Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Historic and Archaeological Heritage Bill 2023 - Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage, to be taken at 2.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 4.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; and No. 2, Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 – Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage, to be taken at 4.30 p.m. and to adjourn and 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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Today is an important milestone. From today, individuals who receive care as patients in public hospitals will be exempt from paying any fee. It is important that we note that.

As leader of the Irish delegation to the Council of Europe, other Members and I work quite closely with a number of senior Department of Foreign Affairs officials and the Irish ambassadors to Europe. I speak for all of us when I say how shocked I was this morning to hear of the assault on Irish diplomat, Aidan O’Hara, the European Union’s ambassador to Sudan. He was assaulted in his own residence in Khartoum. The incident constitutes absolutely a gross violation of the Vienna Convention. From this Seanad, we should wish him and his consulate well. I know the Tánaiste is engaging proactively to support the ambassador and his officials. I support the Tánaiste’s call for an urgent cessation of violence in Sudan and resumption of dialogue.

I wish to speak briefly about the school transport situation. While we all acknowledge the investment in school transport to bring down the cost to parents and families, we also acknowledge that, around this time of the year, looking for a place begins. We wish and hope things will be resolved earlier than they normally are. We need to start looking at widening the criteria and allowing common sense to prevail in certain situations. I appreciate that no matter how eligibility is structured, there will always be issues. That is a reality of life. Bus Éireann and the Department of Education need to be more flexible in how they approach the issue, especially in light of school place shortages in places such as south Kildare. I am dealing with a number of parents who cannot get their child into the local school and are lucky if they can find a place in another school. However, in respect of transport, if they find that place, they are told they have to take a section 29 appeal against the school that is nearest to them.This is an adversarial approach and takes a great deal of time for the school and its board of management and principal, all just to get a simple letter that says the child has been refused. It makes no sense and needs to be resolved.

This evening sees the first meeting of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying. I look forward to an informed debate at the committee. Recently, I welcomed representatives from St. Joseph's in Shankill to Leinster House to launch their report on upholding the human rights of those living with dementia. Safeguarding for adults and vulnerable people is key and we need to ensure the best possible safeguards are in place to protect the elderly. We need to see progress on adult safeguarding.

The Cathaoirleach will bear with me on this final point. Our esteemed Leader is getting married on Saturday. I wish her, Jarlath and – I will not say "baby Louis" – toddler Louis the very best of good health and happiness in their future together. I have no doubt they will have a wonderful day on Saturday. All our wishes go with her.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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Is deas an rud é a bheith ar ais ar an lá iontach geal seo.

I will begin where my colleague left off by congratulating the Leader and wishing her and Jarlath the very best for Saturday. It is great news and we wish her well. I hope they have a great day and they get good weather for the photographs. If they get the weather, the two of them will make good photographs.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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The material is good, if the weather allows it.

The greatest and most important challenge for us in the House is to create equality of opportunity and a level playing field for each of our citizens. Two recent initiatives have considerable potential in this regard. One is the book scheme from the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley's Department. I do not have the full details of the scheme, but I understand it gives €96 towards the provision of books. This is a significant advance. The second important initiative, which comes from the Department of my ministerial constituency colleague, Deputy Humphreys, will see every child in school receiving a hot meal. The Cathaoirleach is a teacher and there are a number of other teachers in the room. One of the best old-style teachers I ever knew was brilliant and turned out great results. He told me that he could not teach people if they had not had proper food and a night's sleep. This is why hot meals are crucial.

I am raising these matters for two reasons. The first is to welcome them but, more importantly, I am asking for a debate on the schemes' logistics so that we can be assured such logistics are in place, particularly where the hot meals scheme is concerned. Could the relevant Ministers attend to explain the position and when they foresee the schemes being implemented? Achieving them in the country's schools will be a large logistical task, so we need to consider their implementation.

The next great challenge - perhaps we could incorporate all of this into the one debate – facing us is making enough provision in our schools for people with autism. I gather from people who approach me that the level of provision for autism is not yet at acceptable levels. I would like to achieve that next, having achieved in terms of hot meals, books and the phenomenal two years of preschool education. Giving every citizen in society an equal chance is a challenge facing the Seanad. These initiatives are crucial to that. As an Oireachtas, we need to supervise their implementation so that we know they are happening and what the plans are to make them happen.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I commend the Cathaoirleach on last Thursday's event in the Dáil Chamber. He spoke well.I congratulate also Senator Chambers in advance of Saturday, given there is still time to run. I hope she enjoys her day.

