Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call on the Leader to outline the Order of Business, as you all know our great friend and Clerk of the Seanad, Martin Groves, and the assistant clerk, Bridget Doody, retired over the summer. They let us know in their notification to us that they will miss us dearly in their retirement. I want to thank them sincerely on behalf of Seanad Éireann for their great service to Seanad Éireann and the roles they occupied, their professionalism and the incredible knowledge they had on the workings of the Oireachtas and the legislative process and their great advice to all Senators down through the years and decades in relation to the Houses, especially for new Members. I wish Bridget and Martin health and happiness in their retirement. Of course, Bridget being from Kerry, there is the famous phrase from one of the editors of the newspapers in Kerry that a day out of Kerry is a day wasted. Bridget now gets to spend all of her time in Kerry. We look forward to meeting her down in the Kingdom.

I also want to congratulate another Martin - Martin Hughes - on his impending appointment by the commission. He will be formally appointed as soon as is practical. Martin has served in the Oireachtas since 2017. He has been a committee clerk since 2019, clerk to the Committee of Public Accounts from 2020 to 2022, clerk of the Working Group of Committee Cathaoirligh and a temporary clerk to the Dáil. He has been in nine committees, including finance, public accounts and housing, local government and heritage. With that level of knowledge and experience, we expect and know Martin will be an exemplary Clerk to Seanad Éireann. We wish you all the best. We know you and the team around you will continue the great work that was done by Martin and Bridget. On behalf of Seanad Éireann, comhghairdeas to Martin and welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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Before I read out the Order of Business, I welcome Martin to his post and wish him every success over the coming years. I pay tribute to Bridget and the other Martin for their sterling work and support over the past number of years. They were both the height of professionalism in their duties.

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re arrangements for the sitting of the Seanad until 2 October 2025, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; and No. 2, statements on migration, to be taken at 4.30 p.m. and to conclude at 6 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to opening remarks from the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, time may be shared and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to join the Cathaoirleach and the Leader in congratulating Martin Hughes on his new appointment and welcoming him to the Seanad. We look forward to working with and supporting him as he supports us to do our job and serve the country. I also want to congratulate and thank Martin Groves and Bridget. They were exemplary public servants and we were blessed with their talents, energy and expertise.They guided us exceptionally well.

The 80th General Assembly of the UN is taking place this week in New York. Top of the agenda at that assembly are global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and the genocide, humanitarian crisis and war in Gaza. Speaking on behalf of Ireland, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, reiterated our calls for an immediate ceasefire, a release of hostages, unfettered access for humanitarian aid, a recognition of the Palestinian state and a commitment to a two-state solution. It feels like a very slow process, but I think at this point 159 of the 193 countries and states in the UN have recognised the State of Palestine. When the French President, Emmanuel Macron, spoke about Gaza and recognising the genocide and humanitarian crisis taking place there, he said the time for peace has come. I do not want to contradict him, but the time for peace was a very long time ago. We are at a point of no return now. As a House, we have been very strong on this issue and I know we will have a debate on it later this week. That said, we really have to urge world leaders to really commit to peace and to taking direct action to end war.

During the summer months, people up and down the country have been talking about energy prices. Bord Gáis, SSE, Energia, Pinergy and Flogas have all announced price increases. Households and businesses are being affected by it. The costs of food, transport and employment are being impacted. Everything is being impacted by this energy crisis. It is a crisis of affordability for people. At the same time, the ESB made over €700 million in profits after tax. We need the Minister to come in and to have a debate on this issue before the budget. It is a really serious issue that is having a real and direct impact on people's lives.

The Cathaoirleach took a great initiative in a previous Seanad to copper-fasten the protocols around our flag. The Tricolour hangs directly behind the Cathaoirleach's desk. It hangs there in a position of respect. The Tricolour is a symbol of unity on this island. I commend the Cathaoirleach on the initiative he took, which was unanimously supported by this House, to put formal protocols in place around not just the flying of the Tricolour but also the treatment of the flag. It is totally unacceptable the way the Tricolour is being disrespected in our capital city. I renew my call to Dublin City Council to take action to protect the Tricolour, a symbol of unity, in our capital and prevent it from being used as a symbol of division.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate Martin Hughes and he is very welcome here. I thank Martin Groves and Bridget Doody for their kindness when I was elected to the House a couple of months ago.

