Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the Leader, from SIPTU in Dublin I welcome Ms Rhonda Donaghy and her colleague from the trade union movement in Austria Ms Martina Schiegel. I call the Leader to outline the Order of Business.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on driving test waiting times, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and conclude after one hour, if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed five minutes, the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and the contributions of all other Senators not to exceed two minutes, on which time may be shared, and the Minister to have not less than five minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 2, Private Members' business from Fianna Fáil, Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Bill 2024, Committee Stage, to be taken at 5.45 p.m. and to adjourn after two hours, if not previously concluded.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader.

PDFORRA is a great organisation. It was founded in 1990 and represents in excess of 6,500 members of the Defence Forces. I was fortunate enough to have known the founding member, Mr. John Lucey, who worked closely with Mr. Jim Brady from my area of Kildare. In recent days Mr. Mark Keane has stepped down after eight years as president. He is a fine person who served with great distinction and dignity. I wish him well and thank him for all the work he did. We have a new president now, Mr. Araon Kearney. There is also a female deputy, Ms Sandra Daly. The key priority for the outgoing and incoming presidents, along with Mr. Gerard Guinan, the excellent general secretary, is the pay and conditions of those who serve. Mr. Kearney mentioned equity for those who joined after 2013, long-service increments and the introduction of the rank of lance corporal, which was committed to by the Government. We need to see a clear roadmap. I would like the Minister for Defence to be asked to come to the House to have a debate on how best to support those who are members of PDFORRA.

Having said that, I give a shout out to the members of the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, ONE, the veterans. It is always a privilege to meet them when they hold their commemorations. They are doing some good ongoing work on supporting veterans, especially those who are homeless and those who need a place to gather. I am working on a project in Newbridge with Cormac Kirwan, the general secretary, that will provide both of those spaces. I am looking forward to that.I wish to briefly mention that it has been ten years since the referendum on marriage equality. I was very much a part of that campaign ten years ago. Seeing that we are celebrating ten years of marriage equality this week, I came across a small poem written in 1325 by Hafez:

... men and women who are married

And men and men who are

Lovers,

And women and women

Who give each other

Light,

It is so important that we reflect on that. I remember, in particular, the strong personal stories that people were so courageous to share. We need to reflect on the situation ten years later. Sadly, homophobia is still an everyday reality. As a country, we rank 14th - lower than the middle - in terms of LGBTQ and human rights in Europe. We need to look again at banning conversion practices and completing the assisted human reproduction Act. It would be appropriate to have a debate with the Minister on true equality.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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Today, we have seen a report from the Injuries Resolution Board that shows motor claims have fallen by a massive 30% since 2019. Motorists must justifiably be a bit fed up with high insurance costs. I will add another point that I raised two weeks ago, namely, that a Central Bank report showed that motor insurance premiums increased by 9% in the first half of last year. I have no doubt that we will see they will have increased for the second half of last year as well. Motor claims have dropped by 30% since 2019 despite a return to pre-pandemic traffic volumes, but we have seen premiums rise. In fact, there has been a 41% reduction in awards values in the six-year review period, which includes the period that the personal injury guidelines were introduced. Why have motorists not seen a reduction in their premiums?

Today's report also shows that more than €284 million was saved in avoided legal fees by claims being resolved through the injuries resolution process rather than through litigation. I have significant concerns about a recommendation from the Judicial Council that personal injury awards should be increased by almost 17% in the coming weeks. This increase will undoubtedly be passed on by insurers and the motorists, again, will end up picking up the tab.

It is also worth noting that there has been a significant reduction in claim volumes among the younger age groups. That is great to hear. However, younger people are paying astronomical premiums, which can be prohibitive for younger motorists who need to use their cars to get to work or college. In the programme for Government, there is a commitment to driving down insurance costs. We are all for that. The Government is playing its part. When will insurers play theirs? I call for the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, to come to the House for a debate on this issue and try to lower premiums.