I call for a debate with the Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, on the steps Ireland is taking to combat the human trafficking taking place on our shores. I welcome his signalling that Ireland is to join the EU directive that will amend the anti-trafficking directive, strengthening our ability to combat these crimes and introducing a European referral mechanism to improve the early identification of victims and provide support. A harmonised definition of the likes of forced marriage and illegal adoptions throughout the EU, and the use of advance passenger information, will make us better able to identify, disrupt and prosecute those involved in organised crime engaging in the trafficking of persons for labour or prostitution. Last year, the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings stated, "Sexual exploitation [in Ireland] remains the primary form of exploitation, but the number of people trafficked for labour exploitation – in sectors including fishing, farming, construction, catering and domestic work – grew over the same period." That trafficking for labour exploitation means this is under-recognised and under-reported.

Shockingly, there have been no convictions for trafficking for labour exploitation in this country despite the increasing numbers of identified suspected cases, and yet Ireland is not immune to trafficking. We need to hear what is being done by the Government to step up the effort to combat trafficking. We need to establish safe reporting procedures for foreign workers and to review the atypical working scheme in the fisheries industry to ensure it contains sufficient safeguards against the trafficking and exploitation of fishermen. We need to examine what can be done to raise awareness of the warning signs of trafficking in order that people can monitor their own communities, with specialised training for people who work closely with at-risk individuals in how to spot indicators of human trafficking among children. The mass movement of persons across the European Continent as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has provided traffickers with the perfect smokescreen to carry out large-scale operations undetected. We must be extra-vigilant in this environment to ensure the vulnerabilities of people in flux will not be exploited for profit. I am reminded of this time last year when 91 children were flown into Dublin Airport by a charity - 59 of them unaccompanied - and Tusla did not even know about it. I am not saying there was anything untoward about that instance but it shows that the eye needs to be on the ball all the time. I ask that we invite in the Minister or a Minister of State for a debate on this.

Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party)
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I rise in utter frustration and, indeed, with determination when it comes to even the smallest of green actions. Virtually all the parties across the board yet again voted against a cycle lane in Galway last night, this time on the east side of the city. This was a proposal put forward by the council itself. People will recall the famous Salthill cycle lane that was voted against, but this time, not only did Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael vote against the cycle lane but so also did the Labour Party, the Social Democrats and Independents. I fear things are getting more difficult when it comes to some of these small measures of climate action. Without this cycle lane, safe routes to school cannot happen now around two schools, Scoil Chaitríona and Gaelscoil Dara in the east of the city.

Not everything is going to be perfect. The major problem that councillors had seemed to relate to the removal of parking spaces that would be required, but we are going to have to remove some parking spaces if we want to take climate action seriously. Effectively, this involves retrofitting a scheme into something that was never designed to have cars, buses and cyclists on it, but we have to do it. We have no other option. We have all made a commitment, across the political spectrum, to reduce our emissions by 50% by 2030, and these are the easiest measures to take. This morning, the Cabinet agreed to look at demand management, which is a fancy way of saying we will use more of a stick in respect of some of these actions relating to climate, such as increasing parking charges or perhaps even going as far as introducing congestion charges.I do not want to see these things happen, but we are being left with no other option if it is the case that things that actually make people's lives better are not being embraced by politicians, particularly at council level. We often hear of councillors objecting to the building of houses - that is very real, and I see it every day across the councils - but it seems they are also objecting to everything else at the same time and are thereby preventing us from moving forward and being the leaders I know we can be when it comes to climate.

I also know the public, especially young people, want and expect that leadership. I ask politicians to think again. In the Seanad and the Dáil, I ask that Members call up their own councillors and ask what is going on. They have an obligation to their own parties, as, indeed, I have to mine. We will push as hard as we can but we need the support.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Ba mhaith liom ar dtús báire comhghairdeas a ghabhail le hachan duine a bhí páirteach le cuairt Uachtarán Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá an tseachtain seo caite. Is turas agus cuairt ar an Oireachtas a bhí stairiúil agus suntasach dúinn ar fad. I thank and commend all of those in the Houses of the Oireachtas who played any part, big or small, in ensuring a very successful and memorable visit by President Biden to the Houses for his address last week. It was a memorable occasion for all of us.

