Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 6 p.m., if not previously concluded; and No. 2, statements on road safety, to be taken at 6 p.m. and to conclude at 8 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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About three weeks ago, I went to see a play called The Ferryman in the Gaiety. It is an excellent play. It is about three hours long but it lays out in a bare way the trauma for families who have a disappeared among them. This trauma is generational. It is important we talk about the news last night that the disappeared commission has confirmed the body exhumed from a grave in County Monaghan was not the remains of Joe Lynskey. I listened to some of his family members who thought that, 53 years after he disappeared, they would finally be able to lay him to rest and have a place where they could gather and pray for his soul.It must be absolutely heartbreaking for them all over again. I heard one of the family say it was like he had died all over again. The family were very optimistic about having the opportunity to put him to rest, but, unfortunately, they have been disappointed once again. It must also have been very difficult for the family who owned the grave and had other family members. Of course, Joe is one of five individuals whose bodies have yet to be located by the disappeared commission. It is very disheartening and cruel to subject any family to so many years of hoping and waiting in vain. We must again ask if there is anybody out there who has any information that might lead to the recovery of the remains of some of the disappeared. We must say to those families waiting and hoping in vain that we are thinking of them.

Another issue I raise concerns adult immunisation. Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Dr. Ronan Glynn moderated a session on adult vaccinations. We know immunisation is one of the most effective public health interventions we have available to us. It is vitally important for protecting the health of our population. We are, of course, very familiar with the Covid vaccinations and the flu vaccination. Those are the two most common adult vaccinations apart from the ones children get. Approximately 286 vaccines are in production now. We have quite a bit of information about the one for shingles. It is important that we ask the Minister for Health to come into the House and have a debate on adult vaccinations.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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The GAA club awards took place in Croke Park last weekend. Camogie players, ladies footballers, footballers and hurlers were all celebrated at the same event. That might sound like it did not break new ground but it has actually never happened before. This is because, of course, we have three separate associations governing our national games. These are the Camogie Association, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, LGFA, and the GAA. The amalgamation process for those associations is well under way. We have not seen a great number of reports on the progress of the steering group. It is being chaired by former President Mary McAleese. I would like to invite the Minister for sport to come into the House to give us whatever his understanding is of the most up-to-date information on what is happening with the steering group.

It is very positive that all three associations want this to happen. Unfortunately, though, until it does happen, the situation is especially negatively impacting women and girls who play our national games. Juvenile girls teams struggle to get training spots on pitches. They are totally at the mercy of whether their club is signed up to the one-club model. On the other hand, senior intercounty players sometimes drive the length and breadth of their county in one day to play two matches, perhaps two county finals, because of fixture clashes between the Camogie Association and the LGFA. It is a farcical situation and it will not be rectified until the amalgamation process is complete.

Ironically, we can learn from our diaspora on this issue. If people play Gaelic football, camogie or ladies football in the US or Australia, they are members of one association governing all the various Gaelic games in that country. It is, therefore, being done. An amalgamation process has also happened quite recently in Irish sport when the sport of golf amalgamated its governing bodies to form Golf Ireland. This means a blueprint exists. We also have leading sports governance experts here who can feed into the steering group. I would like to know whether they have been invited to do so. We have wonderful people governing all sports and this amalgamation is something that can be achieved by 2027, which is the target. These governing bodies are funded, so I would like to invite the Minister to come into the House to give us his understanding of where this process is and what progress has been made.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I have a few matters I would like to raise with the Leader. He will be very familiar with the place I refer to first. Just seven miles from Galway city, a friend of mine from Corcullen contacted me to ask me to highlight that they have had no broadband service since the storm two months ago.I had to read the message twice to see if this could be true. Many places in the country were not affected or got off lightly but I find it astonishing that there are still people without broadband as a result of the storms, including just 7 km from Galway city in the case of my correspondent. They have been on to Digiweb and various local and public representatives who say that nothing is being done by Eir to replace fallen lines. It is one thing if people are depending on broadband for their ordinary entertainment but if they depend on it for their work and business, then it is an even more serious matter. It would be no harm to ask the Minister for communications for an update on this. Is it possible that there are still people without broadband because the necessary repair works have not been done by Eir? As my correspondent puts it, we have been placed in a digital world, but when it fails, no one gives a hoot. She asked me to bring it up and I am happy to do so.