Joe Conway (Independent)
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Today, I show unity with an initiative by Senator Stephenson as regards Gaza. On a day on which we are commemorating the Great Famine - Gorta Mór na hÉireann - a tragedy that shaped our nation and left scars generations later, it reminds us of the deep pain that comes when people are denied their most basic needs. This week, just nine trucks were allowed into Gaza. To meet the basic demands or needs of the population, 500 trucks a day are needed. For nearly 80 days now, food, water and medicine have been severely restricted from entering the region. This has created a state-sponsored humanitarian crisis, with international agencies warning of impending famine. We, the Irish people, know what famine means. We know the devastation it brings, not just in lives lost, but in the trauma carried forward through the succeeding generations. Today, as we remember our own history, we cannot ignore those suffering in Gaza. Let us not look away as a country. Let us remember that ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine - we live in each other's shadow. Our humanity is bound in togetherness. In common with other notable historical greats such as Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot, Mr. Netanyahu will stand on the wrong side of history in the last analysis. To go from that to something as mundane as helicopters and security around our coasts is an inevitable leap from the sublime to the mundane. I draw attention to the fact we have swapped a good search and rescue service with CHC for a putative service with Bristow Ireland Limited. We are paying €40 million more for a much worse service. In this House, the limitations of the new AW189 helicopter have been well delineated and it is not a pretty story. Who in Government can countenance giving another €40 million to a company that has a dubious record and is giving an infrastructural service that is far less? In Waterford we have the R117 that has a rescue personnel crew of 14. It has a personnel load of 14. The AW189 cannot do anything like that, nor can it allow people stand up to deliver CPR on the helicopter. The Government cannot give €12 million to extend the runway in Waterford, but it can give €40 million to an inferior service. It is very strange.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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There are no more laws that Israel can break. There are no more UN conventions that Israel can ignore, and Israel continues with the ongoing genocide. The Irish Government continues to do nothing. I know Government will list things it believes it has done, such as measures like recognising the State of Palestine. It will say it funds various projects in the West Bank, and of course that is positive and good, but it does nothing to end the genocide in Gaza. It does nothing to make Israel be held to account for the slaughter and starvation it is imposing on Gaza. What has also happened is that while Ireland has funded projects in the West Bank, weeks later Israel blows them up and Ireland does nothing. Israel is the most dangerous regime in the world. Israelis are gathering on hills overlooking Gaza and cheering as bombs rain down on families and individuals in Gaza. Israel is a depraved country. You cannot dress it up any other way. The UN has warned that 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in the next 48 hours if it does not get the food aid it requires. Let us acknowledge that the UN is not an alarmist organisation. We have a position in Ireland now, where countries will object to Israel being banned from the Eurovision Song Contest and yet they are calling for the ending of starvation in Gaza. You have a situation where Kneecap and Gary Lineker are facing more consequences and punishment than Israel is for genocide in Gaza. We need to see action. We need to see the passing of the occupied territories Bill, and we need to ensure the selling of Israeli genocide bonds through the Central Bank stops as well.

I will recognise some of the children who have been murdered in the Gaza Strip. One is Muhammad Khalifa, who twice visited Ireland playing football. Both he and his whole family were wiped out. There are more than 20,000 other children like Muhammad, who have been slaughtered at the hands of Israel. We need to see action, and not just words. We need a debate. We need the Minister to come in here because he is ducking a debate on the issue of Gaza.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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Other Opposition Senators and I have come together today to bear witness to the human catastrophe that is going on in Gaza as we speak. We are putting on the record of the Seanad the names of some of the children who did not reach their first birthday. As well as the names of journalists, including reporters, writers, photographers and video directors, who were killed trying to show the world a livestreamed genocide, you will hear the names of healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, paramedics, dentists and pharmacists who all died while trying to save lives in the most desperate of circumstances. Many of them had to operate with no anaesthesia, with makeshift equipment and with carnage all around them. The criteria to be included on the list of the dead are that a person has to have died violently, been brought to hospital and been identified. As such, many names are missing because people cannot identify their loved ones. The total figures I have today are: 110 children under one year old, that is, babies under one who have died; 1,400 healthcare workers killed while doing their lifesaving work; and 180 journalists killed while trying to report the horror to us. Despite the regular calls for a debate in this Chamber on the genocide happening in Gaza, we have not had one. We also have not had sufficient meaningful action from this Government. We still have arms being flown through Ireland, the Central Bank is still selling Israeli war bonds and we still have trade being conducted with the occupied Palestinian territory. We cannot claim to have credibly acted to stop this genocide happening.

I will now take the time to read out some of the names of the dead. Some of the babies under one year old include: Oday Mohammed Rafiq Al-Sultan, Mohammed Nidal Hisham Attallah and Masa Mohammed Youssef Nasr. The journalists include: Ahmed Maher Ahmed, aged 30; Mohamed Ahmed Mahmoud Khair Al-Din, aged 45; and Akram Ahmed Khalil Al-Shafii, aged 53. Some of the doctors who have died include: Dr. Ibrahim Al-Dali, Dr. Nada Mahdi, Dr. Marwa Swelim and Dr. Mamoun Afana. I will now list some of the nurses who have died: Ezzo Afana, Badr Mohammed Abu Daqah, Rana Shalaby and Zainab Al-Sharafi. There are so many names. We could be here all day if we wanted to pay tribute to all the people who have died in Gaza but we simply do not have the time.

