Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 - Committee Stage (Resumed), to be taken at 1 p.m. and to adjourn at 3.15 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 2, Private Members’ business, Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2023 - Second Stage, to be taken at 3.30 p.m. and to adjourn at 5 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 3, statements on teacher numbers and school places, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to conclude at 6.30 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 on which time may be shared and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 4, Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Bill 2021 - Second Stage, to be taken at 6.30 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes on which time may be shared and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I express my sympathies to the families of John Keenan Sammon, Wojciech Panek and Christy Stokes who died tragically at the weekend in Galway when their car entered the water in the River Corrib at Menlo Pier. My thoughts are with their families and friends at this difficult time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha dílse.

Yesterday the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, dismissed the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland and in his proclamation given under his hand on St. Valentine's Day, 14 February 2023, he stated a number of things. He gave the background, which is fine. He pointed out that the number of members of Inland Fisheries Ireland had significantly reduced given a number of recent resignations from the board and that as the required quorum of five members for a meeting pursuant to section 25 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 cannot be attained, Inland Fisheries Ireland is as a consequence unable to act.

The Minister failed to state that the reason there are not enough members is because he failed to appoint people in place of those who had resigned. Is the Minister actually blaming the members who are present and who are turning up for meetings that there are not enough of them? There was a resignation on 28 April 2022, another on 30 April 2022 and another in October 2022. None of those members was replaced by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. Part of the reason for disbanding the board is that there are not enough members because the Minister did not appoint enough members.

The Minister also stated that Inland Fisheries Ireland has not implemented the recommendations of the report dated 12 July 2022 of Mr. Conleth Bradley, SC, submitted pursuant to section 18(3) of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010. An impartial observer might regard that as valid - 12 July 2022 is a long time ago and one would think they would have done something since then. Of course, in referring to that misleading date, the Minister does not say that the report from Mr. Conleth Bradley did not actually go to the chairman of Inland Fisheries Ireland until 26 September 2022 and was not given to board members until 9 November last year. An absolutely misleading date has been put in there, I will not say on purpose by the Minister, but on purpose by departmental officials advising him. That date should not be stated as 12 July when the report was only given to the board members on 9 November not 12 July. Therefore, they had a much shorter period to deal with this.

There are serious questions as to why exactly the Minister disbanded the board. I know he will not do it because the Deputy Leader has previously asked for the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come in here and discuss Inland Fisheries Ireland. I know this is a small part of his very important brief, but he might show it a bit of consideration and come in here for statements on matters relating to Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to remind the House of what is happening in Türkiye and Syria. More than 17 million people in that area have been affected. There is talk about more than 38,000 people having died already. The costs will run to in excess of €100 billion. When we go about our daily business we need to keep that in mind. I acknowledge the Government's donation of €10 million towards the emergency response. I commend all the NGOs and all the people who are working on the ground. I want to ask that all of us be kind to refugees and those who are suffering. If we can, we should donate to the Irish Red Cross and the Irish Emergency Alliance.

More locally, in Dublin Central I want to celebrate today the really bad news for drug dealers and anybody engaged in antisocial behaviour around O'Devaney Gardens, including people who opposed the building of homes there. I want to really shout the great news for anybody, be they young or old, who wants to get a home in Dublin Central. After decades construction has commenced on more than 1,000 homes in O'Devaney Gardens. These will be 1,000 social, affordable, private homes and will be built to the highest standard. They will be A-rated for energy. They will not be homes built on their own in isolation. They will come with a crèche, community facilities, shops and quality public spaces. There will be a local apprenticeship and employment clause. This deal has taken far too long to get to this point, but construction has commenced and now people in Dublin Central will have a real opportunity to have a home in Dublin Central. They will have a choice. It can be a social home, an affordable home, an affordable cost-rental home - something that others have objected to strenuously - or even a private home. I congratulate Dublin City Council on getting this construction commenced and let us push on with that project.

I pay tribute to Nicola Sturgeon, a woman in her prime, a capable and strong female politician, who this morning announced her resignation from office. She has said she will not be retiring from politics entirely. She cites the brutality of political life. I often describe it as an extreme sport. It is like hurling without a helmet, without rules and without a referee.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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And no ball.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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No, there is plenty of ball involved. I say good luck to Ms Sturgeon and her family. I thank her for her service and wish her well.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I refer to the issue raised by my colleague Senator Kyne regarding Inland Fisheries Ireland. I salute him for continually referencing this issue and the concerns about the governance of that body. Before coming to the House this morning, I read the transcript of his contribution in the House on 24 November 2022. I would stop somewhat short of describing anyone in Inland Fisheries Ireland as rotten or corrupt but the language the Senator used demonstrated his concern.