I also raise the announcement by the Minister for integration about the extension of the accommodation recognition payment scheme. I have heard from people who are concerned about the impact of this on Ukrainian people who have come to live in homes because people availed of this scheme. In the usual Government way, it is presented as this being extended by another year. The bite in it is that there will be a reduction in the monthly payment in a subsequent draft order from €800 to €600. When we consider not just the shelter that Ukrainians had in people's homes and the link with the community, the solidarity and support that this brought them, is there a plan to assist and care for the 37,500 people who have been involved in this, with about 20,000 claims for the payment, in what could be an impending crisis in their lives? I am in touch with owners who are receiving the grant and they say they do not want to turf people out. If they do, those people are going to migrate elsewhere, which will put pressure on the availability of student accommodation in other places. The question that many people have is whether there is a plan that addresses the personal needs of the people who will be most affected, namely those who will be asked in some cases to leave their accommodation, and whether the effect that this will have on the rental market has been thought through.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome to the Gallery guests of Aoife Hayes, the Malahide Active Retirement Association. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. I am afraid we are not providing all the excitement of what is happening in the other House but nonetheless we are getting on with business and we are delighted that they are here today.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I raise the issue of the condition of rural roads in County Cavan. The roads are basically disintegrating in front of our eyes. This is down to a lack of investment by Government in local authorities to provide increases in funding for local roads. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cavan was known as the pothole capital of Ireland, so much so that four Cavan Road Action Group candidates were elected to Cavan County Council in the 1992 local election. While investment in roads improved during the Celtic tiger period, following austerity, the funding was reduced again and the roads are back to a serious state of disintegration. Last year, one of the engineers in the local electoral area, LEA, told me that he had sufficient money to repair 13 km of local road after he took town centres and regional roads out of his budget. It was a similar situation in the other LEAs. We need a huge injection of funds to start addressing this issue. One road in the locality near to me gives access to the local primary school and church. The potholes are huge. I am surprised that the bus is even still travelling, the road is that bad. The council will fill the holes but if a large shower of rain comes, it is back to square one. It needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. I ask the Leader to call on the Minister for local government, Deputy James Browne, to address this issue without delay.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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Tomorrow my party colleagues in the Lower Chamber will bring forward a Private Members' motion that calls for a people's vote on the retention of the triple lock, which we believe is fundamental to protecting Ireland's neutrality. The triple lock is a system that has long ensured any deployment of Irish Defence Forces overseas is based on multilateralism and peacekeeping.

We in the Social Democrats believe it is only right to demand a plebiscite because this decision, one which is a major shift in our foreign policy, is a decision which belongs to the people and not just the Government of the day. Our commitment to neutrality has long been a cornerstone of Irish foreign policy. It has been reinforced through our ratification of Nice and Lisbon treaties. The triple lock is very much a practical expression of this commitment, ensuring Ireland participates in missions with broad international legitimacy and that it is not simply driven by whoever holds power at any given time.

Removing the triple lock is the first step, I believe and we in the Social Democrats believe, in the erosion of our neutrality. It is a mechanism which prevents mission creep into other conflicts. I recognise there is a difference of opinion on this and we have seen that in the media and from Government statements. Given the vast difference in opinion, the most fundamental and important way to approach this is through a direct vote in the form of a plebiscite. If the Government believes this change is necessary, let it make its case to the people. A plebiscite is the only democratic path forward in keeping with our tradition of public mandates on major policy shifts, just as we saw with the Lisbon and Nice treaties.

I know the Tánaiste has committed to come to this Chamber over the next few weeks to specifically discuss the issue of Gaza. I am delighted to hear that, but I would welcome an additional debate on this matter. This is a huge change in our foreign policy agenda since the foundation of the State. It is really important, therefore, that we have a timely and substantial debate on this issue.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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In speaking today, I realise that I missed World Poetry Day last week, which is important. The theme I want to address, Gaza, which is one we have called for a debate on previously, is sometimes best addressed through poetry. I am not going to read the poem by Dr. Refaat Alareer, "If I Must Die", which is a famous one, where he speaks about "If I must die, let it bring hope" to a child, somewhere in Gaza, looking up. He talks about making his life into a kite. I find it too sad, particularly given that, after his death in an Israeli strike, his daughter and his grandchild were also killed in the following months, even though he so generously spoke of his hope for the next generation.