An article on RTÉ's website today stated that 14,000 babies could die in the next 48 hours if aid is not allowed into Gaza. We are not doing enough. We are not doing enough as a country, as a government, as western Europe, as democracies or as the UN. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. That includes me. I am not pointing fingers at any individual people. We are all complicit in this. In 40 years, we will read about this in history books and shake our heads with shame. Famine is a trauma that we in Ireland have faced, as Senator Joe Conway so beautifully put it. Why are we allowing it to happen in 2025? We know it is happening. It is one of the worst catastrophes in the modern age and we should all be ashamed.

Frances Black (Independent)
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I thank my colleague Senator Stephenson for giving me the list of names of children who have been murdered in Gaza at zero years of age. It is too hard to read out the names. I will have to leave some out because we will not have enough time to read them all. What is happening in Gaza is an absolute horror show. We are all watching live on video but it is not a show or a film; this is really happening today. People are getting wiped out. They are being starved to death and we are all watching it going on. It is absolutely outrageous. As my colleagues have said, we need action. We need a debate and a discussion. We need to be able to say what Ireland is doing. We need the occupied territories Bill to be passed. There are a great many things we need to do. I have no doubt that Ireland can and will lead out on this, as it should. We can make a difference. I have no doubt about that. I also want to quickly highlight the Associated Press report that Microsoft has cancelled the email address of the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, without notice. This comes in the wake of sanctions imposed on the court by President Trump in February of this year after a panel of ICC judges issued arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes in Gaza. Among other things, the sanctions threaten any company with fines and prison time if they provide Khan with financial material or technological support. The court has been heavily curtailed in its operations and, as a result, organisations and contractors the court relies on for its day-to-day work are ceasing communications through email in fear that they might be targeted by US authorities. What is going on in the world, for God’s sake?

We all know our own Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and the Tánaiste have both stated that Israel has committed war crimes in respect of the blockade of aid and food to Gaza over the past two months. In this context, given the response of the US Administration to the ICC arrest warrants for war crimes and the response of companies like Microsoft, which has been to pull their services under threat of legal action on the foot of this, I am deeply worried about the dependency the Oireachtas has on communications infrastructure wholly provided by an American tech company and what this means for our own digital autonomy. Those concerns are also being expressed by our European counterparts. In the Netherlands, government and public institutions are also heavily dependent on Microsoft. Dutch law requires critical infrastructure organisations to maintain a backup plan, and public sector organisations are already exploring ways to reduce their reliance on US-based cloud services. This needs to be looked at and addressed. We need serious action in respect of what is happening. What we are watching is an absolute outrage. It is beyond belief. We need action now and we really need that debate on Gaza.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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As Ireland marks water safety awareness week this week, the recent tragic loss of three young lives to drowning serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to prioritise water safety education in our schools. My condolences to the families of Emmanuel Familola and his friend Matt Sibanda, who lost their lives in Donegal, and of seven-year-old Alan Singh who, sadly, drowned in Sligo.

It is hard to believe that, in Ireland, an average of ten people drown every month. Given our island nation's extensive coastline, lakes and rivers and, of course, the popularity of sea swimming, it is vital every child acquires essential swimming and water safety skills. Currently, Water Safety Ireland offers the primary aquatics water safety, PAWS, programme in primary schools, aiming to teach the most basic water safety knowledge. The teaching of practical swimming lessons remains haphazard, however, often held up by limited access to facilities and funding. This disparity leaves many children, particularly of underserved communities, very vulnerable. Research shows the life-saving potential of swimming lessons, which can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% in children aged between one and four. Other European countries have integrated swimming lessons into their school curricula, recognising the critical role of early water skills education in safeguarding children. Ireland can draw inspiration from these models to ensure comprehensive water safety education for all students.

To address this pressing issue, a co-ordinated national effort is essential. This includes investing in swimming infrastructure, subsidising lessons to make them accessible to all, and training educators to deliver effective water safety instruction. I request a debate in this House with the Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee, on making swimming lessons an integral part of the school system in order that we can equip our children with the skills they need to enjoy Ireland's waterways safely and prevent future tragedies.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I would to get the up-to-date situation from the Minister for Education on what is happening in our schools regarding secretaries and caretakers. As the Leader knows, caretakers and secretaries turn up every day and are the first there in the morning and last to leave at night, in all kinds of weather. They keep schools up and running.