There are serious concerns to address. A number of whistleblowers raised concerns regarding this organisation and the Senator has raised many concerns in this House. They are perhaps the strongest concerns I have ever heard raised in my time in the House about any organisation. We have an oversight agreement and a delivery agreement between the Minister and Inland Fisheries Ireland and we also have a code of business conduct for the board of that body. After all of that, why have the issues of responsibility, accountability and allocation of budgets, resources and personnel not been addressed? Why have the issues around integrity, transparency, public concern and lack of confidence and potential conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived, in this organisation not been addressed?

I join Senator Kyne in asking for a debate and statements. I do not accept the Minister, Deputy Ryan, not coming to the House. We have the Order of Business here every day. I am flagging to the Leader now, rather than have it come as a surprise to her, that I may bring forward a proposal on the Order of Business tomorrow, or perhaps an amendment, calling on the Minister to attend the Chamber for such a debate. I hope everyone in the House will support Senator Kyne in that call. I certainly do and I will make a case for others to do the same. I ask that we unite in our strength in this House tomorrow by putting in a formal request for the Minister to come to the House, if not this week then next week. I want to be reasonable and fair but Senator Kyne has raised serious issues. He is a member of one of the Government parties. He deserves a full response, as does the public. I will reflect on this matter and talk to the Leader later in the day. We should work together to ensure the Minister comes to the House to give some sort of statement and that we have some sort of debate on Inland Fisheries Ireland. It is an important issue.

Annie Hoey (Labour)
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At the weekend, we heard of the horrific death of a young girl, Brianna Ghey, who was trans and whose murder was potentially a hate-motivated crime. Unfortunately, hers is one of many deaths across the world as a result of inadequate policy, advocacy and trans allyship. Between October 2021 and September 2022, there were 327 reported murders of trans and gender diverse people across the world. A report commissioned by Emily Logan when she was chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, showed that Ireland is really deficient in addressing hate crime. However, the situation in this State is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the realities trans people face every day. The data in the report were collected from across a number of countries with strong LGBTQ groups. There are many countries in which trans people experience awful violations of human rights, with very little reporting and media coverage.

It is important to reiterate that remaining silent on this issue is simply not enough. We need to speak up and show allyship. We need to create a shift in our society towards parity between all individuals regardless of gender, race and background. I have been reflecting on the massive lack of allyship throughout the media in the reporting of this terrible loss of life, with reporters using incorrect and exclusive language and even going so far as to deadname Brianna and contact people who had very tangential links to her to find out that name. All of this is a massive contributor to the hatred experienced by the LGBTQ community throughout the world. I am thinking today of Brianna Ghey and the loss of a really beautiful young life. I think of all those who knew and loved her.

The second issue I raise concerns the racism and xenophobia that is happening on our college campuses at this time. Last week, we saw what may have been a racially motivated attack at a Luas stop near Technological University, TU, Dublin, which has left a number of students in the area feeling afraid. No student should fear for his or her life in a place of education. It is terrifying that people would target individuals based on the colour of their skin or where they believe their victim has come from. We must recognise that these attacks are part of the bigger misinformation campaign being run by various actors. It is important we in both Houses of the Oireachtas and the Government do our best to debunk the misinformation and stand in solidarity with those affected to show that all people are welcome in Ireland. Students at TU Dublin held an antiracism protest on 13 February with the aim of showing solidarity. The student union has called for a greater Garda presence in the area to make students at the university feel safe. It is shocking we are in a situation in which we are calling for Garda supports on university campuses to make students feel safe. This is a serious state of affairs. As I have said before in the House, if the Government does not get to grips with what is happening and the misinformation that is going around, I do not know where we will end up.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
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I had a meeting this morning with the Georgian ambassador. It is a little before my time but he told me that the friendships between Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and our counterparts in Georgia will, in the coming few days, have been in existence for 25 years. Following that meeting, I want to stress the hardship people in the countries bordering Russia are under at present.Our continued support is most necessary, particularly for Ukraine. As we know, Georgia has suffered greatly at the hands of the Russians and their aggression in recent years, similar to Ukraine. To recap, I give my full support to the Georgians, given the friendship we have had over the years, and I look forward to their continued association over the coming 25 years.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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We all concur with that. I call Senator Ahearn.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I want to let the House know there is a protest starting at 12 noon today at the front of Leinster House in Kildare Street. It is a group of hedge growers who are protesting about the amount of hedging that has been cut in recent years with the instruction or acceptance of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The group that is here today has written to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and is looking to meet him today to present him with a letter about its genuine concerns. Obviously, hedges play a key role in terms of biodiversity and environmental impact in rural Ireland, in particular in counties like my own, Tipperary. Their request is that there should be financial incentives for farmers and landowners to keep hedges as opposed to cutting them. I would appreciate it if Members could go out to meet them and, if the Minister has time available, he should meet them. It is a genuine cause. They are here from 12 noon until 1 p.m. and they will be presenting a letter to the Department, with the hope of meeting the Minister, Deputy McConalogue.