I want to highlight two poems which are deeply relevant now. First is "You Were So Small in my Hands" by Mosab Abu Toha:

You were so small in my hands

no shrapnel could hit you,

but the dust and

smoke of the bomb

rushed into your lungs.

No need for any gauze.

They just closed your eyes.

No need for any shroud.

You were already

in your swaddle blanket.

There is another poem that I want to highlight, given that a fast called the hunger for justice for Gaza is taking place this week for five days, because there is five days' worth of flour left in Gaza, given that the reports of those who have died in the bombs describe children with sunken cheeks dying in the assault, and given that there are reports of mothers who spoke about how their children cried for food all day and all night and they tried to shove the last piece of bread they had into the mouths of their children killed in the strikes. It is a reminder of why Ireland needs to start acting, with the weak, weak, weak statements coming out of the European Council calling for restraint on the part of those who have said this is just the beginning, who have told us they do not plan to be restrained, and whom we do not apparently plan to restrain. It is a reminder of what that hunger is, by Eavan Boland, just three lines, because I know my time is short:

In the morning they were both found dead.

Of cold. Of hunger. Of the toxins of a whole history.

But her feet were held against his breastbone.

The last heat of his flesh was his last gift to her.

This is our history of knowing what it is to be forcibly starved, knowing what it is to be victims of what is colonisation and an acceleration of colonisation of that which remains of Palestine. I am again really urging action and leadership from Ireland, and for us not to hide behind the European Union, which hides behind calls for restraint when, three weeks ago, EU representatives met the Israeli trade minister and did nothing about changing the trade rules.In fact, there were calls for an acceleration and increase in our trading relationships with those who are executing such cruelties. Again, I look forward to the Minister coming to the House next week, as promised, to discuss these issues.

Dee Ryan (Fianna Fail)
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I raise the issue of the recent disruption at Heathrow Airport and the impact it had on air travel in the UK and right across Europe. The prospect of similar disruption at Dublin Airport, and the oversized disruption that would, God forbid, cause in Ireland, should set alarm bells ringing for the Irish aviation authorities. While Heathrow is the busiest airport in the UK, with 79.2 million passengers in 2024, it is still handling only 34% of all air traffic in the UK, whereas Dublin Airport, with more than 34 million passengers last year, which breached its allowed cap as per planning permission granted, accounts for 86% of all air access into the country.

The Government has committed to balanced regional development through Project Ireland 2040 and envisages the spreading of economic opportunity, including homes, jobs and prospects for people, throughout our country. Critically for an island nation, air access, in allowing us to welcome both visitors and trading partners into the country and to ship our goods out of the country, is a vital component of that economic opportunity. Unfortunately, Ireland's national aviation policy predates Project Ireland 2040. I have raised this issue with my colleagues in the Government, including the Minister for Transport, and I raise it again today. Will the Leader call on the relevant Minister in the Department of Transport to address the House on the critical need for us to update national aviation policy to ensure that regional airports, such as Knock, Shannon, Cork, Waterford and Kerry airports, have the same opportunity to grow and increase their connectivity into their regions and support economic growth and opportunities for the populations in them?

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I raise the matter of our forestry that has been damaged in the recent storm, which amounts to 5,000 ha on the ground. It seems we have not learned from our mistakes. In this situation, local enough to where I live in County Longford and at the border with Coole, County Westmeath, more forests are being planted to the very edge of a road. These are currently mounded in a peaty soil right to the edge of the road. Will the Minister of State in charge, Deputy Healy-Rae, come to the Chamber to address the current problems? We are harvesting plantations with licences that are standing and are leaving plantations that have windfall on the ground.

There is currently two years' worth of forestry on the ground, which is losing value day on day and has a carbon footprint that everybody knows is negative. I ask for an action plan to be put in place. I spoke about this previously, but it seems we are getting very slow at implementing change. We need to bring processors, harvesters, Coillte and the organised bodies together to have a task force in place where we can manage the harvesting of all this forestry that is on the ground. It is losing value day on day, pensions are being lost out of this and farmers are getting very annoyed with the slow rate of knowing who they should go to, where the advice is and how they should deal with the windblow. I ask for an action plan to be put in place, with Teagasc, the IFA and the farming organisations on board, to try to get some progress regarding the harvesting of these plantations.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome to the Gallery the guests of Senator Curley, namely, Patricia Gaffney, Mary Harney, Loretta Gibbons and Richard Moore. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann and I thank them for being here.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I raise the issue of the residential zoned land tax. Many of us who are involved in rural communities will know that this week is the last call for the residential zoned land tax. Farmers with land that may fall within the scope of this residential land tax should be fully up to speed on the implications of this tax and ensure their maps are updated in their local authority. This is very important, and I want to flag the need to look at them because this is a tax on active farmland in some cases, which it should not be. I am totally opposed to a tax on land that is in active agricultural use, particularly at a time when we need to be growing more home produce and agricultural produce and supporting active farming. That is something we need to look at again.