I wish to bring up the issue of Irish Water. It is a big problem. I thank the Irish Water staff on the ground in County Donegal. They have been kind and courteous all summer, when there have been numerous problems, and have been very good to me. Parts of Carndonagh, Clonmany, Culdaff, Malin and Falcarragh had no water for most of the summer between burst pipes and reservoirs running very low. I call on Irish Water to do a full report on the infrastructure, including the pipes and reservoirs, in these areas in County Donegal. Businesses and households have been really badly affected. Hotels have had no water and coffee shops have been closing because they have had no water. It is really not good enough at the height of the visitor season in Donegal. We are told Irish Water has been given much more money to invest in infrastructure.I want some of that money to be invested in Donegal. We really need it because we seem to be left behind in everything else. At the end of the day all we want is a safe water scheme to run for the people in the county. I would like the Minister to come to the House to have a debate on Irish Water to see what we can do. This cannot go on for another summer.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I congratulate the interview board for the new Clerk of the Seanad because they made life very easy for me. I will just keep calling him Martin. I congratulate Martin Hughes and I am delighted to have him on board. If he is looking for an example of perfect discipline in the House, he should look towards me. He will see I obey all of the rules all of the time.

The issue of the Tricolour was raised a few moments ago. As I was walking into the House this morning, I looked at the Tricolour that hangs over Leinster House. The Cathaoirleach should have a look at it himself later today because, to be honest, it looks a bit threadbare. We should rotate it fairly quickly. I also make the point that hotels and guesthouses have the Tricolour hanging outside their venues and the flags are filthy dirty. It is not that difficult to change them every couple of weeks to keep them clean. Senator Fitzpatrick is dead right in what she said. The Tricolour is us. It is our nation and everything we stand for.

Today I want to speak once again about search and rescue. Bristow was awarded the contract and it was supposed to be up and running throughout the country in July. As far as I am aware, it is not yet up and running. Now we see industrial relations issues coming down the line pretty quickly. Members of staff on 24-hour standby leave their families and live in either designated houses or hotels to be available 24 hours, for example, from 1 p.m. today until 1 p.m. tomorrow. Bristow has decided that from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. they should only be awarded 15 minutes pay for every hour. This means that a 24-hour shift becomes a 16-hour-and-30-minute shift. This is outrageous. There are employment laws in this country and Europe that state if people have to stay in a place for 24 hours they are paid for 24 hours. It is not as if the staff can wander home at some hour of the evening and be available at the house. They must stay in the designated area. I would like the Minister to come to the House to discuss this. Perhaps when he is here, we might look at how Bristow finished up getting the contract. I am delighted to see the Committee of Public Accounts has called Bristow before it.

I have mentioned the post-2013 pension several times. It is detrimental to the emergency services of this country, including the Army, Garda, Prison Service and fire service. We have to have a debate on 2013 pension so we can explore the detrimental impact it has had on these organisations.

I wish Bridget Doody and Martin Groves well. They are tremendous people and were great support when they were here. Best of luck to Martin Hughes as he heads out and any time he needs a bit of advice he should give me a shout.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
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I echo the remarks on Bridget Doody. We had an opportunity to thank Martin Groves for his service a number of months back. Bridget was very supportive, particularly of us new Senators, and very patient with her advice and guidance. Cuirim fáilte roimh Martin Hughes and I look forward very much to working with him in the time ahead.

Last Friday both Governments published a framework to address the legacy of conflict in the North. This was an attempt to undo some of the damage that Tory Governments had done over the previous 13 years. In 2014 all of the parties and both Governments negotiated a framework for dealing with legacy issues in the North. It was undone unilaterally by a British Government. British Governments have continued over the years to frustrate proper inquiries into Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy and the present one is preventing the truth being uncovered in cases such as those of Pat Finucane and Sean Brown.The promise of both Governments in this regard is to return to something that people can buy into. I sincerely hope that is the case. It is imperative that the Leader ask the Tánaiste to ensure that we see the publication of the legislation to underpin this as soon as possible. If that is done, it will put meat on the bones of what has been produced by both Governments and give a very clear understanding as to whether this will do what the Labour Government in Britain has said it will do, that is, to undo the attempt of a previous British Government whose focus was entirely on its own actors in the conflict at the expense of truth and justice and closure for the very many families who were victims of it. I ask that the Tánaiste encourage the publication of the legislation as quickly as possible. I also ask that he continue to encourage that they engage with families, campaigning groups, lawyers and human rights activists who, for many years, have campaigned on these issues and who were, like all of us, pushed into despair at the approach of the previous British Government. I sincerely hope that, this time, this effort will get it right. As I say, we will be able to make a full judgment on that. For our part, Sinn Féin will study the legislation that comes forward and will work and engage with families, victims' groups and activists in that regard to understand exactly what is being proposed here.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge the thousands of people who went on the streets for the Cearta protest last Saturday for the Irish language, organised by Conradh na Gaeilge. It was genuinely a Thirty-two Counties of Ireland approach. People from all over the country protested for recognition and rights for Irish language. I urge the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, to work with the North's Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons, and meet Conradh na Gaeilge in order to understand the issues it continues to face and campaign for, and to support the campaign for those rights.

Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)
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I join others in wishing Martin Groves all the very best. I also wish Martin Hughes the very best in his new role.

I want to raise an issue that was brought forward throughout the summer and particularly highlighted by the fish kill of up to 40,000 fish in the River Blackwater. It is an incident over which the EPA and everybody else seems to be wringing their hands, yet they are unable to determine the source of the fish kill. It was a serious incident of environmental pollution to add to the many others across the country. We seem to be heading into a space where water quality is declining across the country.

In response to Senator Boyle's suggestion of having a discussion on Irish Water, I would welcome an opportunity for the Seanad to debate water quality generally at some point during this term. We are looking at nitrates levels increasing again. We all want to see the derogation retained but it is going in the wrong direction, unfortunately. Last week, I visited Our Lady's Island in Wexford with my colleague, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman. We met representatives of communities there and looked at something that has been going on since 1983, with no real progress to speak of. We have a serious issue as regards water quality and bathing water quality. We have a water action plan and increased enforcement at local authority level but at the same time we have a really significant challenge and I would welcome an opportunity to have a debate on that.

The second issue I want to raise concerns the corporate sustainability due diligence directive. This morning, I met representatives of Trócaire, the Irish Environmental Network and development organisations outside the gates of Leinster House. They are campaigning to stop the watering-down of the directive, which will impinge negatively on human rights, workers' rights and environmental regulations. It is important for the Irish Government to play a very active role in ensuring the directive is not watered down. It is really important that the corporate sustainability due diligence directive maintains a high standard of environmental and workers' rights right across the EU. If it is as proposed and in line with some of the proposals that are coming out, the directive will be completely ineffective as a measure. It is important that the Government plays a very active role in ensuring that the directive is as strong as it can be.

Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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Ar dtús, guím gach rath ar Martin agus Bridget agus iad ag éirí as a bpoist. Best of luck to Martin Hughes in his new role. Yesterday, I visited Carrabane National School outside Loughrea in County Galway. The school has been waiting 20 years for a new school building and it cannot wait any longer. It is a dangerous situation. The floors are collapsing in many of the eight prefabs. The roof in one of the classrooms has fallen in. Thankfully, this happened during the summer holidays when the kids were not there. God forbid what would have happened if they were. The school is situated on an 80 km/h regional road with zero parking facilities. The school also has serious sewerage and electrical issues.

The school has a proud history of inclusive education in Carrabane. Twenty years ago, it was the first ever school to have a special class in County Galway, outside the city boundary. Ten years later, a second special class was introduced. The school has been proactive in its inclusivity. However, the school has been through the mill. A few years ago, the school achieved stage 3 tender approval only for the builder to pull out at the last minute. The planning lapsed and the school had to re-apply. The school now has full planning permission and a developer ready to go. It just needs the green light. The school cannot wait any longer. I appreciate that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, inherited this debacle and it is an ongoing issue that she did not create; it is not of her doing. I urge the Minister, in the school capital programme, to now approve Carrabane National School in the latest round of school capital. It is high time for the school to get what it deserves, which is a brand new school building with proper parking facilities and adequate spaces for children to learn, so that we have a new generation of people coming through our education system who learn properly.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate all our sporting icons who took part in the World Athletics Championships. As we saw on our televisions in recent days, we have some array of talent coming on in the future. It would be remiss of me not to mention our Longford man, Cian McPhillips, who was very unlucky not to win a medal on Saturday. He is only 23 years old. He was 0.2 seconds off the bronze medal place and set another personal best and an Irish record. The future of sport and the 800 m is very bright. I wish Cian and all the athletes, those who won medals and those who were disappointed not to do so, the very best of luck. We have all spoken about the Irish flag and how it is betrayed but when we see people wearing the Irish jersey abroad, it certainly gives us great pride, especially the people of Longford. They gathered in our local hall last Saturday to watch Cian run. It was great to see all the young kids there who idolise this 23-year-old and what he has done. Let us hope that the future is very bright and that some college in America or somewhere else picks him up. He is a special talent.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank Bridget Doody, our former Clerk Assistant. What an extraordinary public servant. What a wonderful personality. What a diligent person. She always supported Seanad Éireann and Senators of all parties and none. I do not know what I can say but I think we have lost a wonderful, loyal colleague and an immense friend. I know it was very hard for Bridget to say goodbye here, and I understand that, because she built personal relationships. I always say that in politics everything is about relationships and connection. If you are not a decent person and cannot be trusted, you are basically not collegiate with your colleagues and you turn off the key. I wish Bridget well. No doubt she will be looking in here at some stage. I hope that we will have an opportunity to celebrate Martin Groves and Bridget Doody for their commitment and support to us in doing our work in this democratic Parliament.