Second, I ask for a debate with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in regard to the report by RTÉ's Robert Shortt yesterday on energy prices and the response by Electric Ireland on the reduction in the wholesale cost of energy prices taking 18 to 24 months to come back into people's pockets. I understand that hopefully, the Government is bringing forward measures this week in regard to the cost of living for people who are struggling, and one of those is possibly an extra €200 credit on bills. I welcome that and fully support it. However, why is it falling back on the taxpayer to support them when energy companies are fleecing the payers of bills? We have seen the amount of money they made in 2022 in regard to energy.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The Senator's time is up.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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This is what people ask me all of the time: how can it be that when the wholesale prices go up, the bills go up straight away, but we are told by Electric Ireland that when wholesale prices come down, and they are now lower than they were before the war, it cannot be done for 18 or 24 months? It cannot always be the Government that people fall back on.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is well over time.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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These companies and these people need to step up at this time of crisis.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The Senator has made his point well. I call Senator Gavan.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I have just come from a meeting with the Mandate trade union across the road in Buswells, at which it highlighted a report it is launching today, “Smoke and Mirrors”, which highlights key issues affecting retail workers across Ireland. I am going to make a political point, by the way. It would be nice if, once in a while, we saw someone from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael attend a union meeting when they come to make their presentations. Again, parties from the left, like ourselves, were there but there was nobody from Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. That is genuinely a shame because they would have heard workers’ voices explaining the fact there is a major issue in the industry with not getting enough hours of work. What is happening is that employers are using pools of labour and giving workers flexible scheduling. Those workers who are the good boys and girls might get some hours but any worker who raises an issue will not be on the schedule for the following week. This is based on a survey of 3,000 workers, so it is not anecdotal.

The other myth that is out there is that it may be students who are working in retail but that is absolutely not the case. Only 3% of those surveyed showed that study was a reason they could not do more hours.

There are fixes available for this. One of the fixes is to just strengthen the existing miscellaneous provisions Bill to ensure that existing workers get first option for hours, which is a very reasonable point that all of us should be able to agree on. The second point is to finally get rid of the sub-minimum rates of pay, something that Sinn Féin and the Labour Party have been trying to do for a number of years. There is no justification for paying young people less for doing the same job than somebody who is older, but that is what is happening at the moment, particularly across the retail sector in Ireland.

Sinn Féin has produced a Bill in this regard. I hope we will bring it through the Seanad in the coming months and I hope it will get the support of all in this Chamber. I am calling for an urgent debate in regard to the current state of work in the retail sector to see what we can do to ensure that people who work for a living can earn a living.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I apologise to Senator Craughwell, who I missed in the sequence. I call him now.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Thank you. All is forgiven. On 15 July 2021, the report of the independent review group into the siege of Jadotville was brought to the Seanad. The Minister at the time was quite taken aback by the response he got to that report. To say it was welcomed coolly would be to understate the situation. It was rejected by this House and by most who spoke. The Minister in his summing up stated, “There are also things on which we need to reflect over the summer and I certainly look forward to coming back to this House at the appropriate time when we can continue this debate.” Sometime after that, the Minister signed a Defence Forces regulation which provided for the award of a medal to Commandant Pat Quinlan, with which nobody would disagree. That regulation did away with the requirement for the person making the recommendation to actually witness the action and did away with the requirement for a time limit. As a result, Captain Noel Carey and two of his senior NCOs who survived Jadotville - Noel is the last surviving officer of Jadotville - resubmitted 34 recommendations for medals. I must make clear that at no stage have any of us who have advocated for the treatment of people from Jadotville said medals must be awarded to A, B, C or D. What we have said is that they must be entitled to an independent medals board. If a group of people who did not witness the events in Jadotville can make a recommendation, then surely if we have three people who submitted 34 recommendations and who witnessed the events on the ground, those recommendations must also be recognised.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The time is up.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I beg the indulgence of the Chair. There is a rumour out there that the judicial review that Leo Quinlan and I took into the independent review group was struck out by the courts. We agreed to strike out the case because the Department of Defence gave us what we looked for except for the fact the independent review could not be adjudicated on by the courts because it is not a statutory report and it has no status outside the Defence Forces. For that reason, no judge was about to adjudicate on it. Therefore, it is never have been seen by the courts and has not been adjudicated on by the courts. That is an important thing to put on the record. I thank the Chair for his indulgence.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I gave the Senator a bit of latitude because I missed him in the sequence. I call Senator Murphy.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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With no disrespect to the comments of Senator Gavan, he should not throw across the floor that other parties do not attend. I know from our own situation that we have unions at our parliamentary party meetings and we have private meetings. We are very aware of this situation and I know what the Senator is talking about. Other parties, particularly Fianna Fáil, do take part in this and they have done quite a lot for workers down through the years. With regard to anything related to workers who are not being treated properly, of course, we want that stamped out and, of course, we want better conditions and better ideas. However, the Senator should not say that other people do not appear at those meetings. That is all I ask. It is totally inaccurate.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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It is accurate.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Senator Murphy, without interruption.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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It is inaccurate. It has been thrown around.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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There was nobody there.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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I did not get a chance to come in on the Order of Business yesterday. We were all shocked by the comments and the statement by Deputy Naughten that he will not be going forward as a Deputy in the constituency at the next election. I know he will be with us for the next period of time and we wish him well. I wish to acknowledge the help he was to me when I came in here in 2016 and the work he has done, particularly in regard to Roscommon University Hospital, on which he stuck very much to his beliefs.