In light of a very effective campaign by the IFA, the then Minister with responsibility, Deputy Chambers, announced a year's exemption for landowners in budget 2025. To avail of the one-year exemption, landowners must make an application to their local authority to have their lands rezoned based on their current economic activity. It is really important to note that, regardless of the outcome of your application, if you can demonstrate that you have engaged with your local authority in respect of a rezoning, you will have this exemption. You may not be successful, but if you have applied and can demonstrate that, you are exempt.

The residential zoned land tax is a big issue. It needs to be addressed and I ask the Leader if we can have an update. Clearly, there are arrangements in place for 2025, and we know the background to that. There was a general election and the agricultural community, the IFA and other organisations kept the pressure on the Government, and it responded with this promised exemption for the year. We need a long-term, sustainable solution, however, and we do not want tax on actively farmed lands. That is an important policy decision and it is ultimately a matter for the Government. Perhaps in a month's time, we could get an update, or I might even table a Commencement matter in respect of the issue.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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Yet again, I stand here and ask whether the Leader could work with us to bring in the Minister with responsibility for children's cyber safety. We are sleepwalking through one of the biggest epidemics ever known here and the hugely negative impact social media is having on the youth and society. It is past time that Ireland recognised the damage caused every second of every day to children and teens who are allowed unmonitored access to these devices and the harmful apps associated with them.

How many more young lives have to be lost to social media and its challenges? How many further issues with mental health and self-harm do we have to face? How many more television series like "Adolescence" do we have to watch before we take ownership of the causes and harms? We need to protect children and their parents. I again ask that we bring in the Minister with responsibility for the safety of our children online to have statements on the matter.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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In recent days, the Minister for housing has slammed the door on the redevelopment and regeneration of the Pearse House flats. This is devastating for the residents of Pearse House, who put up with completely unacceptable living conditions that are getting worse by the day. This is just another example of the Government abandoning the residents of the inner city, and it is a case of further broken election promises. Detenanting cannot begin now, as it was hoped would happen, and any progress has now stalled. The residents are absolutely furious and I do not blame them.

Pearse House is a 1930s building, and the rules that apply to the redevelopment of a more modern building cannot be applied here. We cannot preserve the architectural integrity of the building and also get additionality, which is what the Department is looking for. There needs to be flexibility around this. The residents are absolutely sick and the Government has sickened them further by abandoning them again. The conditions in the complex are desperate. The list of maintenance issues is about as long as that of the Government's broken promises.It is never-ending. If the architecturally important Pearse House flats complex was going to be demolished, The Irish Timesreaders and academics would be up in arms and outraged. None of them are outraged, upset and angry, however, that in 2025, residents in Pearse House and flats right across Dublin's inner city are expected to live in completely unacceptable conditions. The Minister needs to come in here to explain to residents in Pearse House why they have been abandoned again.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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On the day that is in it, I wish I did not have to read this but it is the elephant in the room that is preventing us here in the Seanad from fully doing the job we are elected and paid to do. The notion that TDs who negotiated the programme for Government are in opposition and should be allowed speaking time from the Opposition benches is farcical and flies in the face of democracy. It does not just affect the Dáil but it also affects us in the Seanad Chamber. Since I was elected to the Seanad as a first-time Senator at the end of January, we have all been here waiting to form part of committees, which are vital for the role for which we are elected and paid to do. There are committees on public spending, climate, disability, housing, drug use, infrastructure and young people. We are all just waiting and we cannot just ignore it. It is an insult to us and an insult to the people who voted for us.