I now turn to congratulate Martin Hughes. I have observed him over a number of years and worked with him in different ways. We have collaborated and chatted formally and informally up and down the stairs in Leinster House about how we could do things better, particularly in relation to the Oireachtas joint committees. In Martin, we have an exceptionally diligent person who has clearly been elevated very quickly since he came here in 2017.He has gone and worked in the private sector and proved himself well there. He has taken third level and further education. He is a very befitting, loyal and professional colleague. I have no doubt he will excel. My only fear is I do not think he will stay here too long if his trajectory continues the way it is. I genuinely wish him every success. I hope it will not be too long before we have our Clerk Assistant.

I again ask the Leader of this House for a debate about one-off rural housing. I spent a whole day at the ploughing championships, as did many other people and leaders of all parties. Again and again, the issue that keeps coming up is why have we not got change. We are years waiting; I could paste the walls down there with letters from Ministers saying it is coming in a few weeks. Let us deliver on a commitment to rural communities. All of us will have opportunities to walk in and out of the homesteads of people in rural Ireland in the run-up to the presidential election. We will be asked questions over it. We need to be equipped to say what the Government is doing. We do not have to be at odds. Let us deliver a clear message on what we intend in terms of our support and commitments for young families who wish to live in rural parts of this country.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I wish everyone a welcome return to the House and an especially warm welcome to Martin Hughes. I would like to be associated with the welcoming wishes and also wish Martin Groves and Bridget Doody a long and healthy retirement. I will stay with congratulations. As a proud Louth woman, I congratulate Dundalk's own Kate O'Connor on her outstanding achievement in securing a silver medal at the World Athletics Championship. Her success is a source of enormous pride not just for County Louth but the entire country. She continues to be an inspiring role model for young athletes.

I wish to highlight something that is becoming ever more urgent, which is the dangers posed by unregulated and unfettered activity on social media platforms. Bogus accounts, anonymous smears and fake posts are spreading unchecked, undermining trust in our public discourse and leaving individuals exposed to harassment and misinformation. It is not an abstract concern; it is a clear and present threat to the health of our democracy and the safety of ordinary citizens. I call on all platforms to stop ignoring this issue and take ownership of the problem. As a former journalist, there is no way I would have gotten away with spreading or broadcasting half of what is going out there. It is being normalised daily and fed to our children, young people and the vulnerable in our society. Stronger regulations, faster intervention and real accountability for those platforms are needed now, be it through Coimisiún na Mean, the Minister or the platforms themselves. The time for gentle warnings has passed. Decisive enforcement is required to crack down on fake accounts and dangerous content.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I join everyone else in welcoming Martin Hughes to his new role. I also pay tribute to Martin Groves and Bridget Doody for their work in their former roles.

When talking about two people who have always gone above and beyond in their roles, it is worth mentioning the staff working in our schools. A lot have come back in difficult times, experiencing issues with bus transport and school meals. A lot of smaller schools received notification in recent weeks to say they were below the number of meals being delivered and did not have sufficient staff to heat and serve the food because of the size of the school. It is a disservice to what teachers, principals and administration staff do in providing for students to say they do not have the staff to deliver this service to their students. A lot of the larger food providers are chasing bigger schools and leaving smaller schools aside. I have been out to a number of the schools. They just want to provide hot school meals to the students in their classes, who deserve that. Thankfully, we have been able to facilitate the majority of them. When they are told they should not be reheating and serving these dinners, the same principals are expected to be project managers, quantity surveyors and facilitators of every other service provided in the school.We should be supporting the schools with delivering this much-needed service to the students which has gone down very well. We should not be putting barriers in their way to getting that.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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If I may start by joining my colleagues in wishing Martin Hughes the best of luck in his new position and congratulating him on it. I am sure he will carry it out in a professional way just as Martin Groves and Bridget Doody did. I thank them for their courtesy, support and professionalism and wish them long and happy retirements.

