some Russians I know in this country in recent days who do not approve of this, and we should remember that. They are quite successful young people who are in business and do not want this war. Maybe if he continues this aggressive action, which will result, sadly, in a lot of death for Russians as well as Ukrainians, he may fall on his own sword. It is to be hoped he will, because in a democratic world we cannot stand for this type of aggression from anybody. It is simply outrageous.

As the Taoiseach said last night, and as many others have said, we have just come out of two and a half or three years of Covid. We are not fully out of it, but we are now into a world crisis. As Senator McDowell said, there is going to be pain for this nation. We now have to look out for the vulnerable people who will be hit again by this because of sanctions or whatever. We have to do our best, as politicians, to look after those people.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as has everybody else who has spoken. The war has started overnight and I think about what the people are going through at the moment.

This week, the Tánaiste announced the terms of reference for the Shannon Estuary economic group. It is seeking expressions of interest in Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary regarding what can be carried out on the estuary in terms of docklands and ports. Limerick has the second largest port in Ireland in terms of depth. There is huge potential there for job creation and industry locating right along the Shannon Estuary. The group's findings will be reported by October and this is a positive announcement for Limerick and the mid-west region, which I welcome.

I am alarmed by the number of burglaries, in particular burglaries on farms. Sergeant Leech from the crime prevention unit in Limerick has warned farmers to secure their farms and perhaps consider CCTV for buildings that they cannot see from their houses. He has also discussed securing properties in terms of proper fencing, gates and so on because there has been a significant escalation in the number of robberies on farms. This is something farmers are going through. It is very sad that the number of burglaries on farms has escalated.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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We are all talking about Ukraine and rightly so. This morning I woke up at about 3.10 a.m., which is unusual for me because I do not go on morning, noon and night. I went downstairs and had toast and tea, and thought I would go back to bed quickly in order to be back in here. I turned on the BBC and the first thing I saw was Geraldine Byrne Nason, a wonderful Irish public servant who is our permanent representative to the United Nations, live on television at the table for a meeting of the UN. This unfolding catastrophe was being broadcast live into our home. I was proud of Geraldine Byrne Nason, whom I know well. We in Ireland can be very proud of her representation at the UN.

At the same time, Tony Connolly from RTÉ was speaking live, and said, "We are in a fog of war". What better way to describe the uncertainty. Before I slipped up to bed, I changed channel and saw Orla Guerin, another great journalist from Ireland, on the war front togged out in protective clothing. It is important that we remember the journalists on the front line bringing back the story and, it is to be hoped, helping to tell the truth of the terrible travesty happening on part of mainland Europe. That is really important. Our thoughts, words and prayers have to be with the Ukrainian people.

I also want to be conscious of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, of which I am a former member. I know there are Members in these Houses that are members of it and know the important work it does. It is about shining a light of hope for others in a dark place. These are sad, but important, days as members of Europe. I also want to remember the journalists, in particular Orla Guerin and Tony Connolly, and also Geraldine Byrne Nason, who are on the line and, in some way, are the eyes and ears for people in Ireland and around the world.

Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Estonian ambassador. We are all standing with Ukraine. When we woke up this morning there was a dark shadow over all of us. I listened to the Ukrainian ambassador who was in tears on "Morning Ireland". Her voice was shaking because she was talking about her family. We are all standing strong for Ukraine today. We must remember how we got here. History will only reflect on how we got to this point. Have we sleepwalked into this situation just so we can be a little richer in the West? There are trade deals with questionable countries. Are we doing the right thing just to be a little bit richer? We need to re-evaluate what we are doing when we work with countries that have huge question marks over their human rights records.

Russia is invading an independent sovereign state and causing loss of life. We have to listen and think about the ripple effect of what has happened, not only in Ukraine and eastern Europe. We must think about the legacy this will leave for children and families, the families that will be displaced and the displacement of all of the normal rites of passage people could possibly miss out on. As a mother standing here, I am transferring myself to the position of being a mother in Ukraine. It must be a desperate sick feeling to hear the bombs going off. As I stand here, I think about our friends in Ukraine, all the families in Ukraine and the Ukrainian family across the world.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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Like my colleagues, I would like to echo the comments on Ukraine and support the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, who is acting on behalf of everyone in Ireland. Senator O'Reilly referred to diplomatic relationships, and our Young Fine Gael branch passed a motion regarding diplomatic relations between the two countries. Russia has stepped across the line and it is something we should consider with regard to the ambassador for Russia in Ireland.