On 3 February, the Ceann Comhairle ruled that Government backbenchers cannot pretend to be members of the Opposition in a cynical attempt to avail of Opposition speaking rights. Homeless figures are rising, parents of children with special needs are forced to protest and sleep out overnight outside the gates of Leinster House, and the genocidal horror of Gaza is unfolding in front of our eyes while the Taoiseach continues to have this farcical display in the Lower House and continues on with this masquerade. I ask the Government-supporting Senators to please use whatever influence they have and talk some sense into the Taoiseach and the Government Chief Whip so that we can all get on with the jobs that we are paid to do.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I support my colleagues in opposition on the importance of the triple lock to Ireland's neutral status. Many commentators have said that there is no link between them, which is politically and philosophically incorrect. I did some research before I came into the Chamber. In the past 24 days there have been no fewer than 48 opinion and analysis pieces in our broadsheet newspapers and on our national broadcaster, focusing on Ireland's requirement to, as they say, step up to the plate and become a part of Europe's military defence. There used to be an average of about three or four such opinion pieces a year. I know that because I used to write them as defence and security analyst for The Irish Times for over 15 years. This is an intense public diplomacy and lobbying campaign. I know because I used to teach that in TUD for more than 20 years. Many of my former students who graduated now work here in the Oireachtas as journalists and political advisers. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it is a duck.

We need to be very careful that our neutrality and our neutral status are not framed in the context of the war in Ukraine or Europe's drive to rearm itself. We absolutely must invest in our defence but we cannot allow a situation whereby any future Government by simple majority can send any number of Irish troops to any conflict anywhere in the world. We might trust the current Government, as I do, but what about a future government? There must be some other mechanism if we are going to take out the triple lock. I have proposed that we have a free vote here on the decision to send troops overseas or perhaps some sort of qualified majority vote.

We cannot house those in Gen Z or Gen Alpha. We have let them down and they are dispossessed. They cannot have the modest ambition of owning or even renting a home. They cannot self-actualise. What are we now doing? We are now prepared to send them overseas to fight. This is an intergenerational betrayal. The issues of our neutrality and the triple lock go far beyond these kinds of pedantic, paternalistic technicalities over who is correct or who is incorrect.It is the major political question of the moment. There have been 48 opinion pieces in 24 days. Do my eyes deceive me? There is a big push and pressure for this idea that we should be ashamed of our neutral status and that our international partners look down on it or are unhappy with it. They are completely and utterly incorrect. The vast majority of these articles are written by people who have never heard a shot fired in anger and who know nothing about what they want to commit our sons, daughters and grandchildren to.

Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)
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Before I go to my main issue, I express my support for Senator Andrews. As a former Minister of State with responsibility for heritage, I feel that surely a compromise can be found to respect the heritage of the buildings and see them regenerated.

This morning I met the Irish medical workers for Palestine. I want to back up the comments of Senator Higgins on the horror in Gaza. There are Irish doctors and nurses working on the front line in Gaza. Everything we can do to help, be it the occupied territories Bill, lobbying or boycotts, is important. The medical workers asked us, as policymakers here, to be mindful of medical workers working on the front line in the horror zone that is Gaza.