I wish to raise the issue of children and safeguards for children in our country and ask for a debate on it. A number of issues occurred over the summer that are of huge concern. The first was the sad passing of Harvey Morrison Sherratt. I extend condolences to his parents Gillian and Stephen again and commend them on speaking out so bravely on Harvey’s struggles and how he waiting so long for an operation on his spine that by the time it was performed the progression of the spinal curve was so severe that it could not be fully corrected. I know other children have become inoperable because they too have had to wait so long and that should not be the case. No child should have to wait in pain for an operation that they require so that they can live their life to the full.

The other issue is that of children disappearing. We had little Daniel Aruebose in Donabate and it is still unknown what happened to little Kyran Durnin either in his life. How can children disappear for years on end and not be missed by State agencies that should know their whereabouts and have the checks in place so they know that children are safe? It is something we need to ensure will not happen again or that it has not happened again. We need to ensure there are no children out there unaccounted for. We need to get answers on the two we know of and ensure there are safeguards going forward. I call again for that debate.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I welcome everybody back. I also wish Bridget Doody the best and thank her for her service here. We will certainly miss her. I wish the same to Martin Groves. I wish Martin Hughes the best in his role.

I raise the issue of student fees. We are back from the summer recess and we hear there will be a €500 increase in the student contribution fee. It is being portrayed as a decrease but an increase is an increase. An increase on last year is being proposed in the budget. The House should have clarity from the Minister for further and higher education on this given our debate prior to the summer when Fine Gael Senators agreed with most of us in opposition that this should not happen and it needed to be stopped. We need an update on the rationale and proposals around that.

On housing and homelessness, I attended the start of Simon Week in Cork yesterday. I wish the Simon Communities of Ireland well with their week. I was particularly struck by a number of their key asks. One statistic that stood out was the average life expectancy of a reasonably healthy person in Ireland is 82 years but if people are in long-term homelessness, they can only expect to live into their 40s. It is unlikely they would reach 50. That is a very staggering statistic given that we have over 15,000 children homeless in Ireland. One of the Simon Communities' key asks is that we address the issue of single adult homelessness. Some 65% of all adults who are homeless are single and account for 44% of those who are homeless in this country. We urgently need to address that and have appropriate accommodation in place too.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil le Martin - fáilte, Martin - agus comhghairdeas agus buíochas mór le Martin eile agus le Bridget.

It is with great sadness I rise here today to mark the passing of our good friend and colleague Councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy.Anyone who knew Patrick knows that words cannot describe the lovely person he was. He served in the Bantry local electoral area. He was also mayor of Cork. He was an expert on planning. If you ever had any planning question, Patrick would have it on the top of his head. He also did great work for people with disabilities. Patrick faced many challenges in his life, and he faced them all very well. He was a fantastic colleague and friend, and it is very important that we remember him today in this House. I pass condolences to his brothers, Mike and Noel, and his nephews Cory and Jake, whom he adored. Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I join with the Senator in extending the sympathy of the Members of Seanad Éireann to the family and friends of Patrick Gerard Murphy, who was a great councillor. He overcame many challenges, and they never stopped him representing all the people of his constituency in Cork South-West on the Beara Peninsula, of which he was immensely proud, and they were proud of him. I thank the Senator for remembering him today.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I rise with a deep sense of frustration and disappointment at the state of our so-called democracy. The current nomination process for the Irish presidential election has become nothing short of a closed shop, a club for the political elite where the will of the people is secondary to the interests of party machines. Let us call it what it is - a partisan stitch-up. The directives from the Tánaiste, Simon Harris, instructing Fine Gael councillors to block the nomination of any independent presidential candidates is a blatant abuse of party power. It is an insult to the very principles of democracy and pluralism that we are supposed to uphold. When party leaders whip their councillors to toe the line, they are not just shutting out independent voices, they are shutting out the Irish people. This is not just a Fine Gael problem. Many others have sadly followed suit, ensuring that only their chosen candidate can make it onto the ballot. This partisanship is not only on the basis of party. It is also following the line of ideology. In the county councils' nominations, while many of the councillors were professional and thorough in their questions, others showed an alarming level of hostility and venom towards candidates whose views differed from their own. We sadly saw the same across our mainstream media. If we truly believe in democracy, then we must either reform this process or reform ourselves. We must open the doors of Áras an Uachtaráin to all who wish to serve, not just those with the blessing of party headquarters. The Irish people deserve a real choice, not a coronation by the political establishment. Those who think they have won today by their partisan tactics will be sorely mistaken. In the long run, this illiberal party and ideological chauvinism will make our society more toxic, bitter and divided, and then we will all lose.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I echo what we have heard in welcoming Martin Hughes to his new role. Congratulations to him. I also thank Bridget Doody, who always had a welcoming smile on her face to put us at ease when we walked in. I hope she enjoys her retirement.