I would like to like to raise the issue of ophthalmologist services in my home county, Longford. We have not had one since July 2021. The position has not been filled. Parents were never informed. When this happened a number of years ago, files were transferred to Athlone and people were called for appointments but that has not happened this time. I ask the Leader to write to the Minister for Health and find out when the service will be returned to the county and let parents know it will be available.

Last Tuesday, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, was in Longford. We visited Longford Women's Link, a domestic violence group which is doing tremendous work. We also met Comhairle na nÓg, the youth council, to discuss the community safety partnership, of which Longford is one of three trial areas. We had an interesting discussion on the issues they experienced on the ground and on proposals they put forward for changes to be made.A proposal that came from several of the groups was to have lids for glasses in nightclubs or pubs. I know this issue has been raised previously. Lids are provided in every shop, coffee dock and so on for cups of coffee. Beer mats and so on are provided. Is it not possible for lids to be provided with alcohol purchased in a pub or nightclub? Many youngsters feel unsafe in the context of drinks being spiked with drugs, etc. This would be a simple thing to bring in and make available in every public house and nightclub.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
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Like the Cathaoirleach, I met the Estonian ambassador as she was leaving. I was in Estonia when it held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union a few years ago. I was struck by Estonians' fear of the regime next door and how vulnerable they felt. It was a kind of permanent cloud that at any time something could happen to them. I had not considered it before that, but I certainly came home from Estonia aware that they live in constant fear of something happening. Many of the former Soviet states, including Georgia and Ukraine, have a similar kind of foreboding that, at any point in time, something might happen. Funnily, I woke up at approximately 5 a.m. this morning and I did not know why. I looked at my phone and all of a sudden there was all this stuff happening on Twitter. People in hotel rooms in Ukraine were saying how the breakfast service had been cancelled and they were all being moved into air raid shelters or bomb shelters or whatever. I do not think many of us know an awful lot about Ukraine, historically. It is bigger than France in terms of geographic size. It has a population of 44 million and is rich in many natural resources, which may be another part of the reason Russia wants to do what it wants to do.

Ireland has more involvement than we may think. The single biggest operator of flights into and out of Ukraine last week, and almost every week, is Ryanair. It operates numerous flights from all over Europe into Ukraine and out again, far more than the Ukrainian national airline because it is far bigger. Ireland has a significant aviation leasing industry with Russian airlines. Maybe that should be considered in terms of sanctions. We are not going to be militarily involved in dealing with Russia but we have to exercise any and every power we have. We have a position on the UN Security Council at the moment that we do not have very often. Everything that can be done has to be done. Whatever about expelling the Russian ambassador and bringing another one in - if that needs to be done, it needs to be done - we definitely need to bring the ambassador in to talk to him. Only a week ago, he stated on "Prime Time" that Russia had no interest in going into Ukraine but now it is bombing civilian apartment blocks.

There is a group of Ukrainian nationals at the gates of Leinster House. I will go out to meet them and express my solidarity with them. I am sure many other Senators may wish to do likewise, now that they know they are there. I am going to go out to them, so I will watch the Leader's reply to Senators at a later stage. I want to express my solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as, I am sure, do all Senators. I ask not the Russian people, who, I am sure, are very honourable in may ways, but the Russian authorities to realise it is not too late to slow down and pull back. They may not think that way but we should all be saying they should pause and pull back because this is not okay. Nobody ever wins in a war.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I follow on from the comments of Senators regarding the shocking news of what is happening in Ukraine. I express my solidarity to the people of Ukraine on what they are going through. It has been a difficult number of weeks but today is different from the events of recent weeks because it is actually happening. People's lives have been drastically changed in the past 24 hours.

I have raised the issue of the N24 on numerous occasions in this House. The construction of a new road between Waterford and Limerick was removed from the Transport Infrastructure Ireland strategy. It is a section of road from Cahir to Waterford that has been taken off the list. It would cost €1.5 million to keep it going. It is an important strategic piece of infrastructure for the south-east region, connecting two major cities. It is a very dangerous road. It was agreed in the national development plan that it would continue. Only three months after the announcement of the national development plan, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, personally decided this project was not going to continue any further. Most of the road goes through Tipperary. There are 40 councillors on Tipperary County Council, all of whom are in support of the N24 road upgrade. All Oireachtas Members are in favour of the upgrade. All officials in Tipperary County Council are in favour of it. It is virtually impossible to get full agreement between public representatives on anything but we have full agreement on this. We have a Dublin Minister who has decided this is not good for the area. I am calling on him to make a decision quickly on this issue because if the funding does not continue, the company that is involved in delivering this project will finish at the end of the month. There are approximately ten days left for the Minister to reverse his decision. He needs to reverse that decision.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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This was committed to in the national development plan last October. One cannot just change one's mind overnight but tell no one about it, with Oireachtas Members finding out about it in an email a week before Christmas. That is not the way government performs and it is not the way the Green Party should be treating us in government. This is a really significant investment in the area and the decision needs to be reversed before the end of the month.