I want to raise some very good news. On Monday last, we had the full opening of the hospice unit in Roscommon town for the county of Roscommon. It is a fantastic new €6.3 million, eight-bed unit. The Leader will be well aware of this and I am well aware of the hospice in Castlebar. It is very important to point out that the funding to put those buildings in place came from the people of Roscommon and the people of Mayo - fully from the people on the ground.That needs to be on the public record. Senator Chambers and I were involved and I acknowledge that the Minister gave the funding for staff. About 30 staff members are coming into that hospice now beside the hospital grounds, which is a fantastic development and much needed. I compliment Martina Jennings, the chief executive of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice, Mike Smith, the local people and all the other people, those on the ground in particular, who have given so much money over a number of years for that much-needed facility.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the RTB and how it actually operates, or rather, whether it operates, which is the real issue. I believe it is appropriate that the Minister comes to the Chamber to address the key issues regarding how the RTB is actually working or trying to work with the general public. We have heard scenarios in the office where cheques have been sent to the RTB and it has written saying it never received the cheques, but the cheques have been cashed. How in the name of God could an organisation work in such a scenario?

We are also dealing with the issue that the contact details are a PO box in Clonakilty. The RTB is literally untouchable and uncontactable. We have no idea exactly how it operates. I do not know what the €80 goes towards. I had a lady in the office who wrote to the RTB, gave it a cheque for one property and wanted forms for another property. The forms came, the cheque was cashed and she has been informed that the cheque was never cashed. This is a bizarre scenario. We have done our best to contact the RTB on numerous occasions. The direct line is an absolute joke at this stage. The email address is an automatic response. There is no contact and no ability to get information. People are in and out of the office every day of the week banging their heads against a brick wall.

The Minister should come to the Chamber. He should come with an update on, first, how the RTB interacts with the public and, second, its traceability when it comes to cashing cheques and then informing the public that the cheques have not been cashed, writing to them saying their property is not registered because the money has not been paid. There is an issue somewhere; I do not know where. I am not saying fraud is involved but there is an issue. We need to make sure there is a decent RTB service in place. We do not have that at the moment. I propose through the Leader's good name that we ask the Minister to come to the Chamber at the soonest possible moment to discuss these serious issues.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I wish to raise the issue of accountability. It is an area we could do better in Ireland in politics. The public at large is interested in it.

I understand that last month, solicitor Susan Gilvarry requested, and the Taoiseach subsequently approved, the 16th extension to the deadline of the final report of the commission of investigation into the National Assets Management Agency, NAMA, which was established in 2017 to investigate NAMA's disposal of the Northern Ireland loan portfolio to US vulture fund Cerberus Capital Management in a €1.4 billion transaction known as Project Eagle. The inquiry was originally due to deliver its final report at the end of June 2018 but has been repeatedly delayed.

The commission was established following consultations by the then Government with Opposition parties. Consultation occurred most notably perhaps with the then Deputy Mick Wallace in 2015, who put it to the then Tánaiste, Joan Burton, on 2 July, that a routine audit of the solicitor firms which looked after the deal showed that the portfolio sold for €1.5 billion was comprised of £4.5 billion of assets. It was alleged that £7 million ended up in an Isle of Man bank account earmarked for a Northern Ireland politician or party.

While the Government is to be commended for establishing the commission, it must ensure that it is capable of carrying out its duties. I understand that there have been procedural delays owing to the complex legal requirements surrounding evidence via witnesses and that cannot be helped.

It is also stated in the 15th interim report that the commission has only a small legal team and limited administrative resources and that this approach was adopted because the commission was, and remains, conscious of its duty to limit legal fees incurred insofar as possible.

