Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call on the Leader to outline the proposed Order of Business, I welcome Councillor Gary Prior from County Leitrim. He is most welcome with his guest, Mr. Seán Earley, who is chairman of the GAA club and chairman of about everything in Aughnasheelin, by the sounds of it, over the past number of years. He was outlining that he was at his first political meeting in a schoolhouse in 1973 at 17 years of age and he has been involved in all community events ever since. I thank Gary for bringing Seán here today and hope he enjoys his day in Seanad Éireann. Anois, the Leader on the Order of Business.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024 - Committee Stage (resumed), to be taken at 1 p.m. and to adjourn at 3.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 2, statements on farm safety and mental health, to be taken at 4 p.m. and to conclude at 5.30 p.m. if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister of State at the Department of Health not to exceed ten minutes, group spokepersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister of State at the Department of agriculture to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 52, motion 3, Private Members' business in the name of the Fianna Fáil Senators, motion regarding extra time in State exams for students with dyslexia and dyscalculia, to be taken at 5.30 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I add my voice to the welcome for Councillor Gary Prior. It is wonderful to see Gary and his guest Seán. This is the people's Parliament, and it is very important that we have our public representatives and, of course, citizens of the country coming to Leinster House to see how we do our business.

There are a number of issues I wish to raise. First, it is really good to see a satisfactory outcome for those who have been on hunger strike outside the gates of this building. We are all quick to criticise when things are not happening and I know every single person here voiced their opinion on it. We all wanted to see a resolution and it is good to see that has happened. As Georgina Dunlevy, who emailed all of us last night, said, it was really good to see it getting across the line so that those who have been impacted, the survivors, can begin the healing process. I acknowledge that and it is important to do so.

An issue I also wish to raise relates to childminders.I read an article this morning about a lady who lives in Newbridge - I do not want to use her name as I do not have permission at this point to use it - who spoke about being a childminder in the town. We all need childminders and know that childcare is one of the biggest issues that we, in government, have to support. It is quite complex for those who are working to ensure they have arrangements in place. There are quite a number of childcare facilities and a lot of people also use people who are in their own homes. In this instance, the childminder was told that her home may now be liable for commercial rates. Tailte Éireann contacted her to assess the house. Childminders up until now believed they were exempt from such assessments. There is genuine fear in the sector about what this could mean. Even a modest rates bill could become an ongoing financial burden. Childminders who are due to register next year are now reconsidering. We need to ask the Minister what engagement is taking place with Tailte Éireann. We also need to appeal to all our local authorities to ensure that home-based childminders are treated fairly and we do not inadvertently drive people out of a sector that families are urgently relying on.

The last issue I want to raise is about traffic coming in to Dublin. The N7 is a vital road serving the commuter belt and ensuring that people can get into work, medical appointments and lots of other things. However, we have seen our road infrastructure struggle lately. A 45-minute journey can turn into a three-hour one. Public transport is good and it is important to see it moving on, but at the same time many people have to drive. I think a lot of it is down to the frequency of accidents, but we need to see multiple full-time emergency response units established to be able to manage traffic flow and to clear accidents quickly. I would like to see this raised with the Minister.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate a group of people following the announcement in the past week of a €1 million philanthropic fund for the provision of a long-awaited sports facility and playing pitch at St James's Primary School on Basin Lane. It really is an example of the type of reward that can come with amazing campaigning, fundraising and awareness efforts by Sporting Liberties in Dublin 8. There has been a lot of work done over the years because there is such a need for playing facilities and sports pitches in that area of the city. It is led by J.J. O'Mahony, Tom Magee and other people who have done so much work over the past decades raising awareness of the need. I congratulate Sporting Liberties on the announcement of that €1 million philanthropic funding during the week. It is an example of the wider need for sporting facilities in Dublin 8 and Dublin 12. There are a few exciting opportunities coming up such as the consultation on Marrowbone Lane in conjunction with Dublin City Council around lands there being converted into sports facilities.

New facilities at Donore Avenue will also be launched soon. There will be a multi-sports playing pitch and a new base for Donore Boxing Club. I held a public meeting about the Iveagh Grounds sports facility on Monday night. It is a 17-acre site in Crumlin that will also be redeveloped with the help of its new owners, Trinity College. It is a good news story about sports facilities for Dublin 8 and Dublin 12. This morning I want to specifically congratulate Sporting Liberties on that huge announcement. It is going to be life-changing for the children who attend the school on Basin Lane but also for the wider community, which I am sure will get the benefit of the facilities.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I rise today to speak on the state of the immigration debate in Ireland or, more accurately, the debate about having a debate. It is progress, but not enough. In one breath, we are told to tread carefully when discussing the origins of the rapist of the ten-year-old girl in Citywest because the case is ongoing, but in the next-----

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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You have to be careful in your language.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Yes, I am not going to mention anything.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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You have said it as a fact as opposed to an allegation. I just want you to be clear.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Thank you. But in the next breath, TDs fall over themselves to denounce the phantom far right in connection with the horrific burning of an IPAS centre in Drogheda only for it to emerge that the alleged arsonists were linked to organised crime and the attack was likely part of a gang feud.Many in the so-called Opposition were quick to point fingers at the Government for even hinting that immigration levels might be too high, accusing Ministers of pandering to the extremists. One Member even claimed there was a direct line between those comments and the arson attack.