I particularly want to welcome the announcement from President Biden of the economic conference later this year. That will be an important opportunity for businesses, not just in the North but across the island, to co-ordinate, plan, engage and support workers and communities everywhere. It serves no one when the economies on our island compete or operate at varying levels. When we are doing well, we need to do well right across the island. The economic conference can really be of benefit and can bolster that. At Queen’s University yesterday, I had the opportunity with the new US envoy to the North, Joseph Kennedy. I certainly relayed to him the real benefit in bolstering our all-Ireland economy going forward.

I acknowledge the events taking place at Queen’s University to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and the inspiring and poignant address by Senator George Mitchell yesterday in which he reminded us not only of the long slog and the struggle in arriving at the agreement and getting the institutions up and running but also, very firmly, of the fact that we still have work to do and that we need those institutions back up and running and operating for everyone. In that spirit, while I know we passed a motion on the Good Friday Agreement some time ago, perhaps it would be timely to have statements on the shared island unit and the work it will be doing over the coming period.

I want to again flag the issue of passports. As we are heading into the summer, I am sure other colleagues are starting to receive calls regarding delays and concerns about people getting passports out on time. As we head into the summer and, no doubt, a rush, it would be an opportune time for us to have statements on the Department of Foreign Affairs and the services of the Passport Office.

I join colleagues in commending the Cathaoirleach. His remarks last week were very powerful and poignant. They went down tremendously well across the House. I thank him for representing the Seanad so well.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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At the beginning of the sitting, I was remiss in not paying tribute to a former colleague and Member of the House who passed away last week. I refer to our colleague and friend, former Senator Pat Magner. I had the pleasure of knowing Pat as a very collegial and great friend. He served in this House on three occasions - having been nominated three times - from 1981 to 1982, 1983 to 1987 and 1993 to 1997. Pat Magner was not just a Member of the House, he was also a loyal and dedicated public servant who gave more than 60 years to the Labour Party as its organiser in chief, if I can use that term. He was a Cork man who I had the pleasure of knowing and spending many a happy time with in the Dáil bar and in other establishments.To his wife Anne and their eight children, his brother Noel, his sister Pauline, and his grandchildren, I offer my deepest sympathies. I offer our sympathies to the Labour Party on the death of their colleague and friend. Pat Magner was one of the nicest people you could meet. He was a genuine, warm man and a great person. May he rest in peace.

Marie Sherlock (Labour)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for his warm tribute to former Labour Senator Pat Magner. He was a Corkonian but he very much made Dublin his home. He was a three-time Senator and made an enormous contribution to the Labour Party. It is certainly a huge loss for the party, with the years of commitment he brought to it. I offer our sincere sympathies to Mr. Magner's wife Anne and their children, family and wide and extensive circle of friends.

I follow Senator Ó Donnghaile's comments about the Cathaoirleach's contribution last Thursday. There was a real sense of pride in having Senator Buttimer as our Cathaoirleach, particularly with his comments to President Biden, marking the achievements of our country with regard to social issues but also marking President Biden's leadership on those issues. I thank the Cathaoirleach for that.

I congratulate the Leader on her day and wish her the very best this Saturday.

I request that we ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to come to the House to talk about the system of apprenticeships. While we must acknowledge that there has been major progress in expanding the range of apprenticeships on offer, there are real issues with regard to how some of those apprenticeships are organised, particularly with the non-payment in the educational period, and the issue of retention in certain sectors, especially construction. There is also the issue of uncommenced apprenticeships that were mooted for development, particularly in 2017. One of the uncommenced apprenticeships that has come to my attention is in baking. We know that bakeries are a vital part of many of our towns and cities. We can all wax lyrical about how important they are, yet the State is not doing anything to ensure we have a supply of skilled labour into that sector. In Dublin alone, we have had a significant number of bakeries close in recent years because it is so difficult to get trained staff. Baking is one of the 27 apprenticeships that were mooted for development back in 2017 but we have only seen a share of those go on to be developed.