With the commission now in its fifth year, surely there is a balance to be struck between cost and efficiency. How much is the difference in the cost to the taxpayer between an adequately staffed legal team funded in the medium term and a small legal team funded for years on end? If the Government is serious about accountability, it needs to look at resourcing that commission so we can get to the final report this year.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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In today's Irish Examinerthere is a worrying article by Ciaea Phelan on the delays for people suffering from domestic violence regarding their cases going to court. Our colleague, Senator Martin, deals with domestic violence in his Bill which will be discussed this afternoon, but this is an issue that warrants scrutiny by the Seanad. People brave enough to report and make a complaint about being abused and treated badly at home should not suffer further due to a delay in getting justice.

People who suffer domestic violence and abuse should have their cases fast-tracked. There needs to be a system within the Judiciary where a domestic violence case is dealt with very quickly. It should happen in a matter of days, not weeks. The national situation is a four-month delay. In my county, Clare, the delay is eight weeks, which is still unacceptable. These things should be dealt with in eight days, not eight weeks. It should be dealt with in four days, not four months. The delay in this issue is causing extra and unnecessary trauma and should be dealt with.

On one other issue, the 9% VAT rate is being discussed at the moment by the Government. I know for a fact that if the 9% VAT rate goes up to 13.5%, people are going to lose their jobs in County Clare. We cannot allow that to happen, particularly when we are dealing with the situation in Ukraine and the challenges the tourism industry is facing anyway. We need to leave that support in place so that jobs and businesses are protected over the next months as they head into the summer period so they can make the moneys they need to get through a difficult winter with fuel, energy and staff costs and the myriad challenges the tourism industry faces at the moment. The last thing this Government needs to do is increase the VAT rate from 9% to 13.5%.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I wish to concur with Senator Murphy's comments about the announcement by Deputy Denis Naughten yesterday. I wish to put on record my thanks for the work he did on behalf of the people of County Longford. He represented County Longford for two terms and even since that has always been supportive of any projects, be it the just transition or gas.

I have raised the issue of the N4. I met with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, which describes it as a priority. That project from Mullingar to Rooskey, which services the entire north west of this country, ties into the national development plan regarding balancing regional development, which is core to the programme for Government of all three parties. However, it seems that the climate action plan is superseding the national development plan, with projects being withdrawn. That is not acceptable.

We who live in that region of the midlands and north west are entitled to the same services and support as everyone else in the country. One just needs to look at a map of Ireland and the missing link is that the north-west region needs services to our capital. If what I am hearing is correct, it is a disgrace if that project is taken off that plan. Funding needs to be put in place to bring that project to a planning permission stage, to lock in a route and if there is a delay in the development of that roadway, so be it. Do not kick that can or kick it out of the grounds altogether. It is not acceptable. We are entitled to the same services as every other region in the country. What about the 20 deaths, the 30 serious injuries and the 218 accidents that have occurred on that road since 2008? That is only going to continue because we are putting the climate action plan ahead of the national development plan. This needs to be changed.Those projects need to proceed to the planning permission stage.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I rise to praise Michael Lanigan of the Dublin Inquirerfor an article being run today on the cromlech, or dolmen, in Chapelizod. This is one of the oldest pieces of evidence of people living in the Chapelizod area. It dates back as much as 3,000 years. It was repaired in the 1970s because it was damaged. At that time, people were a little vague about what was urgent, what was important and what constituted heritage. We had Wood Quay and all of that. In reply to a parliamentary question tabled in 2006, the then Minister for Finance stated that there was no risk of damage to the cromlech but that the Government would look at putting up a little sign. For as long as I have been in the Seanad, I have been working with Chapelizod Heritage Society, Chapelizod Tidy Towns and Chapelizod Old Village Association in order to have this matter prioritised. A heritage site of this importance should be cared for and minded. I asked for fencing around the cromlech and for its heritage to be supported. This did not happen. Two weeks ago, there were track marks found beside it and a whole chunk of it is gone. That chunk was picked up by the OPW, and all of a sudden there is a fence around the cromlech. It should not take for our heritage to be damaged for us to act. I have been in correspondence with the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. We have received letters saying the OPW will look at it and it will be prioritised, etc. It never is until it is too late. Damage has been done when all that was required was a simple fence. People have been using it, sitting on it, having picnics on it, and doing whatever, not realising that this is something of incredible historical value. I would like a debate in this House on our heritage. I would like to hear from the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, on how we prioritise matters of this nature and what the mechanism is for ensuring that that which is of value to our State and to the people of Ireland is valued by the offices that are supposed to be looking after it.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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On one of the other issues that was raised previously, I might note that all development, including national and international development, is going to have to exist within the planetary boundaries we have in terms of climate. It behoves us to look to how we can adapt our development plans to recognise that.

I wish to express my sadness at hearing the news that we may be losing another strong and constructive woman leader. I refer to Nicola's Sturgeon's announcement that she intends to step down. That is really sad. In a way, I understand her decision. I also think she deserves tribute for the incredible contribution she has made ,not just to Scottish politics but also to international politics, as a very constructive and positive voice who has engaged very well with all of us in this country. I recall her address to the Seanad very fondly. She leaves a great legacy.