I raise an issue that has emerged in the past week with regard to Coillte and the dismantling of Coillte Nature. In 2019, the Dáil declared a biodiversity and climate emergency. Public bodies have a legal duty to restore nature through the nature restoration regulation and implementation of the national biodiversity action plan. I am completely puzzled to see what has happened here and what decision-making process has taken place. Was the board aware of the decision? What will happen to Coillte Nature? What will happen to the staff of Coillte Nature? Coillte Nature is referenced in Coillte's strategies. It is specifically referenced with regard to the Dublin Mountains makeover and the midlands native woodlands project. There are issues with legacy areas that need to be managed for nature. There is the conversion to continuous cover forestry, restoring forest to peatlands and areas of open ground around the Slieve Bloom mountains in particular. I am thinking about the hen harrier threat response plan on which I signed off, which contributed to closing one of the longest running infringement cases against a member state in the EU's history. Those involved in conservation are puzzled as to what the decision-making process was. I ask the Minister to address the issue as a matter of urgency. It is not a positive signal that Coillte is committed to nature restoration. Questions need to be answered on the decision-making process that led to the disbandment of Coillte Nature.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I raise the issue of the incremental purchase scheme that opened in Limerick yesterday in Cois na Sionainne in Clonmacken. It is a very good scheme for those on the housing waiting list and those in receipt of HAP and RAS. Three-bedroom houses are available for purchase by people who are willing to go the extra bit and put their savings forward for the purchase of a home. They have the option of purchasing their forever home. It is the fifth scheme that has opened in Limerick. The four schemes to date have been very successful in setting up families with security of tenure and, at the end of the day, they have pride in their own homes. It opened at 9 a.m. yesterday and will remain open until 22 April. It is very important to highlight the fact it is open to all, including people who are working and have an income. It gives people full support in purchasing their own homes. I welcome the scheme.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I raise the issue of young carers. Last week I attended a briefing on this issue organised by Deputy Mark Wall of the Labour Party. I was shocked to learn that, throughout Ireland, 67,000 young carers between the ages of ten and 17 care for family members. It was great to see that, last week, a motion on this issue was passed unanimously in the Dáil.I would welcome further discussion in this House on it as well but there was no mention in the programme for Government of these young carers. They are being left behind. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, the schools are not aware of their situation. They do not have adequate supports in place in their schools. There is no proper respite for them in terms of being able to take days off for themselves. It is affecting their education and their mental health, and we really need to have a young carer grant established as well.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth. She is most welcome here today, as are her parents Maura and Des, as well as relatives of the Smyth family: Kathy, Eddie and Breda Neville from Beckenham in Bromley. They are welcome to Seanad Éireann today and I thank them for being here. Our next speaker is Senator Keogan.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I also welcome our Cavan guests this afternoon. I would like to address two important issues: immigration and freedom of debate. Last week in this Chamber and in the Dáil, many of our colleagues lined up to denounce Conor McGregor and the speech he gave in the White House concerning our current immigration crisis. While there are criticisms to be made of McGregor, ultimately he was enabled by the decades of utter silence on immigration by all the same Members who criticised him. This point was made last week by the famous Irish influencer Garron Noone, and for the sole act of acknowledging that there was an immigration issue, Noone was harassed and bombarded with abuse and was forced to take his accounts down. If the severity with which Noone was treated for an objectively mild and milquetoast statement came as a shock to anyone in these Houses, the fact is that this incident is typical of a culture of silence and of suppressing dissent, a culture that has been created and even actively encouraged by the vast majority in these Houses. Let us not forget that only last year the Government was attempting to eliminate the presumption of innocence in the name of fighting hate speech.

Luckily, I am glad that Noone has come back to social media and says that he stands by his statements. I applaud his integrity in standing up for himself and staying honest and I look forward to his future reviews of chicken rolls and cups of tea. Ladies and gentlemen of the House: stay delicious.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Go raibh maith agat. Anois, Seanadóir O'Reilly.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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No, Senator Sarah O'Reilly.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I am sorry.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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There is something wrong with my mic. It is either I am speaking too low or-----

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I too welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth from Bailieborough, and her family. It is great to see them here today.

I call on the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to take immediate action on the war crimes Israel is committing by bombing hospitals. Cavan native and surgeon, Dr. Morgan McMonagle, is currently acting as a humanitarian worker in Nasser hospital. Following the recent airstrikes, my constituents reached out to me voicing their serious concerns for Dr. McMonagle's safety. Over the weekend, Dr. McMonagle spoke about how the majority of those who were killed by these Israeli strikes were children. The youngest child he pronounced dead was four or five months old. The latest figures we saw this week were that 40% of those killed were under the age of 14.

Civilians are coming to these hospitals looking for aid and safety. Instead, they are being met with sustained airstrikes and threats to their lives. Dr. McMonagle described, after a recent airstrike, how he and his colleagues spent 20 minutes pronouncing people dead. How can we stand by and allow this bloodshed to continue? We need to use our own experience in peace negotiations to try to bring an end to the conflict between Palestine and Israel. We should be actively using that record as a catalyst for peace.

Last December, the Tánaiste stated in an interview that he thought that pretty much all parties in the general election were committed to passing the occupied territories Bill, or a form of the occupied territories Bill but despite his comments, we wait in limbo as no material action has taken place. I ask that he be called to this House to answer questions on what he is doing to help protect the lives of innocent people and our own Irish humanitarian aid workers.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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For the record, Garron Noone came off social media himself for his own mental health. I, for one, am delighted to see him back on social media. He is absolutely great craic. I am a very big fan of his. Last night, when he came back, he was thanking the migrants in this country for reaching out to him and supporting him. I want to put that on the record, instead of giving the misinformation that he was forced off. He decided to come off social media himself. He was not forced off. He decided it was the best thing for him to do for his mental health.