There is a real issue, particularly when looking at labour shortages in certain sectors, and some employers are increasingly calling for migrant work permits to be looked at. Migrant permits play an important role in our labour market but we also need to look at how we ensure a sustainable supply of labour into certain sectors. There is a particularly acute issue in baking, furniture-making and other sectors. There is a serious role in this area for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if we are to ensure we have sufficient skilled labour in these sectors in the coming years.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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Unfortunately, I was not able to be here last week due to not having a babysitter for the girls. To be watching the event at home with my child and to be part of our Parliament was brilliant. One could feel the vibe outside when President Biden was here. The Cathaoirleach's speech was incredible and we have much to be proud of, making it to news and other channels all over the world.

I have the height of respect for the Ministers, Deputies McEntee and Harris. I would have said that as Minister for Justice, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, was one of the best Ministers I have seen in my lifetime. I am disappointed that the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 seeks to bring in facial recognition. England brought it in and then banned it.Facial recognition technology can target people from minority groups. We saw such targeting with the PULSE system in 2014. Pavee Point did a lot of work around how Travellers were targeted in that system and how it does not work. I find it very disheartening and dishonest of the Government that it is just trying to squeeze something through as an amendment instead of having it in the Bill when it was introduced last May or when it was spoken about last August. This Bill deserves its own stand-alone scrutiny and to include the voice of the people, including those from minority groups and disadvantaged areas whose voices need to be heard. These are the people at the edges of society who are too often targeted by an Garda. I live and breathe in working-class communities. I am obviously from the Traveller community myself. It is only when you are reared, born and bred in these communities that you see the pressures on young people in places such as Ballyfermot and Tallaght. This technology could add more pressures to a young person who is black or is a Traveller from these areas.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties currently has a petition calling for this amendment not to happen and for this matter to have its own stand-alone Bill. I understand the Bill is going to Committee Stage on 23 May. It our job as legislators and Senators to scrutinise the Bill to make sure it has the best interests of our people at its heart. Unfortunately, the Bill does not have our people's best interests at heart, especially those from working-class communities, the Traveller community and black people. We are not criminals and should not be targeted as such.

The proposed amendment of this Bill will do more harm than good for people in my community. There is nothing much the Leader can do about it but I urge Senators to object to this amendment the Government is looking to squeeze in, in a very sneaky way that should not be allowed to happen.

Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Leader to organise a debate, at the earliest possible opportunity, to discuss the issue of water infrastructure throughout the country. Many parts of rural Ireland are serviced by old iron or metal water pipes, which are well past their sell-by date and, in many cases, have started to leak and crack. There is also old asbestos piping throughout that pipe network. Ever since the State transferred the responsibility for water infrastructure to Irish Water, unfortunately, the same level of scrutiny at a local level has gone. Previously, the county councils arranged to fix the network within their own areas. There is obviously a funding deficit that needs to be met.

I would like to have a debate on this issue in the House. I can give plenty of examples, particularly in the west Clare area around Cooraclare and Creegh, where a break in the pipe has been seen every week. The weather changes, the ground becomes inundated with water and the pipe expands and breaks. It is fixed but it breaks again, sometimes every second day. It has people driven demented, including those with young children who are unable to make bottles for their kids and elderly people who are unable to take a shower because the breakage impacts on their heating system. We have got to find a better way to address these rural communities, where water infrastructure provided by the State is in place but is not fit for purpose. The area between Creegh and Cooraclare, over the past two to three years, has seen consistent breaks, week in week out. People have had enough. They pay their taxes and are entitled to expect a service that is at least somewhat consistent and in line with every other part of the county and country.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I agree with Senator Dooley's proposition on the need for a debate on the matter he raised. I also commend the Cathaoirleach on a spectacular contribution during President Biden's visit last Thursday. It struck a chord. From President Biden's reaction, one would know he was very taken by the Cathaoirleach's contribution. Congratulations.