I was deeply disappointed by the comments made by our Taoiseach at the international meeting last week and the language being used in respect of migration. I refer to his use of the words "fair", "firm" and "hard". It struck me that he was trying to send signals that are not constructive at a time when Ireland needs to be unequivocally clear-----

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Hear, hear.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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-----about its humanitarian approach. It is not clear what we mean by that language. In terms of the word "hard", do we mean hard right individuals like Orbán and Meloni, members of the European People's Party, EPP, who were at that meeting along with representatives from Fine Gael? Do we mean it in the context of being hard-hearted? I refer to the vote by EPP members, including some of our own MEPs, to allow people to drown in the Mediterranean-----

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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It is disgraceful.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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-----when we previously used to rescue 8,000 people a year? Do we mean hard borders, something we do not want on our island but which the EU is funding right across Africa? It is pouring money into the wall between Syria and Türkiye rather than pouring money in, as it should, in order to cover the humanitarian needs of the 6.7 million people in Syria who have been displaced, including refugees from all around the world.

The Taoiseach also used the word "fair". How is it fair that EU countries that have a long history of ransacking African countries for their wealth and resources, which has contributed to the climate change that makes parts of the world uninhabitable, continue to focus their efforts on identifying how they can be more unwelcoming rather than on how they can ensure that the world is a habitable place? We can do better and we can have genuinely fair policies that are decent and deliver decent services to all who live in this country and to everyone across the globe.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Well said.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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In welcoming the students from Scoil an Chroí Naofa, I thank the members of the student council who are showing civic leadership in their school by stepping up to the plate and acting in a responsible manner. They are very welcome. Cuirim céad míle fáilte romhaibh go léir agus go mór mór roimh an mháistéar, Deaglán Rynne. Is dóigh liom gur cara an tSeanadóra é. I welcome all the other teachers whose names I do not have. They are here today with Senator Dolan, who is the next speaker.

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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It is a real day of honour for me because Scoil an Chroí Naofa is my national school, and these guys are the first student council from Scoil an Chroí Naofa. They are doing an absolutely amazing job.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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These children, from fourth, fifth and sixth classes represent their classes. I ask the children from fourth, fifth and sixth classes to put their hands up. Well done. I am so proud of each and every one of them. I thank the teachers, Edel Moriarty and Declan Rynne, who brought the students to Leinster House today. This is my first school tour group and it comes from my primary school. It is the school that I have been talking about in here. We have been fighting for a school building for nearly 27 years since the school amalgamated. We are still fighting for a school building. It is going to happen and there is going to be a fantastic new space for children there. The children represent 20 or 30 nationalities. We have so many nationalities in our schools across Ballinasloe, representing such diversity. This school is absolutely magic because I know the children have been fantastic at outdoor sports. I know they are very interested in working with their teachers and they have been great at doing lots of activities in school. They work very hard with their teachers to make sure that they are going to be proper representatives for their classes. I talked to them this morning. They told me that they are going to try to listen to other students and make things better. I just thought that, in a nutshell, this is exactly what each and every one of us as public representatives do every day. It is about listening to people and trying to make things better. I hope the students have a wonderful day. They will enjoy walking around and they will see lots of things. I know that in another ten or 20 years we will see some of these students back in here. Who knows? They may be in the Seanad or in Dáil Éireann. I am looking forward to it. They have taken the first step to representing their school and their classes. I am very proud of them. I thank them for coming up today.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank the student council for coming. Before I ask the Leader to reply, on my own behalf and on behalf of the House, I wish Nicola Sturgeon every success in her retirement. As other Senators stated, she has been a very strong leader for the Scottish Parliament. She was the first female leader of a political party in Scotland, the first woman First Minister and the longest-serving holder of that office. We can all remember her wonderful address to Seanad Éireann in 2016, where she very clearly demonstrated her support for Ireland. She spoke about her support for us in terms of the open Border and we will never forget that. We thank her most sincerely for that and wish her well in the next chapter of her life.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Kyne spoke once again about Inland Fisheries Ireland. He was supported by Senator Boyhan in calling for statements. I have made a request to the Minister to come to the House to speak on the issue. That request has not been acceded to as of yet, but I will continue to work with Senators Kyne and Boyhan in order to try to get statements or answers from the Minister. Perhaps a motion will be the only option for us at some point, but we will work with Senator Kyne on the issue. In fairness, he has been very consistent in raising this issue in the public interest. He has done that almost on a weekly basis in the past number of months.