Moving on to my own item of the Order of Business, I call for a debate on adults being diagnosed with disabilities like autism, dyslexia or ADHD. There are thousands of adults in this country over the age of 50 or 60 who were failed by the system. Going back even 15 years ago, we were very judgmental as a society. If a member of a family had, say, a disability, a lot of families chose to hide it or to put the person into an institution. It is no longer like that but the cost for somebody to be diagnosed with autism is €2,350. That is just an estimated cost for an adult. Whether they are on social welfare or working, it will still cost that amount for that person to be diagnosed. This is for an adult who has been failed by the system their whole life. I urge that we have this conversation, perhaps if the committee on disability matters was set back up

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I wish to express concern over the closure of another small or medium business, namely, Thunders Bakery in Dublin. It was a much loved Dublin institution that served our communities for more than five decades. Established in 1969, Thunders Bakery has been a cornerstone of local life, providing quality baked goods and deli items across its eight branches, including in Donaghmede, Phibsborough, Clontarf, Drumcondra and Walkinstown.

The announcement of its closure, due to unsustainable trading conditions, is a stark reminder of the challenges facing small and medium sized enterprises in Ireland today. I know for myself as I have a small restaurant in Naas. This closure not only impacts the family and the owners; it also impacts the 66 staff employed by the bakery. It also leaves a void in the community where the business is. Thunders was a renowned bakery with legacy cakes. The birthday cakes were part of the community and it was the tradition that customers became their friends. Its closure follows the recent shutting down of many small businesses, including Breadman Walking, another community-focused bakery, which highlights a worrying trend in the decline of such small businesses. I urge the Government to examine the factors contributing to these closures, including rising costs, regulatory pressures, and the broader economic environment. We must ensure that SMEs like Thunders Bakery, which are the backbone of our economy, receive the support that they need to thrive.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank all Senators for their contributions this afternoon, starting with Senator O' Loughlin, who brought up the issue of the disappeared and Joe Lynskey. We think of his family and the false dawn. Unfortunately, the remains that were discovered were not those of Joe and they also were not related to the other interred members within that family grave. The remains are, therefore, unknown. I commend the work of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains and the ongoing, very important work that they have. The Senator also called for a debate on adult immunisation and I will request that from Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn referred to the GAA awards and the three separate associations. She welcomed that all three are committed to an amalgamation for the good of the game. She acknowledged the one-club model and the disparity in facilities for ladies and girls who play camogie and Gaelic football across our country.I acknowledge the ongoing work of clubs to try to improve facilities and the importance of sports capital grants, among other things, in that. I will request a debate with the Minister for sport.

Senator Mullen referred to an individual in Corcullen, County Galway, without broadband. I understand the latest figures indicate there are still 850 residents without broadband since the storm. It is a very slow response and there are ongoing repairs. Even up to last week, there were trees being removed from some lines in my own area. It is an ongoing issue. I have spoken to the Minister and have requested he come to the House as soon as possible to talk about communications infrastructure, and he has agreed. We will bring him into the House as soon as we can.

The Senator also talked about the accommodation recognition scheme, which is to be debated on Thursday, and he can make those points directly to the Minister then. I see in reports that there is concern about the possible impact on the rental market. We will debate that on Thursday and the motion to continue that scheme will be put to the House.

Senator Tully raised the issues of Cavan’s roads. There has been an increase of some 8% in total funding in the past year, up to €715 million. There is never enough, obviously. We could all advocate for additional funding for roads in Cavan, Galway and elsewhere. We will continue to apply pressure in forthcoming budgets for increased roads funding.

Senator Stephenson talked about the triple lock and called for a people's vote on this. This was put to the Lower House. The original decision was made in 2001 to enact the triple lock. It was not made at that stage with a referendum. There will be a fuller debate on that very important issue at a later date. Senator Clonan also raised that issue and has shared his views on it on numerous occasions. He has called for more investment in the Defence Forces, which is very important and is part of the commitment in Government. The Senator talked about opinion pieces. It is obviously a topical issue because it has been discussed at various stages in this House and during Leaders' Questions in the other House. It is generating interest and perhaps people are using that opportunity to write opinion pieces.

Senator Higgins and others discussed the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. We hope the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence will be before the House next week. It is not finalised but that is plan. The Government is doing a lot and has spoken out much more than many other European countries. We know about the ongoing atrocities. We have continued to fund UNRWA. There is food at the border of Jordan waiting to cross that has not been allowed in. We are very conscious of the ongoing issues and the Tánaiste will be better able to express what the Government is doing and the ongoing role of Government, the EU and the UN in respect of those atrocities.