I know a man in Donegal who is 26 years employed and has four years until retirement, and he does not know if he is entitled to anything because there is nothing there. Caretakers and secretaries are as entitled to a pension as everybody else who works in the public service. They are working day in, day out in the schools. I ask the Minister to find a solution to get this resolved. These people need to be valued too as they are part of the whole plan in the schools. It needs to be sorted soon.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I received a letter today and I will quote just one sentence from it, "Please do not allow international humanitarian law in relation to Gaza to be dismantled on your watch; it will be a stain on Europe forever." How true those words are.

The other day, the President addressed the National Famine Commemoration 2025, at which a number of my colleagues on the left were present, as, indeed, was the Cathaoirleach also. I took time to reflect on what the President had to say and I looked on his office's website this morning to be 100% sure of the facts I wish to quote. In his address, the President of Ireland referred to “forced starvation”. He said “Famine is a horrific reality in so many parts of the world” and “is a great human failure”, and he referred to “starvation being used as an instrument of war”.

I drew from that analogy and conversation about An Gorta Mór how, when we look back on it now and revisit history, it was nuanced genocide. In many ways, it feeds into our learning and past experience of why we Irish people have gone to the front line and why we have been strong advocates for human rights and a humanitarian response. Our spirits were never quenched. Yes, many of our hearts were broken and our families were dispersed, but we know one thing about the Irish diaspora: it unites around a common cause. I give great credit today to Irish humanitarian workers across the country and across the world.

The intense escalation of the use of weapons and destruction in Gaza is resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. It is horror played out on our television screens every night. I will finish with these few words. Too many voices remain silent in this House, in the Dáil and in the European Parliament. The supply of humanitarian aid must never be a condition of political or military aims. Starvation must never be allowed to be used as a bargaining chip. Joined by my colleagues, I call on the Leader to discuss with the Government the importance of having a debate in Seanad Éireann on the situation in Gaza and the international humanitarian response that must be called up to support people.

Noel O'Donovan (Fine Gael)
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I join in the comments of Senators across the House on the topic of the situation in Gaza. There are no words we can use in the House today that can express the wrong - the sheer genocide, the sheer murder - of what is taking place at the moment. We talk about issues in our constituencies in this country, such as disability and infrastructure issues, but it behoves us all, as legislators and Members of the Oireachtas, to call out exactly what is going on. We can all do more - we genuinely can. I spoke to a group of US students today and they talked about what it is about Irish people and our culture that makes us speak out and means we are seen as leaders on the world stage. We are seen as just that. We are doing a lot and we can do a lot more across all of the political divide. I acknowledge Senator Stephenson for reading the names of those who are no longer with us into the record of the House today. I also commend Senator Black on her work in this area.

I had thought about raising the issue of VAT 9. In west Cork and throughout the country at the moment, we have had many weeks of fine weather. People are out enjoying it, and they are visiting hospitality businesses throughout the country. Even though they are busy, these businesses are, however, really struggling with the increased costs of doing business. Much has been said about the VAT 9 campaign. There have been positive soundings in the programme for Government and reference has been made to a reduction to a 9% VAT rate in the upcoming budget. We need a debate in the House with the Minister for Finance on the matter. We will be coming to the recess period, after which we will have the budgetary negotiations. Businesses throughout the country, in particular small, family-run businesses, need our support, need a discussion on this issue and need commitments from the Government going forward. I would welcome it if a debate could be organised on the matter.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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Like other Senators, I wish to raise Israel's barbaric actions in Gaza. We have seen war crimes being committed daily for the past 19 months, with men, women and children being killed or horrifically injured. Hospitals are being bombed, medical personnel are being targeted and journalists are being killed. Tom Fletcher of the UN has said that 14,000 babies could die in the next 48 hours if vital aid supplies are not let into Gaza. There has been an 11-week blockade by Israel of essential supplies of food and medicine. This must be called out and stopped. I welcome the fact that the UK, France and Canada called it out today, but where have they and other countries been for the past 19 months in not calling it out and not imposing sanctions on Israel? Some of those same countries are complicit in the genocide because they are supplying weapons to Israel on an ongoing basis and they are just ignoring the consequences of what is happening. Our Government is saying the right things, but it needs to be more forceful and must put pressure on other countries to call this out as well. We must enact the occupied territories Bill without delay. We must also stop the sale of war bonds in this country through the Central Bank.