Like many other colleagues, Senator Fitzpatrick wished Nicola Sturgeon well as she resigns from office. Ms Sturgeon is a strong female leader. Regardless of gender, she has been a very good politician and public representative for her community. We should take note of the way politics has gone and the direction in which it is going. We are driving good people out of public office.People are coming into public life, if they are brave enough to do so in the first place, and are leaving prematurely. We may look at Jacinda Ardern and people may ask also why she left politics prematurely. It is well documented and evidenced that female politicians in particular, bear the brunt of online abuse in respect of the personalisation, the attack on the individual, on their appearance, how they sound and look, their family life, and how they walk, talk, and everything in between. It is something to be mindful of here as we will be meeting very shortly with the Ceann Comhairle to discuss safety measures for female Members in both Houses of the Oireachtas. That is where things are at in this country also. We will get to a stage where we will not have people or will only have very few people coming forward to going to public life. We are looking for more diversity and better female representation and I fear that we are going backwards. We are making it a more toxic place and difficult environment to work in.

It is regrettable to see somebody like Nicola Sturgeon feels she can no longer do the job because of the online abuse. She made a very good point in acknowledging that she is a politician but that she is also human being. Words and how you speak to people matters. We are all, every one of us, impacted by what happens in the online space. We do our best not to read it but we are not able to completely disconnect because we have to use those online tools. They can be very good and helpful because they allow you to connect with people, to talk about what you are doing, what you are going to do, and to discuss your ideas and deal with your constituents but there is a limit in respect of how much negativity one person can process in a day. The job is getting to a point where many people are staying away from doing the work they would like to do, or from the online space, because on certain days, they cannot deal with the negativity. It is incumbent on all of us to perhaps support one another as well and to call it out, to not whip up anger or to encourage a pile-on, which often happens. People will know what I am referring to in that regard and that can also happen within these Houses among ourselves. Sometimes we exacerbate the problem, where perhaps we did not intend to and perhaps sometimes we had intended to. In any event, this should be a warning sign to all of us and we will move on now from that point.

Senator Fitzpatrick also spoke about the ongoing humanitarian crisis and emergency in Turkey and Syria and the €10 million that has been sent by the Government to their emergency response. She has made a call on all us to do what we can in donating to the Irish Red Cross or to the Irish Emergency Alliance, and to give our support to those people in need. The scale of the disaster is huge, as is the loss of life and the impending loss of life because of the conditions within which people are trying to survive which is devastating.

Senator Fitzpatrick also put on the record some very good news about O'Devaney Gardens, an area and development with which we are very familiar, even for somebody like myself from Mayo, because it has been raised consistently in both Houses for a very long time. It is positive news to see that commencement has happened for the construction of 1,000 new homes in a variety between cost rental, social, affordable and private housing units. It is a very good development and is also good to see some good news in the housing sector for that particular community in Dublin Central.

Senator Boyhan dealt with a particular issue and we will come back to him and to Senator Kyne in respect of that.

Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke this morning and alerted the House to a rally this Saturday in Parnell Square at 1:30 p.m. in respect of an Ireland for All to celebrate our cultural and ethnic diversity in the country and to celebrate the diverse communities we now have an Ireland. He has encouraged Members to attend and take part in that celebration.

He has also requested statements from the Minister for Foreign Affairs on Israel and I will make that request to the Minister and arrange for that debate at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Hoey spoke about the young 16-year-old girl, Brianna, I believe, is her name. Senator Warfield also mentioned her yesterday. It is a very tragic case and it is awful to think that that would happen but it could happen here also. This is something that we need to be very mindful of. The Senator is correct in that language and how we speak about people matters. We have a great deal of work to do in that space. We can turn the tide and it has not gone the way it has gone in the UK here yet. We have an opportunity now to learn from what has happened elsewhere and of other people’s mistakes. We can certainly keep that issue alive and keep talking about it in this House. We send our condolences to Ms Ghey’s family, her community and to her friends.

Senator Davitt spoke this morning about Georgia and I will put on the record of House that we are approaching 25 years of the friendship group with Georgia which I think is a significant milestone. I wish the ambassador here and all of the team in the embassy well and I thank the Senator for putting that on the record.

Senator Ahearn spoke this morning about the group of young students who will be at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine today between 12 noon and 1 p.m. to present a letter to the Department on biodiversity. They are looking for a policy change in respect of a financial incentive to maintain hedgerows and to pay our farmers to do so. I commend those students on taking the initiative and I hope they enjoy their day at the Department and here at Leinster House as well.

He has also requested a debate with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in respect of the energy sector and I will request that debate. The Senator raised an issue around the price of electricity. We know that the wholesale price is reducing. The Senator made a very good point to ask why, when the price goes up at wholesale level, the consumer price goes up immediately but that when the wholesale price comes down, the consumer price takes 18 to 24 months to reduce in tandem with this wholesale price change. I do not have the answer to that question but perhaps the Minister may be in a better position to have that debate with us. We will request, then, to have that debate with him.