Senator Ryan discussed the Heathrow disruption and the oversized impact of Dublin in terms of aviation in this country. We have wonderful airports in the west, from Ireland West Airport in Knock to our airports in Shannon, Cork and Kerry. Air access is important for an island nation. I will request a debate on aviation policy.

Senator Brady discussed the ongoing damage on forestry, and it is a very visual impact in terms of damage to forestry. If the roots are intact, it can be protected for a period of months or perhaps even years, but obviously there is a serious issue. I will request a debate on this on this matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae. I am surprised to hear of replanting or new planting - I am not sure which - being done right up to the road. I thought we were moving away from those sorts of policies. That is certainly something I would be concerned about.

Senator Boyhan talked about the residential zoned land tax. There is a balance here because, under the national planning framework and county development plans, every town has an amount of zoned land, and that is the only land that is available for building. If that land is zoned, is being farmed and is not being utilised, it cannot be built on. The purpose of the zoned land tax is to try to encourage land that is zoned to be built on.If it was being actively farmed, there was a policy that allowed that land to be dezoned, which, as a result, allowed other land in the vicinity in the town to be zoned for building. The deadline is this week, and that has been well flagged. It is a very important issue. There is a commitment that actively farmed land is not taxed but neither should it be zoned if it is not going to be made readily available.

Senator Rabbitte called for a debate on cybersecurity. I will request that from the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, who is responsible for cybersecurity and AI.

Senator Andrews spoke about Pearse House flats. I am not sure whether he tabled a Commencement matter in respect of that issue. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will be before us next week to discuss housing, The Senator will have the opportunity to raise that matter with him directly at that time. Alternatively, the Senator can table a Commencement matter.

Senator Cosgrove referred to speaking rights in the Lower House. I understand the vote on this has been passed. We hope this will allow the committees to be established. The Senator is right. There is a lot of work to be done. The committees play an important role in the context of pre-legislative scrutiny. They have to give permission if they are not going ahead with pre-legislative scrutiny, so we need those things to happen to allow Bills to progress from the Attorney General through to drafting and on to the Houses. The committees have an important role in that regard. They also carry out more in-depth scrutiny of various Ministers, Departments and agencies that come within their remits.

Senator Noonan spoke about the disbandment of Coillte Nature. I understand that it is being absorbed into the mainstream work of Coillte. I accept that the Senator is not happy with that. I suggest that he table a Commencement matter in order to see if the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine can come to the House. Coillte Nature would be more associated with the biodiversity side, which is part of the Senator's former role in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage but, obviously, Coillte falls under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, so he may not get the joined-up thinking he might want. I suggest that he table a Commencement matter.

Senator Maria Byrne welcomed the progress on the incremental purchase scheme in Limerick. I congratulate Limerick City and County Council for progressing those schemes, which are very important. We all know the urgency relating to house building, commencing and completing housing projects and making houses of all types available across our cities and counties.

Senator Harmon mentioned young carers. I acknowledge the motion from the Labour Party that was supported by all parties in the Lower House. The Government commitment to removing the means tests for carers is extremely important. The Senator is right to suggest the importance of young carers, the role they play and the pressures they face in addition to those relating to growing up and education. They face a significant burden, which I acknowledge.

Senator Keogan spoke about immigration, free speech and media star Garron Noone. I welcome that he has come back to social media. I hope he will continue to communicate about the different, varied and interesting topics of discussion for which he is renowned.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the ongoing situation in Gaza. Again, subject to confirmation, it is hoped the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs will be before the House next week to discuss matters such as that. I am sure the occupied territories Bill will be on members' lists in terms of the questions they will want to put to him. I acknowledge the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.

Senator Flynn spoke about the impact on adults of being diagnosed with various conditions such as autism, dyslexia and ADHD, and the costs of those diagnoses. This is an interesting issue. The Senator might want to put down a Commencement matter in order to get a direct response from the relevant Minister.

Senator McCarthy spoke about the closure of Thunders Bakery after five decades. This is an example of the pressures SMEs are under. I do not know the reasons for that closure, but I will request a debate at the earliest opportunity on small businesses, the importance of SMEs and what Government can do to support SMEs across the country.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I put the question on the Order of Business, I welcome the second group from the Malahide Active Retirement Association. They are here as the guests of Aoife Hayes and they are most welcome to Seanad Éireann today.