It has often been said that had the Holocaust that occurred in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s been known about, it would never have happened and people in other countries would have called it out. I am not so sure, because we see what is happening in Gaza on our screens and on our phones every day, yet there is almost silence from many of the main countries across the world. In fact, Netanyahu has been emboldened in his actions by Trump. He has been encouraged by him and by other leaders. I do not know what his mindset is; it is hard to fathom. What is happening needs to stop. We must put all our voices together and call out this behaviour. We must impose sanctions and do what we can to stop this madness and get the help the people in Gaza need. Senator Stephenson has given me a list of the people killed. I have 30 children's names in front of me, none of whom reached their first birthday.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I want to highlight the need for more to be done to ensure we have a functioning taxi network across the country. In recent years we have seen a reduction in the number of taxis available to people. Studies by Arup have shown that the number of taxis available has shrunk by 10% since 2014. That means in my area of Wexford, people who go out in the evening to a restaurant, the cinema or a bar and who have a drink or a meal are not able to access taxis. A reduction of 22% is evident in the number of taxi licences available in Wexford since 2020. The Taxis for Ireland Coalition is calling for a task force to be set up within the Department of Transport to urgently look at the need for more to be done in this area. I support that call. Will the Leader to ensure that the Minister for Transport comes into this Chamber to discuss the shortage of taxis? This does not just affect the night-time economy; it also has an impact on medical appointments for people who are unable to drive and who must access urgent hospital appointments. Such people rely on a functioning taxi network to be able to make such appointments.

Wexford is one of 23 counties which has seen fewer taxi licences available since 2020. I want to highlight that and support the call made by the coalition to which I refer, which is made up of a number of groups including the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, Bolt and Uber. Will the Minister come to this House and make a statement on what work is being done in this area?

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I thank my colleague Senator Patricia Stevenson for co-ordinating some actions by the Opposition today to highlight what is happening in Palestine and Gaza. Palestine is a mirror to humanity's soul at the moment. With every day that we do not act, the soul of our humanity is dying. We know that more than 55,000 people have been killed in Gaza. The song says, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", but the genocide is being televised. I want to be clear: resistance to barbarism comes at a cost. It is not free.We have to be brave in Ireland and we must stand up to the US. The humanity of the Irish people cannot be bought and it cannot be sold. It is not for sale. No matter what threats come at us, no matter what financial threats or tariffs come at us from the US, our humanity in Ireland can never be bought or sold. The revolution is being televised. We are being watched and history will judge us. We will be asked what we did at this time in history and what did as public representatives in this country to stand up against this genocide that is happening.

We have power in this Chamber. We have initiated actions such as Senator Francis Black's occupied territories Bill. We need a date from the Taoiseach. When will the occupied territories Bill be enacted in this country? We need to pass the arms embargo Bill as well. To look away from Palestine is to look away from our own humanity as an Irish people. We know the effects of famine in this country. We know from science that it is encoded into our very DNA. To look away from Palestine and Gaza is to look away from ourselves and our own history as a country. We must stand up. We need to use the strong links we have with the United States to make them take action on this. A total of 14,000 babies are at risk of dying in the next 48 hours if they do not get the aid and food that they need. I have a list of children who did not make their first birthday, journalists who have been murdered and healthcare workers who have been killed in Palestine. They are not just statistics; these are real people and real names. We have to do more as a country.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I too am horrified by what is going on in Gaza. I am also horrified by the Israelis targeting members of our Defence Forces. In the previous conflict they parked tanks alongside one of our outposts to make the outpost a target. Recently they have been sighting members of the Irish Defence Forces, guys from Galway who are serving out there, using laser sights. I hate to bring it up in the context of Gaza but we are talking about the triple lock and the very people who are supporting Netanyahu are the people who can determine whether our troops can be in Lebanon today or not. We have been granted another year's extension but at any stage these murdering bastards can turn around and refuse us-----

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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All right, okay, but that is what they are. We are hearing about children. Every night of the week we watch children scrambling for food.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator, I do not have to remind you of the rules of the House.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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All right. I withdraw it, but it is sickening. It is sickening that we trust these people to have any say over our troops who are keeping as many people safe as they can. Senator Francis Black has worn this Chamber to the last trying to get her occupied territories Bill passed. Most right-thinking people in Ireland think what is going on in Israel at the moment is absolutely abhorrent. Yet, we allow those who arm Netanyahu and provide him with the support he needs to have determination over our peacekeepers. We need to get real in this country. I support everybody that is speaking about the genocide that Israel is responsible for but, implicitly, we are supporting it by allowing the United Nations Security Council to decide where we can and cannot go. I ask that we have a little bit of realism when the debate happens.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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I support everything that my Opposition colleagues have said on Gaza. Words do not stop wars but actions do.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 8 be taken before No. 1.

Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)
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I seek leave to amend the Order of Business to have No. 9 taken before No. 1 to introduce the cross-party Bill on dereliction and building management.

Ibrahim Ammar Saad Al-Qara, Karam Amjad Hafez Shamlakh, Rafif Mahmoud Aref Al-Faqaawi, Al-Anoud Suleiman Jaber Al-Qirinaawi and Hour Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Mamlouk are just five names of infants who never reached the age of one.I thank Senator Stephenson for providing us with this list. It is important to put names to the statistics because the statistics can numb us and nullify the debate. Across various platforms, we are sick of hearing the figures but these are names of babies whose lives will never be realised. They have either been bombed or starved to death by the IDF or the Israeli Government. It is an absolute atrocity that is happening before us all. I welcome that we are having a discussion on this. Every democratic chamber in the world should debate this until pressure is brought to bare on the barbaric regime of Netanyahu and eventually, please God, it will fold. In the meantime, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating by the hour. Aid agencies, such as UNRWA, and all of the United Nations have told us, keep telling us and are pleading for the international community to intervene at a level that is appropriate. At this stage, we require international governments. We require the European Union. Thankfully, some action and movement is coming from some countries. I welcome the intervention by the Taoiseach. I really welcome the bravery of our President for stretching the boundaries of his office to call out this atrocity. It is high time collectively that this Dáil and Seanad continue to highlight these atrocities until they are brought to an end and we can seek justice for the Palestinian people and the people of Gaza.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I, too, commend my colleague Senator Stephenson on bringing this forward.

I wish to speak about healthcare workers and read out the names of just five nurses who have been killed: Omar Khorsheed, Mohammed Lubbad, Mohammed Al Azzaiza, Ahmed Moshtaha and Somaya Temeraz. We have all said that the people of Gaza are at very risk of extermination. The UN said two hours ago that 14,000 babies, which was referenced earlier, are going to die of starvation in the next 48 hours. Other Senators have stated that we as a country have been victims of state enabled famine and colonial mass murder. We know more than anyone else about the trauma that has been inflicted on us as a people for generations. I do not believe that this is an Opposition-Government issue. All of the Government parties know their history just as well as I do. We have all said that we cannot just sit back and watch it anymore. The Israeli regime is sticking their two fingers up to us at every turn. They are committing war crimes. They are committing genocide. It has even been called out now by the UN that it is genocide.

I hosted a briefing last Tuesday with healthcare workers. Healthcare workers and the symbols of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have always been symbols of humanity. They are there under the Geneva Conventions as protection of life. They have been targeted. A total of 1,400 healthcare workers have been deliberately killed. Surgeons have been pulled away from operating theatres in the middle of conducting operations. They have said to me that in trying to restore humanity back into the conversation we as a country can do six things. We can enact the occupied territories Bill. We can implement ethical procurement policies across Departments and State bodies. We can stop arms transitioning through Ireland, which we know is happening. There are debates on it but we know it is happening. We can stop the Central Bank selling Israeli war bonds. We can join the Hague Group of nations and say that no nation is above the law. We can boycott, divest and sanction at every opportunity, including culture and academia. Israel needs to be isolated and it needs to be isolated now.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Is the Senator seconding the amendment proposed by Senator Noonan?

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I second the amendment.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Is Senator Collins seconding the amendment proposed by Senator Ryan?

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I second the amendment. Every day that action is delayed more lives are lost in Gaza. More than 50,000 people - mostly women and children - have been killed. This is not a war; this is a slaughter. The deliberate campaign of destruction is playing out before the eyes of the world.We in this House have expressed solidarity many times with the Palestinian people. The Irish public have marched in their thousands demanding real and meaningful action, yet we hear credible allegations that weapons destined for Israel pass through Irish airspace. If this is true, it is unconscionable. We cannot condemn a massacre of civilians while quietly facilitating the flow of arms that enable it.

People in Gaza are not only being bombed, but starved. Children are dying from hunger and dehydration. Food and aid are being blocked. International humanitarian workers are being targeted. This is collective punishment on a horrifying scale, a war crime happening in real time. That is why we must act and not just speak. We must urgently implement the occupied territories Bill. That legislation is clear - Ireland will not trade in goods from illegal settlements built on stolen lands, settlements that entrench apartheid, drive displacement and fuel this ongoing violence.