Today I will speak about how our legal aid system can sometimes overlook victims of domestic violence. We must recognise the serious gap that exists in our current legal aid system. A victim of domestic abuse who is in employment can often find themselves excluded from free legal aid. On paper that may seem fair, but in reality, it means that victim, who may be working to provide for themselves or for children, is left to cover legal fees. Sometimes the abuser may control the other household finances. Domestic abuse is not just physical or emotional. It can be financial. Many victims appear on paper to have an income or assets yet, in practice, those resources are controlled or withheld by the abuser. In these circumstances, the victims are locked out of the very protections the legal aid system is supposed to offer because the test for legal aid does not reflect the reality of financial abuse. A person should not be disadvantaged simply because they are working or because their abuser is able to manipulate the financial system. Legal aid must be responsive to the true circumstances of victims, and not just the figures that appear on paper.That is why I am calling for the Minister to review the current framework for legal aid. Victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence must not be overlooked. They must be able to access the legal assistance they need without being forced into a position where justice depends on who can endure the process the longest.

Joe Conway (Independent)
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I would like to be associated with all the comments in relation to Martin Groves and Bridget Doody, who have now left us. I also welcome the new Martin and wish him well in his time here with us in the Upper House.

I will draw attention briefly not to the election that is uppermost in many people's minds, but to an election that is coming up on Sunday next in the Republic of Moldova. About 20 years ago, when I was a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, I had the privilege of going to Moldova twice to monitor elections. I saw at first hand the type of country it was. Even then, it was beginning to come out from under its domination by the Soviet Union but it was a very underdeveloped country and it remains so. The 2.75 million people there live in a country that does not know many of the infrastructural delights we have in this country. Next Sunday's election is going to be very significant because the pro-European Union Government of Maia Sandu is being seriously challenged by a pro-Kremlin opposition that hopes to destabilise Moldova's eagerness to join the EU. You can imagine the sort of hi-jinks that are going on. There is disinformation, intimidation and the buying of votes. I draw particular attention to one of the people sanctioned by the west, Ilan Shor, who set up a bank and then systematically withdrew the equivalent of 12% of the gross annual wealth of Moldova. He is now holed up in Russia and being protected by the Kremlin but he is paying people left, right and centre in Moldova to get the result that Mr. Putin wants. It just underscores something I have said often in this House before, which is that Russia must be shown up for what it is. It is an evil threat to the quality of life and the democracies that we love in these countries. It must be called out and shown up for what it is. I have my fingers crossed that the election goes in the West's favour next Sunday, 28 September.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I too welcome Martin Hughes and wish him well in his role. I also wish Bridget Doody a long and happy retirement.