John McGahon (Fine Gael)
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Like colleagues, I recognise Ukraine is a country that wanted to develop closer ties to the European Union. It wanted to join the European Union and NATO. An attack on Ukraine, as initiated by Russia, is an attack on anyone who is a believer in democracy around the world. That is what is at stake here. Democracy and the way of life we all believe in and support are what is at stake.

Although I am not asking for a debate or calling for any particular action, I wish to make reference to a committee meeting I attended with Senator Carrigy yesterday. I attended the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media yesterday for the testimony of Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower. Senator Malcolm Byrne was there too. Last May, nobody knew who Frances was. No one in this world knew who she was. She saw practices going on within Facebook that she knew were deeply wrong. These practices related to how its algorithms work and everything else. She decided, at immense personal sacrifice, to lift the lid on that and let the world know about the shady practices in which Facebook engages when it comes to its algorithms. Now she is known right across the world. She is speaking to parliamentarians across the world to try to best inform us about the dangers posed by this company. As I did yesterday, I commend her on her moral fortitude. To have the ability, as one sole individual, to take on one of the largest companies in the world almost by herself and to lift the lid on these practices is so commendable and something of which we can all be proud. I wish to put on the record of this House that Frances Haugen has done a tremendous service not just to Ireland but right across the world in allowing us to know exactly what big tech companies are up to and how we can best tackle those practices in order to protect citizens.

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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We all woke to news from Ukraine that is not shocking, given the direction of travel in recent weeks, but is certainly sinister. I agree that we must do everything in our diplomatic, humanitarian and political power to support the people of Ukraine.

The draft Fingal development plan 2023-29 was launched today. It will be out for public consultation until 12 May. This is critical. In the past couple of years, there has been a real shift in terms of what is described in the development plan as healthy place-making, that is, people spending more time in their communities. That needs to be reflected in the development plan supporting communities. We see it in rural areas but we do not see it so much in suburban and urban villages that flourished during Covid. I will be making a strong case that those areas and communities, such as the likes of Clonsilla, Castleknock, Blanchardstown village and Ongar, among others, should be getting more supports, similar to the urban regeneration and development fund, the rural regeneration and development fund, town and village schemes and so forth.

This weekend, I will be going to Westminster for a meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.I am very much looking forward to that. This will be the first opportunity for us to meet in person. There will obviously be Irish Government representatives to the UK, as well as the leader of the Labour Party, the leader of the DUP and Sinn Féin.

It could not be coming at a better time. A survey was released this morning in the Belfast Telegraphon the issue of lack of trust. In terms of managing Northern Ireland’s interest in respect of the protocol, 84% of people distrust London, 52% distrust Stormont, 45% distrust the EU, 46% distrust the Irish Government, 72% distrust the DUP and 55% distrust Sinn Féin. The political community needs to come together and work together. We have not seen opportunities to work together since Brexit and that should be, obviously, on the agenda.

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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Today, 24 February, war was declared by Russia on the Ukraine, a European country of over 40 million people. This is war and the worst conflict in Europe since the Second World War. How many survivors of that war are alive? How long do we have living memory of a war that changed the course of history? We brought the EU into being to prevent this type of aggression that is now happening in Europe.

I studied history and as part of my degree it was clear the importance of leadership at times of crisis. How will we, the EU, fight for democracy? A European country is now invaded. We look out here and we see sunshine. In Kyiv, Ukraine, they are looking out and seeing bombing.

Economic sanctions were threatened. Have they been effective? Have they stopped this aggression? I welcome the update by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, in the Commencement matter that over €1.2 billion in macro-financial assistance has been offered by the EU. However, he also acknowledged that 14,000 people in Ukraine have lost their lives since 2014.

We have autocratic states and I ask for a discussion on the role of democracies. Under the World Population Review, Ireland is ranked as one of ten of the most democratic nations in the world. Our Oireachtas, what we have here, is one of the ten most democratic establishments in the world. However, it says under Bertelsmann Transformation Index, which is a German group, that there are now more autocratic states than democracies around the world. That is outside the OECD and within developing countries. There are more autocratic states and, in other words, democracy is losing. What will we do about that?