We cannot allow our principles to be parked in the name of diplomacy or convenience. The occupied territories Bill has cross-party support and it reflects the will of the Irish people. History will remember those who stand up and those who stood by. It is time for Ireland to stand up with action and not just words.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I identify with the calls that have been made for a proper debate on what is happening in Gaza. It is not unforeseeable. A number of us actually foresaw, almost to the detail, what is happening now in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas-inspired atrocity against Israeli citizens. It was shocking that, when we supported the occupied territories Bill, the Irish ambassador was called in in Jerusalem and reprimanded by the Israeli Government. Those of us in this House who supported that Bill were accused of being antisemites. Nothing could be further from the truth and nothing could be more defamatory of us. For all of us who believe in any form of justice, just as we called then for the immediate release of all the hostages - and I reiterate that now - the same applies 1000% to the following notion. Israel is a recognised member of the United Nations, a country that styles itself as a democracy, yet it has Smotrich as its Minister for Finance effectively calling for the extermination of the Palestinians and their eviction. If it is a democracy, though, then the people of Israel share collectively the responsibility for what their Government is doing in their name. There is no escaping that and we have to say it.

The other thing we have to say is to their allies in Washington - they have allies in Washington - and it is that enough is enough. We see Canada, Britain and France now saying that things have gone too far. They have watched for two years while this process started. They have been equivocating in their position throughout. Now at the eleventh hour, they find it in themselves to call a halt. Where were the red lines that were crossed before? They are all forgotten. Our Government is right to stand against atrocity being the answer to atrocity, and it is right to call Israel to account for unleashing the most extraordinary atrocity that has been unleashed on any people before our eyes.

Let us remember this: Hamas's existence was encouraged by right-wing Israelis. Hamas was encouraged so that the two-state solution would be undermined so that the PLO would be undermined. When you sow the wind, sometimes you reap the whirlwind but on this occasion it has to be said that if we were antisemites in 2017, those people who are doing what they are doing now are doing far more for the cause of international antisemitism than anything we ever did.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I was to speak on something else today but I would like to lend my support to Senator Patricia Stephenson's call for a proper debate in this Chamber on Gaza and the atrocities happening there. It is time the Minister, Deputy Harris, came in here to debate the issue with all those who speak with passionate voices on this issue every day. They deserve no less and the people in Gaza deserve no less.

The Government is being disingenuous about Senator Frances Black's Bill. There is a lot of hand-wringing, shoulder-shrugging and things other than trying to do something to pass the Bill going on. We all saw during Covid how governments across the EU and the world could implement emergency legislation, ban things worldwide or nationwide and impose restrictions and shutdowns. Things are possible but the will has to be there. At the minute, I do not see the will on the part of our Government and I would like to see more. Senators are inviting the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the House for a debate.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I raise an issue in Roscommon with regard to the Gortaganny-Caher area, which experienced wild gorse and bog fires over the weekend. There was extensive damage. I compliment the local fire service on its response and the fire services from neighbouring counties, as well as the air support from helicopters providing water, on getting the fire under control after 36 hours. A number of landowners lost significant forestry and pension opportunities. Some farmers incurred damage of up to €100,000. On Friday last, the Caher-Gortaganny area was one of the new walks accepted onto the national walks scheme as part of a national announcement. Over the weekend, this special area of conservation was significantly damaged during the spread of wild gorse fires. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, will come in at some stage to talk about supporting landowners in these special areas of conservation as regards damages. Community groups have put in years of valuable work trying to develop and maintain these areas only for all of that good work to be destroyed over a weekend when a disaster such as this happens.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I express my deep concern about the Government's unwavering deference to Ursula von der Leyen and her Commission. Considering the recent Pfizer-gate scandal, where text messages between Dr. von der Leyen and the Pfizer CEO regarding vaccine procurement mysteriously vanished, it is high time the Government began to chart its own course within the EU. While the European court's ruling is welcome, it does not go far enough in combating what can be described as the Commission's culture of impunity, a culture which promotes lack of transparency and accountability at the highest levels of the EU. In fact, this is not even the first case with von der Leyen, who faced a previous scandal over public contracts as German defence minister, even wiping her phone when German MPs sought to review her communications.

Meanwhile, the Government is not only failing to hold the Commission President to account; it is following the Commission's directives without question. Too many of us have heard the constant stories from our civil servants that policy is not being made by our national Government but instead is being copied from Brussels. Take the Mercosur deal, for instance, which will decimate our farming industry overnight, if passed. Unlike the governments of France and Poland, our Government is not even willing to signal its opposition to the deal, much less to fight it.