For once, I commend the Government on a memo regarding Shannon Heritage that went to Cabinet and got Cabinet approval this morning. However, I have to be critical that it has taken so long.This issue has gone on in Clare for the past 18 to 24 months. Clare County Council has been willing to step up to the plate and take over Shannon Heritage, and ensure that Shannon Heritage has a viable future that will make a significant contribution to the tourism offering not just in County Clare, but throughout the Wild Atlantic Way and the west coast of Ireland.

Some €6 million is being provided by the Department of Transport, with additional funding coming from various other Departments. There is also a commitment by the Office of Public Works, OPW, to ensure that the necessary capital upgrades will take place at the facilities. These facilities were a great offering in the past and can be an even better offering going forward. We have the Cliffs of Moher Experience in Clare, which I would describe as a gold-plated visitor experience. However, we need more, and these facilities can provide more.

I know it was detailed, complex, and that much annual funding was not possible because it is moving from the Department of Transport but it is better late than never. I wish Clare County Council and its senior management team all the very best in putting together a very strong, focused international marketing campaign for County Clare for 2023 and the years ahead.

Finally, I welcome two friends of mine from Lahinch to the Gallery, Eamon Fitzgerald and his wife, Orla Griffin. I hope they enjoy their day here in Leinster House.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator, and I welcome both Eamon and Orla to the Gallery. I thank them for being here today, and hope they have a very pleasurable visit with our colleague and friend, Senator Conway.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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We should, on remembering the visit of Joe Biden here to Leinster House, remark on the wonderful job that was done by the staff of Leinster House, and how everything ran so smoothly within the House. The Cathaoirleach's speech was exceptional, and I congratulate you. It was a very well delivered and poignant speech in its own way, and I would like to compliment you.

With respect to the Civil Service, civil servants have served this country well over its 100 years. Sadly however, at the very top of the Civil Service, there are some who believe they are unanswerable to anybody. We saw a report of the appointment of Dr. Tony Holohan yesterday, and what went on in the background prior to that. I strongly believe that the time has come to review the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924. It is 99 years old, and it is about time to review it.

I ask the Leader to use her good offices to bring a debate to this House that would review the Ministers and Secretaries Act. The function of a parliament is to oversee what goes on. My personal experience is that any time we try to oversee the actions of Departments, we are met with a plethora of reasons as to why we cannot have information that we need. I am talking particularly about the Department of Transport, and the difficulty I have had in trying to get information regarding search and rescue in this country, the extraordinary cost to the country, and what may or may not be covered in the contract. The Secretary General just tells us he will not come. On five occasions he has told us he will not come, using one half-excuse after another.

What we saw yesterday with Dr. Tony Holohan - a man who served this country well - and the shenanigans that took place in the background, was just totally unacceptable. It suggests there are people who believe they are not answerable in any way. I would like that debate, if the Leader could organise it.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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A Chathaoirligh, I wish to echo the compliments of others to you on your remarks for President Biden's visit here last week, and to compliment the staff of the Houses on their wonderful organisation of a wonderful occasion.

The Leader will be aware that over Easter, there was a lot of discussion around the racist abuse of a Wexford sportsman, and indeed a national sportsman, Lee Chin. Lee has given enormous service to the GAA in County Wexford and is regarded as a role model in sport generally. He has done a lot to encourage young people to get involved in the game. It was all the more a pity that this racist abuse happened at a charity match between Wexford and Tipperary.

The GAA is dealing with it. I am quite happy with how strongly it intends to address it. However, we need to hold a debate around racism in sport and more widely in society. It is something of deep concern.The Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, of which Senator Cassells and I are members, published a report on abuse in sport. For any sports organisation that fails to take strong action where there is abuse of any kind against officials, referees or sports stars, the committee report stated there should be implications for the organisation regarding State funding. This should not just apply to national governing bodies. It should equally apply to sports clubs, not just in the GAA but across all disciplines if we allow this to continue. I include sports capital grants in this regard because any sports club that does not take the issue of discrimination and abuse seriously should not have access to funding. I ask that the Leader facilitate a debate around the topic of racism and discrimination in sport and invite the Minister responsible for sport to come to the House to discuss the matter.

Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
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In two and half years, rents in the private sector have increased by an incredible 23%. Renting is more expensive than ever before, without any security in exchange. In a house in Portobello, three single people received notification from their landlord that they would be getting a notice to quit because a family member would be moving into the house. This is a result of the reckless decision to lift the eviction ban. Under this Government, the private rental sector has shrunk every single year for six years. There is no plan or measure to address the consequences of that. No, I am sorry, there is. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, wrote back to these three folks in Portobello to talk about the measures that would be in place, including the council's ability to purchase the home in Portobello - a great use of public money - or perhaps the people might be in a position to purchase the home. I will stop him there because those three single people are certainly not in a position to purchase that home. I wonder what planet this Government is on. We have not turned a corner in housing. It is quite the opposite; we are in a vicious cycle. The private rental sector is only one example of that. We need a new Government and a complete new direction on housing policy that will meet people's needs.

Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail)
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A couple of weeks ago, a match in the North Eastern Football League between Bay FC and a team from Ballyjamesduff was abandoned when, wait for this now, the referee was kung fu kicked by one of the Ballyjamesduff players. The shocking incident was captured on camera and shared widely on social media. It became a talking point for a number of days on sports broadcasts and received extensive press coverage. The fallout from this is that on Sunday night, the Louth branch of the Irish Soccer Referees Society withdrew its services for the foreseeable future. The branch stated that the league has a duty of care towards the officials refereeing the league which is not being met and as referees cannot be assured of their safety, it will not be accepting any appointments in this league until such assurances are given. There will now be mass cancellations of games and major disruptions this weekend and for the future. It is now ten months since the report on abuse of officials previously referred to by Senator Malcolm Byrne was laid before the Houses.

The report was sparked by another referees strike in the North Dublin Schoolboys/Girls League. One of the key recommendations by Ms Mary O'Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, is that clubs who have these terrible egregious breaches of discipline should be barred from access to sports capital funding. We need to take that seriously. If leagues, whether it be in soccer, the GAA or any other sport, cannot get their house in order, we need to press this matter. I did so with the departmental officials at the time and they were wishy-washy at best when it came to it. I ask that the report, which was laid before the Houses ten months ago, becomes an item on our agenda. We need to bring in the Minister responsible for sport to discuss this issue because the clear recommendation of barring clubs from funding needs to be pressed because they are not taking it seriously if a referee can be kung fu kicked on a sports pitch in Ireland.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Before calling on the Leader to reply I want to voice my agreement with Senator Byrne regarding the incident with Lee Chin. He is a fine sportsman and a wonderful ambassador. There can be no place for racism in any of our sporting codes. On my own behalf, and I am sure on behalf of the Members, I congratulate our Leader and Jarlath on their wedding next Saturday. We wish them a happy, joyful and wonderful day and life together. Beir bua. Senator Mullen has literally one minute; the bell has saved him.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Who will perform the ceremony?

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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In 1979 the people voted to amend the Constitution to provide that the pool of universities that would elect six Members of Seanad Éireann could be widened to include other institutions of higher education in the State. I know Senator Malcolm Byrne also has an interest in this issue. Nothing happened, as often occurs in Irish politics. On 31 March the Supreme Court effectively forced the hand of the Government and the Oireachtas by ruling that the current basis for elections is unconstitutional, because of the exclusion of universities like the University of Limerick. That is the alma mater of Tomás Heneghan who brought the case, and I congratulate him for making legal history. The Supreme Court has not formalised its ruling so as not to undermine the current structure of the Houses, so the Government has until 31 July to make submissions. The Supreme Court seems to have borrowed from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venicewhere Portia is encouraged "to do a great right do a little wrong." I am not sure whether it was judicially activist of the court to make the decision. This is a decision that ought to have been made by the Oireachtas. However, nobody could argue against the need for change in this area. I would like to hear from the Government in early course about what it plans to do. It has had plenty of calls from this House to bring forward reform. I ask for a debate on that issue in early course.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Tomorrow an important piece of legislation will be put before the House, which is the redress scheme. I will not go into it now because it is for debate tomorrow. Many Members have received a lot of correspondence. The parties have received a lot of correspondence. There will be quite a few people listening in to this debate tomorrow externally and internally. When the Taoiseach came to address us last time he spoke about the Seanad being a revising Chamber. He talked about the importance of legislation. A substantial number of promises have been made to these people. Last week, when we had the excitement of the US presidential visit, we saw the President lift a vulnerable and innocent infant child. For anyone blessed to have children or to have been involved in rearing their own children, or nephews and nieces, there is something really important about that, whatever the context of family. While the legislation we will discuss tomorrow will suggest there will be some compensation for a mother who stayed in an institution for one night, a child who spent four months in an institution will receive no redress. We have to see that in the context of the now established knowledge of drug trials that took place in care. I will finish on this point. I would like to think that Members of this House will exercise the responsibility and opportunity we have to revise legislation, and that we think and reflect on it. Tomorrow I will set out a number of views, one of which will be to appeal to the Leader and to this House to pause this legislation for a short period so that we can put our heads together in order that common sense and justice can prevail.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I will make a proposal following the conclusion of the Order of Business. I thank Members who have contributed to the Order of Business today and for their lovely comments to me personally.It is very much appreciated.