Over the last month, I have been inundated with emails from parents, teachers and principals of schools in Cavan-Monaghan. They are all saying the same thing, which is that our education system is under severe strain. Ireland now has the largest class sizes in the EU. The average primary class here has 22.5 pupils, which can be compared with the EU average of 19. I have spoken to parents whose children are sitting in classes of nearly 30 pupils. No teacher, no matter how dedicated or skilled, can give each child the attention he or she deserves in those conditions. Last year, there were 40,000 primary school children in supersized classes of 30 or more. This is holding students back and children with additional needs are missing out on the support they need to progress. It is concerning that, when we are seeing such pressure on schools, the Government is issuing warnings to the Department of children and the Department of education to cut their overspends. The Department is being told to cut overspend but this overspend is definitely not being seen in the lived experience of teachers and students. There are real gaps in funding and the gap is paid by parents, who are asked to voluntarily contribute to keep the lights on, and by teachers, who are digging into their own pockets to buy classroom materials. What the Government seems to forget is that, while it operates at a snail's pace, our children are growing up. They are moving from first class to second class to third class and all the while they are waiting for additional support that is constantly pushed back. We hear promises of new classrooms moved from the first quarter of 2023 to the fourth quarter of 2025.It is simply not good enough. I have submitted a Commencement matter on the issue of Bailieborough Community School as we are five years out since funding was announced for a new build and there is still no progress. The INTO’s prebudget submission is not radical; it is basic common sense. We need to reduce class sizes, properly fund special education, invest in school buildings and ensure fair pay to keep talented teachers in the classroom. Every single euro we invest in our young people is quite literally an investment in Ireland’s future.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I too wish Martin Groves and Bridget Doody all the very best in their retirement. They have been here many years and for the past number of years they have been an enormous support to all of us here in the Seanad. It was a privilege to work with both of them. In the same breath, I wish the new Martin all the very best in taking up the mantle of Clerk of the Seanad. It is a very prestigious and important job within our democracy.

I welcome the Government's launch of the 2025 to 2030 disability strategy in the past couple of weeks. It is good that there is a new strategy and I welcome the commitment within the programme for Government that disability will be to the forefront in all facets of this Government. With that in mind, I propose that the Leader organise a debate on the new disability strategy with the Minister of State with responsibility for disability early in this new term. The strategy needs to be discussed, analysed and challenged. We have seen too often what is happening to the lives of people with disabilities and their lack of access to critical services and support. It means people with disabilities are not living lives equal to those of their peers. I am calling for that debate.

Similarly, I echo Senator Conway's comments on Moldova. Having gone to Moldova as part of the parliamentary friendship group in the previous Oireachtas under the leadership of Seán Ó Fearghaíl, I can attest there was fantastic work being done in Moldova ahead of what they hoped would someday be their accession to the EU. As convenor of the Moldovan friendship group this term, I will certainly be keeping a close eye on the events on Sunday. We will keep our fingers and toes crossed for the right result. The majority of Moldovans want to join the EU because they see the benefits of that.

I again wish Martin and Bridget the very best in their retirement and the new Martin the very best in his new role.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank all Senators for their contributions this morning, starting with Senator Fitzpatrick, who spoke of the Taoiseach’s remarks to the UN General Assembly on world conflicts, in particular in Gaza, and of the need for recognition of the Palestinian state, as well as the recognition of the Palestinian state by a number of countries over the course of the weekend. We welcome that.

The Senator also discussed issues relating to energy prices and requested that the Minister come in to discuss those in advance of the budget. She was joined by Senator Craughwell in talking about the protocols and treatments of the Tricolour. I agree the Tricolour is a flag of unity of the island and should not be used to stoke division.

Senator Boyle spoke of Irish Water and the need for additional investment in Donegal in the context of concerns in various locations regarding water pipes over the summer and the need for investment in reservoirs. Irish Water has had a lot of legacy issues and when the announcements are made for each Department in the capital plan, we hope to see additional investment in Irish Water to allow it to continue to invest in both water and wastewater infrastructure.

Senator Craughwell again raised the issue of Bristow search and rescue and mentioned that it is coming before the public accounts committee. He talked about the breaches of employment laws.I will request again that this matter be raised with the Minister but if the Senator submits a Commencement matter on this issue, he may get a more adequate response. The Senator also raised the issue of the post-2013 pensions and, again, I will raise that with the Minister.

Senator Conor Murphy raised the issue of the legacy agreement and the necessary publication of legislation to back this up. I acknowledge the joint framework, which we are told will bring about root-and-branch reform of the UK's legacy Act, which was very controversial, and the commission it established. Among the elements of reform are the lifting of the prohibition on civil cases, the restoration of inquests halted by the legacy Act, ensuring that the legacy commission can carry out investigations to UK-wide standards capable of leading to prosecution, and the establishment of a new judge-led inquisitorial mechanism with public hearings and effective next-of-kin participation. These are all welcome initiatives as part of the legacy agreement and I look forward to legislation progressing on that and to the work of the foreign affairs committee in relation to same. Senator Murphy also mentioned the Cearta protest, those who attended and the ongoing campaign in relation to Irish rights.