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I agree with the sentiments expressed by my colleagues on Ukraine and that we would stand in solidarity with it. It is unbelievable to think that after what has happened over the past 100 years, this is happening now at this stage, and in a world that is much smaller, from a communications point of view, and much better educated. It is unbelievable to think that people are leaving and fleeing their homes in Kyiv, Ukraine, at this stage. Imagine if we had to up and leave our houses here in this country at this stage. Can one imagine the impact that has on those people? This war, while we have had many wars in the past 40 or 50 years, is on a different scale and at a different level.

I would like to raise an issue that Senator McDowell and I raised last week on house construction and retrofitting houses and which one will take precedence, because there will be a lack of employees and employers to carry out those works. We called for a debate last week on this whole area and I am calling again for some sort of a rolling debate to be arranged on that issue. It covers the whole area of much-needed construction of houses at this time. It also covers the area of energy, the retrofitting of houses, the saving on fuel and so forth. We could have a very good and worthwhile debate here in the House. I would welcome if that was put in place.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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I actually had a request in with the Minister with regard to the employment opportunities and potentially, perhaps, the lack of supply of workers for the construction versus the retrofitting of houses. As soon as I have a date, I will come back to Senator Burke on that.

I acknowledge Senator Currie’s discussion on the British-Irish Parliament Assembly. I wish all of our colleagues who are attending this weekend a good and constructive weekend. I have no doubt the events will be consumed by what is going on in the world at the moment.

Senator McGahon talked about Ms Frances Haugen and I completely agree with him. She is a remarkable lady to be able to take on not just the might of a very large international organisation, but we all are aware that it has the support of probably many governments around the world, so she is taking on the might of many important and strong people. I wish her well.

Senator Ahearn talked about the N24 and an acknowledgement that a response needs to come from the Minister in the next couple of days. I will send his message straight to the Minister’s private secretary today, just to let him know it has gone through.

Senator Carrigy asked me to make inquires with regard to vacancies for ophthalmologists in Longford. I will do that today and come back to him.

Senator Maria Byrne welcomed the Shannon Estuary economic taskforce and the terms of reference being announced this week. I look forward to that report coming back in the next couple of months.

Senator Moynihan talked about the tenant purchase scheme and the anomalies that obviously have changed since the statutory instrument was drafted in January. I will come back to her once I make inquiries with the Minister on that issue.

Senator Malcolm Byrne looked for a debate on cybersecurity which I will sort out.

The last remaining single-item issue was raised by Senator McDowell. My history probably belies the statement that I will make, but I was new and I was asked by the then Taoiseach to do what I did, and I dutifully did it. The one statement that I made at that time that I was completely derided for and had the legs cut off me and naively probably did not realise the game I was involved in, was that the Seanad did not want to be restored, repaired, renewed or changed. I was wrong in that statement because that probably gave a reflection that the Members of this House did not want to see renewal and reform, and they obviously very much do. Former Members and Members who have not even arrived here yet do. The mistake I made was to say that the political establishment did not want to reform. Senator McDowell’s contribution this morning has borne that out to be true. We have power and the Senator certainly has a persuasion that is probably unlike our own. There are very much Members of the Government parties who absolutely concur and agree with him. Therefore, whatever we can do to him in his quest, we certainly will. I suggest that since the 12 months before the Second Reading can happen has now lapsed, we should perhaps have a Second Reading and force the political issue that is something that we all do genuinely care about. Democracy is important.

That brings me to the single issue that every other colleague has raised this morning without individually naming them. The world is in a very dangerous place. It is perhaps trite for us to say that diplomacy has failed because I am not sure how one can be diplomatic with a dictator whose sole and single intent is on invading to boost some sort of nationalist rhetoric in his own country. I do not even have the words or capacity to understand why somebody would be that way in today’s day and age, when there are so many other opportunities to grow and to be nationalist and proud of one’s country, other than having to demean and demolish somebody else’s culture and heritage, and human life.

To that end, I have arranged for the Minister to come in on Tuesday evening. The schedule was already issued, but I made that request this morning. He will be in with us on Tuesday evening and we will have a third debate and hopefully an update as to what the EU, the Irish and the international response is to what is happening right in front of our eyes today.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Is the Order of Business agreed to?

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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No, it is not agreed. I just want to simply say that I will not put it to a vote, but I am not agreeing it for the reasons that I mentioned earlier. I just wanted to put reform on the agenda. Arising out of what the Leader just said, I also want to say that truth is the first casualty in war. For Putin to say that President Zelenskiy is a Nazi, when President Zelenskiy is a Jew, is a pretext for removing him. He will probably try to kill him. That is how evil this is.