I commend the Cathaoirleach on his performance and his remarks on behalf of the House on Thursday last during the address by the US President, Joe Biden. I very much appreciate it. He did the House proud on what was also a very special occasion for the Cathaoirleach himself.

Senator O'Loughlin spoke at the beginning of the Order of Business and welcomed the fact there will no longer be fees for stays in public hospitals. She also spoke about the attack on the EU ambassador to Sudan, Mr. Aidan O'Hara, about which we became aware this morning. Of course, we concur with her remarks. We send him well wishes and a speedy recovery for what was, I am sure, a really frightening ordeal for him and his staff in his home in Sudan. Senator O'Loughlin also requested that Members engage with the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying, which will convene this evening for its first meeting, and that there be a balanced, open and respectful debate. She also spoke about how important investment in school transport is for communities.

Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about the importance of creating equality of opportunity in this country, which is a primary focus of the Government. In particular, the Senator focused on the recent free primary school books initiative that was announced by the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and the hot school meals programme being expanded by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys. He requested a debate on both schemes and an update from both Ministers. We will put that request in to both Departments. The Senator also spoke about the need for provision for autism services in the context of equality for children.

Senator Keogan spoke about the whole issue of human trafficking, which is really serious. In Ireland, we are certainly not top of the class; we are not even middle of the class. We are performing very poorly. Many very vulnerable people, predominantly women. are being trafficked in and out of this country and around the country. It is a significant problem. We are absolutely failing in that regard. I take on board the Senator's comments around the new EU directive, which it is to be hoped will strengthen our response as a member state to that issue. I will put in a request to the Minister for Justice to have that debate in the House, and I will get an update from the acting Minister, Deputy Harris, on where we are at as a country in response to that really terrible issue. I agree with the Senator that the war in Ukraine has presented on opportunity for those who wish to exploit it because there is easier access to get in and out of countries due to the goodwill of many nations in responding to that war.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly spoke about a Galway issue regarding a cycling lane that has been rejected by the local councillors from all parties. I am not aware of the particular issue but if all councillors are against something, it would suggest there are maybe issues to be ironed out. Certainly, however, there is broad support for increasing cycling infrastructure throughout the country. It is to be hoped that issue can be resolved and the provision of the cycle lane can move forward when everybody is happy with where it is going to be and how it will work.

Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke about the importance of the Biden visit. He also welcomed the announcement by President Biden that there will be an economic forum, which he thinks will provide great opportunities for the island. The Senator spoke about the importance of the Good Friday Agreement event that took place in Queen's University Belfast and called for the institutions in Northern Ireland to get back working. He also asked for a debate on the Passport Office and its performance, flagging that we are heading into a busy period now for passports. We want to ensure there are no delays with citizens accessing those documents.

Senator Sherlock requested a debate on apprenticeships. I will make that request. The Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Collins, has responsibility for that area. Much work has been done on apprenticeships in recent years to make more and different types of apprenticeships available. The numbers are up and more people are coming through apprenticeships. The Senator is right. We need to see a steady stream of people coming through in all the different trades and skills in order that we have the workforce in place to do the work needed to build homes and everything else that goes with it. It will be interesting to get an update from the Minister of State on how that is going and how many we have coming through. We will get that organised.