Following this breach of ethnical and administration standards, along with so many others such as those found by the former European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, I call on President von der Leyen to resign and I strongly urge the Government to echo this call. It is a long shot but it is high time we began standing up for transparency.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank all Senators for their contributions. I will start with the common theme that was expressed across the House by Senators Joe Conway, Andrews, Stephenson, Black, Boyhan, O'Donovan, Tully, Harmon, Craughwell, Nicole Ryan, Noonan, Cosgrave, Collins, McDowell and Sarah O'Reilly regarding the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. I requested a debate on Gaza. I did so again this afternoon before the Order of Business. There is a debate on tomorrow, which I understand both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste will be attending and addressing. I will bring our request to the Tánaiste as Minister for foreign affairs and defence. Senators will have seen some of the media reports and the commentary from the Taoiseach regarding the events. He has expressed his disbelief about what is going on. It is unbelievable that only five trucks carrying aid were allowed to enter Gaza yesterday when 500 or more were needed. The blockade of emergency aid is a form of war crime; there is no doubt about it. As Members have expressed, to have a situation of the possibility of 14,000 children dying in the space of 48 hours from famine and abuse is difficulty to fathom.

While people may disagree, I think Ireland and the Irish Government, including Simon Harris and, before him, Leo Varadkar, have shown solidarity and been to the fore on this. However, people are right, as more can and needs to be done. I note, for example, the early agreements between Leo Varadkar and Pedro Sánchez on holding Israel to account under Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement, being a signatory to the ICJ case taken by South Africa, the support for the UNRWA and, obviously, the recognition of the State of Palestine, which has garnered cross-House support. I note that other countries have come to the table in this regard. There is a new Prime Minister in Canada, so there may be a refocus on that, and that is to be welcomed. I note, tentatively, some commentary from President Trump that may question the relationship or issues with the ongoing relationship with Israel. If that transpired, it would be very welcome. However, I will reiterate the calls made across parties and across the House today for a debate on Gaza, and I concur with the sentiments and views expressed across the House on the matter.

Senator O'Loughlin asked for a debate with the Minister for Defence on the pay and conditions in our Defence Forces. She mentioned the lance corporal rate. I will request that of the Minister. I congratulate Mr. Aaron Kearney and Ms Sandra Daly on taking up their positions as president and vice president of PDFORRA, respectively. The Senator also called for a debate with the Minister, Deputy Foley, regarding ten years of marriage equality. I note that and will request that debate at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Nelson Murray raised the issue of insurance, including motor insurance. She is right that we are still seeing people paying high premiums while the amount being claimed has reduced. There are strong commitments in the programme for Government on a variety of initiatives, including additional competition within the market. The Senator is right about what has been done over the past five years to cause premiums and payouts to fall. That is to be welcomed. I will request a debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, on the matter. Senator Comyn raised a matter regarding water safety and I will request a debate. It makes eminent sense to encourage youngsters to learn to swim as early as possible. An ability to swim would make a difference in terms of saving their own life and perhaps being able to save other people.

Senator Boyle raised the issue of school secretaries and caretakers. Again, I will request a debate with the Minister for Education on that matter.

Senator O'Donovan also raised the issue of VAT at 9%, on which I will request a debate. Obviously, the programme for Government contains commitments in respect of VAT and it will be a matter for the budget. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, will be in the House next week to discuss the economy and that would be an opportunity for Senators to raise the issue with him.

Senator Cathal Byrne raised the issue of a functioning taxi network and requested a debate with the Minister for Transport. I will request that debate.

Senator Nicole Ryan proposed that No. 8, which is the Pregnancy Loss (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 - First Stage, in the names of the Sinn Féin Senators, be taken before No. 1. I am happy to agree to that amendment.

Senator Noonan proposed that No. 9, which is the Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2025 - First Stage, be taken before No. 1. I am happy to agree to that request as well.

Senator Scahill raised the issue of the wild gorse fires in Roscommon. I commend all the firefighters and first responders on tackling those fires, and I wish to show solidarity with and sympathy to those who have lost or suffered damage to their property. I will certainly request a debate with the Minister on the matter. Obviously, it is disappointing that SACs and areas of conservation have been damaged.

Senator Keogan issued a request for the resignation of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. I cannot agree to that or support that call but the Senator is free to request a debate on the matter. I am not sure if the Commission President is accountable to these Houses or what the legal niceties are, but I think it would be more appropriate to raise it with the Commissioners or, indeed, the Members of the European Parliament.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Nicole Ryan has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 8 be taken before No. 1, which was seconded by Senator Collins. The Leader has indicated he is prepared to accept this amendment. Is the amendment agreed? Agreed.

Senator Malcolm Noonan has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 9 be taken before No. 1, which was seconded by Senator Cosgrove. The Leader has indicated he is prepared to accept this amendment. Is the amendment agreed? Agreed.