Senator Gavan spoke this morning about the Mandate trade union briefing. All I can say to the Senator is that I did not receive an invitation to that briefing this morning, nor did any of my colleagues. I have checked with our party headquarters and it did not receive an invitation to it. We have asked Mandate to contact us on that particular issue. We were not asked to attend that meeting this morning but we always engage with unions on workers’ rights and I am sure it is the same for other Government colleagues. This is an issue about which we care very much but we cannot be in the room if we are not told about the meeting. Perhaps Senator Gavan might bring that back to the organisers as we would very much like to attend the next meeting.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Leader.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Gavan also requested a debate on workers’ rights and we will certainly request that debate as well.

Senator Craughwell spoke this about Jadotville and made the call again for an independent medals board to be established for those who were serving in that area.

Senators Murphy and Carrigy both wanted to put on the record, as did Senator Ó Donnghaile yesterday, well wishes to Deputy Naughten who, although he will not be retiring for another couple of years, will not be running as a candidate for the Dáil again. We wish the Deputy well. He has been a tremendous public servant where he has been 26 or 27 years in the Oireachtas

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I believe it is 27.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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It is a significant length of service and well done to him. I am sure his community will miss as their public representative.

Senator Murphy has also welcomed this morning the opening of the eight-bed hospice unit in Roscommon where he also acknowledged the fantastic work of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation. With all of the fundraising, it was the people on the ground who paid for the building of this hospice. It is a great credit to the people in Roscommon and Mayo that they have built both hospices. The Senator is correct to acknowledge also the Department of Health, the Minister for Health and the staff of the hospice. I wish them well. It is a fantastic service and at some point we will all need that type of service as all families are touched by that.

Senator Lombard has requested a debate on the issue of the Residential Tenancies Board and the inability to contact that office. I suggest that a Commencement matter would be an appropriate way to deal with that issue at the outset and if that is not sufficient, we can look to have a debate later on.

Senator Keogan asked about a particular niche issue around accountability. I do not have a full response for the Senator but I acknowledge the remarks she has made in that regard.

Senator Conway spoke this morning about a story by the journalist Ciara Phelan in the Irish Examineraround the delays in court hearings and proceedings for domestic violence cases. As the saying often goes in legal terms, justice delayed is justice denied. The delays are unacceptable and will need to be addressed. That would be an appropriate issue for a Commencement matter with the Minister for Justice in order to get an update as to exactly where that is at but it may require a fuller debate thereafter.

He has also spoken about the VAT rate in tourism of 9%. A debate will be happening with the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, next week and with the Chair of the Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, Deputy Niamh Smyth, who will also be in the Chamber. That will be an opportunity to raise that particular tourism issue and other issues around tourism. We look forward to that debate.

Senator Carrigy spoke this morning about the N4, which is an issue he has raised previously, and, in particular, the section between Mullingar and Rooskey, together with the need for proper, balanced regional development.

Senator Seery Kearney spoke this morning on an issue that I am not overly familiar with in respect of an historical site in Chapelizod where she has requested a debate on heritage with the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and we will request that debate also.

Senator Higgins spoke this morning about Nicola Sturgeon. I have already dealt with that particular issue and I concur completely with her remarks on that.

In respect of the "fair, firm and hard" comments by the Taoiseach on migration, I cannot give the Senator a response as to exactly what he meant by that. I agree with the Senator in respect of our approach to date which has been very good. We have been very welcoming, have done our very best to accommodate people, and the response from communities and from people on the ground in bringing refugees into their homes and communities has been very positive. We have done ourselves proud and I sincerely hope that we continue in that same vein. That is where we want to be and is the space we want to operate in. We are known internationally as being that friendly and helping hand and looking after people in their time of need. I expect that we will continue to do the very same thing and to do our very best to help those who are fleeing, for whatever reason, but fleeing to try to find a better life for themselves. The door in Ireland is very much open for people.

Finally, Senator Dolan welcomed her school this morning Scoil-----

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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Scoil an Chroí Naofa.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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-----which I believe is her own alma mater. It is lovely to have and see them here and to see the children up representing their school. I am delighted that they will be getting a new school building. Some 27 years is a long time to campaign.There has been a lot of investment in education in recent years in terms of school buildings. We are catching up. Our children deserve the best of facilities where they are learning. They spend a lot of time there every day and every week. They should have good facilities. It is great to see the students here. I wish their teachers, Edel and Declan, the very best. I hope they enjoy their day in Leinster House with Senator Dolan.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Before I ask the House to agree the Order of Business, I welcome the members of staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs who are in the Public Gallery. I sincerely thank them for their service and work. I hope they enjoy their tour of the Houses of the Oireachtas.