Senator Flynn raised an issue around incoming justice legislation and the move forward with facial recognition for use by An Garda Síochána. I take on board the Senator's points. From a Government perspective, it is not the intention to target minorities or vulnerable people or to use that legislation in any way towards any community that would be detrimental to its members or their participation in Irish society or life. I can understand the concerns but, certainly, it is not the intention of the Government to do that. Any justice legislation that is coming through and anything we are doing to try to assist gardaí in performing their duties better is for the public good. Ultimately, the intention is to protect people and citizens in all communities, including those in working-class communities, just the same as any community. The intention is honourable. I take on board what the Irish Council for Civil Liberties is saying.It is quite conservative when it comes to any sort of surveillance or additional security measures. Its role is to flag potential issues. I assure the Senator that the intention of the legislation is not as has been described, but we will have the debate. I take on board the Senator's point on introducing the measure as an amendment as opposed to having stand-alone legislation, but it is a matter for the Minister to decide on the best way to introduce legislative change. We will have an opportunity in the House to discuss the matter when the Bill comes before us.

Senator Dooley requested a debate on water infrastructure. We may be able to have such a debate next week. We are working with the Department on getting the relevant Minister to come in.

Senator Martin Conway spoke about Shannon Heritage and the memorandum that has gone to the Cabinet, which he welcomed.

Senator Craughwell asked for a debate on and a review of the Ministers and Secretaries Act. It would not be appropriate to have a debate on an Act but it is open to the Senator to table amending legislation if he wishes to amend the existing Act. We could have a debate on that. I ask the Senator to put forward ideas on the reform of the Act if he believes changes are required.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about the racism directed towards Lee Chin of Wexford GAA. It is shocking that he had to deal with that. He is a fine sportsperson and role model. There is no space in sport for any sort of racism towards anyone, whether he or she is a player, somebody on the sideline or a member of the coaching staff. We will request a debate with the Minister responsible for sport. It might be an opportunity to address the issue raised by Senator Cassells regarding the impact on personnel who staff and referee at matches and those who ensure games go ahead. It is regrettable that an incident happened at the game between Ballyjamesduff and Bay Celtic. It should never have happened. I understand why the decision was taken to protect referees. They need to see a certain level of change before other staff are committed to going-----

Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail)
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We are both looking for the report to be debated.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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We will engage with the Minister's office and determine what is appropriate in terms of facilitating the debate on all the issues and ensuring an opportunity in the House to debate the report. The report is an important body of work that was commissioned and published by the committee.

Senator Warfield spoke about rents going up by 25%. Everyone is aware that the rental sector is under pressure and that there are significant increases in costs. I disagree with the Senator's point that the lifting of the eviction ban led to a person taking the home back for a family member. I do not have an issue with that. If somebody owns a home and wants to take it back for a son or daughter, that is their right, because it is their property. The problem is that we do not have enough supply for people to move elsewhere. The problem is not that a person wanted the house back for a family member. As long as that reason is genuine, it should not be a difficulty because, ultimately, it is the person's house. Supply is the issue, and that is why the Government is investing record amounts of money in housing, why the number of homes delivered is increasing year on year and why we are starting to turn the tide regarding housing. It is the reason for the renters tax credit made available last year and this year, putting €1,000 back into the pockets of renters to try to ease the burden of cost inflation in the rental sector. The Government, including the Minister with responsibility for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is acutely aware of this matter. A top priority of the Minister is to try to address the supply issue because that is ultimately the problem.

Senator Mullen spoke about the university franchise and the referendum that did not result in any changes in respect of the electoral process. The relevant Minister is very much aware of the Supreme Court decision, which has been well publicised. The Senator will see submissions before the due date. Change is coming in that regard.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the Second Stage debate we will have tomorrow on the legislation on mother and baby homes. It is a very emotive issue. Many in the House share concerns about how the scheme has been laid out. The scheme has many good parts, and much good work has gone into it. I know from engaging with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, that he has worked extremely hard to get the current scheme. He genuinely cares about it and is committed to doing his best for the victims and others affected. He is very much aware of the concerns being raised around the non-inclusion of the period of six months and under. We will have the debate and we are all getting the emails. I look forward to welcoming people to the Gallery tomorrow. They will be most welcome to engage with us and hear our debate.