Senator Noonan raised the issue of the fish kills in the Blackwater and other rivers over the summer and has requested a debate on water quality. There is now a Cabinet committee on water quality as part of the campaign to support the nitrates derogation. I will request a debate on this matter with the Minister for the environment. Senator Noonan also mentioned the corporate sustainability due diligence directive. I am sure the MEPs are aware of the issues there but I will certainly raise it with my colleagues.

Senator Curley raised the issue of the need to provide funding for Carrabane National School. I suggest that if he submits a Commencement matter, he might get a more adequate response. The Senator raised a litany of concerns in relation to Carrabane, including the long wait for a new school, the lack of car parking, sewerage and electrical issues, floor and ceiling issues and so on. The lapsed planning permission has been renewed and one certainly hopes that funding can be provided.

Senator Brady wished Longford's Cian McPhillips the best of luck. He was unlucky not to have taken a bronze medal in the recent World Athletics Championships and the Senator wished him well.

Senator Boyhan has requested a debate on rural housing. I will request a debate on that specific matter. We are a long time waiting for rural housing guidelines so I will certainly request a debate on that matter.

Senator Comyn wished Kate O'Connor every success and I join her in that. She also made a passionate plea regarding unregulated activities on social media. That is a bugbear of so many people in here. You just never know when you will be the victim of a social media attack. There is certainly a need for stronger regulation and I will request a debate on the matter.

Senator Scahill raised the issues of school meals and school transport. We hope to have a debate on school transport next week. I am aware that certain issues arose at the start of this term in relation to school meals. I hope these can be ironed out because the scheme has been a huge success and is so necessary for those who do not have the benefit of a hot meal at home. It is an equaliser or leveller across the system, whereby all children are able to avail of hot school meals.

Senator Tully raised issues of child safeguarding and highlighted the tragic passing of Daniel Aruebose in Donabate, Harvey Morrison Sherrat and Kyran Durnin. She spoke about the disappearance of children and of how the State is unaware of these things happening. I will request a debate on these tragic disappearances with the Minister, Deputy Foley.

Senator Harmon raised the issue of student fees. She may be privy to more information than I am - I do not know - but I am not aware of any budget proposals that have been agreed. We had a debate on this matter in recent months and will wait to see what budget proposals will come out in a fortnight. The Senator also raised the issue of single adult homelessness and the shorter life expectancy of homeless persons. Indeed, a report was published today on the causes of premature death in men, which include factors such as suicide, cancer and cardiac issues. I will raise this issue with the Minister for housing.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony paid a moving tribute to her colleague, Councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy. I join in her expression of sympathy to his brothers Mike and Noel and all of his family, as well as to those who worked with him and loved him. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. Senator Keogan expressed concern regarding the presidential election nominating process which, of course, is laid down in the Constitution as agreed by the people in 1937. Whether there is a need for reform of that or not, I do not know, but it would be subject to legislative change. Private Members' motions or whatever can be pursued through these Houses and the Government would make a decision on that. I know councillors had difficult decisions to make. I agree that perhaps there are issues with candidates not being able to get to all local authorities, which certainly does not help the process. Maybe things could be sorted out earlier or in some other way. However, councillors made decisions on whether to nominate or not and that is the process as laid down.

Senator Collins called for a review of the current framework for legal aid. I will certainly request a debate on that matter. If she wishes to table a Commencement matter on it, she may get a more specific response from the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan.

Senators Joe Conway and Martin Conway raised the issue of the Moldovan elections. I am not too familiar with it. However, I hope for the best outcome for the people of Moldova, whatever they decide, and that the elections are free and fair. As happens in many parts of the world, the elections will be monitored to ensure that they are free and fair.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised the concerns of parents, teachers and pupils in Cavan in relation to class sizes and education. I acknowledge the campaign that took place over the summer. Many of us had opportunities prior to the recess to meet with the INTO to discuss the need for ongoing investment in schools and we will certainly do that. We are, however, third in Europe for education quality and access. This is based on the PISA test scores involving research, literacy, digital skills and government investment. We can always try and get to first. With greater investment and everything else we could do that, but third is a very good result. We need to continue the investment for our children in that regard.

Senator Martin Conway raised the disability strategy as launched by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton, a number of weeks ago. He requested a debate on this matter. I have requested that the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, come in to discuss this issue over the coming weeks. I do not think she is available next week but hopefully we will be able to get her to come to the House in the couple of weeks after that to discuss the strategy and the whole-of-government approach to disability.