I say there is another direct line: a line between those who have disempowered our Garda and the rise of gangland violence, or a line between the chronic underfunding of law enforcement and the growth of organised crime. There is a link between sticking our heads in the sand and migration making the crisis worse, because like it or not, there is a link between migration and crime. Many become uncomfortable hearing it but it is a fact. The Government withholds Irish data from us, but it makes no difference. We already have decades of data from across Europe and the results are clear. Unmanaged migration has resulted in increased crime levels in France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. Do I need to go on?

If we lived in a stable, prosperous and well-managed nation, it would be fair to have a discussion weighing this danger of migration against its potential benefits to our economy, but we do not live in such a nation. We live in a nation where there is a crisis in crime, a crisis in housing, a crisis in the cost of living and a crisis in government services. Into this mess we throw open borders to effectively unlimited numbers of unvetted arrivals and expect nothing to go wrong. In fact, we could go further and denounce anyone who warns that things will go wrong. This is not irresponsible; this is total and utter suicidal insanity.

Dear colleagues, it is time to talk seriously about what are the real problems and solutions in this nation. If people in these Houses and the media are too busy trying to feel good about themselves, then it pains me deeply to say they will create the very crisis they claim they want to avoid. There will be more stabbings, rapes, arson attacks and riots. In here, people will keep wasting their breath accusing each other of being far right, so please, let us have a debate on immigration.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
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On a slightly more positive note, I commend and congratulate our Uachtarán nua, Catherine Connolly, on her inauguration yesterday. Many of us were privileged to attend the ceremony. On behalf of my group, I wish her well in her term. I have every confidence that she will be an excellent President, following the course of previous Presidents who have also distinguished the office. I had thought when I was at the inauguration ceremony yesterday that I might be the only representative present from County Armagh, but I realised afterwards that the Church of Ireland archbishop is from Lurgan, the Presbyterian moderator is from Tandragee and the Methodist minister is from Portadown. Therefore, the county was very well represented. More is the pity that the deputy First Minister, who is from Markethill, was unable to attend and did not nominate someone to represent her in her place. The presence of people from my county brought home the fact that while we were able to attend, and while the reverend gentlemen were able to participate in the service associated with the inauguration, none of us can vote for our President. That is an anomaly that has persisted for far too long. Commitments were made some 13 years ago to address this, yet here we are beginning a seven-year mandate without the ability to extend voting rights to citizens north of the Border and to the diaspora. Surely the Government must now, with some urgency and having committed to addressing this issue under previous mandates, begin to do so.

There was much to commend in the speech an tUachtarán Connolly made yesterday, particularly her reference to the imperative in Article 3 of the Constitution for reunification. In that sense, I share the anger and frustration of many people, particularly those north of the Border but also those across the island generally, at the casual dismissal by the British Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, of all efforts to have conversations and make preparations in that regard. We are used to arrogant dismissals by unionists of our legitimate aspirations, as reflected in the Good Friday Agreement, but for such a dismissal to come from a British Secretary of State, whose job is supposed to be that of an honest broker, was reprehensible. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Tánaiste. The Tánaiste should engage directly with the British Secretary of State in the North and remind him not only that there is an imperative under the Constitution to seek reunification of the country but also that doing so is a legitimate right under the Good Friday Agreement and that that right must be supported and reflected by a British Secretary of State and not dismissed.It is patently untrue to say there is no conversation ongoing when the conversation is happening all around him. The inaction of the current Government in this regard lends itself to him making such an assertion and I would like the Government to engage, as it promised to in its manifesto, in active preparation for reunification.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome the Nenagh active retirement group to Seanad Éireann. They are most welcome. Up Tipp. Thanks for coming. I hope they enjoy the day. I call Senator Stephenson.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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"There is no colour left in Gaza." Those were the words of Dr. Mohamed, a doctor with Médecins Sans Frontières, who presented to us in the audiovisual room last week the updated humanitarian situation in Gaza, alongside his colleague Dr. Sohaib. Both doctors spoke of the unbearable reality of trying to save children torn apart by shrapnel, often without anaesthetic, electricity or even clean water. They told us about two little girls, just four and six-years-old, two sisters who they did everything possible to save, sitting with one of those sisters all night with her lung exposed due to catastrophic injuries from shrapnel and trying to keep her alive. They fought to save but those two sisters but, tragically, could not.

The heartbreak in the voices of those doctors was extraordinarily difficult to listen to. I listened to them while conscious of the UN special rapporteur's recent report, which highlights how Ireland has enabled the transfer of military materials through its infrastructure and airspace, thus making us complicit in genocide. The transfer of weapons through Ireland is the facilitation of genocide, as laid out clearly by Francesa Albanese in no uncertain terms. We cannot, on the one hand, call for peace and, on the other, allow the machinery of war to move through our ports or our skies.

While the doctors spoke of the unimaginable conditions, they also told us of the difficulty of getting aid in because even crutches are seen as dual use. In a country where there have been so many amputations, how can we accept this as normal? This is corroborated by a recent article in The Journal by the deputy director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, Mr. John Whyte, who describes how the humanitarian situation is so bleak that aid is being deliberately restricted and food, water and medicine are being used as weapons of war, even in the ceasefire we are in. This is a moral outrage and consistent breach of international law, which we have seen for over two years.

In this so-called ceasefire phase, we cannot continue to facilitate the arming of a regime that has caused so much destruction and horror. We cannot accept the lack of accountability mechanisms that currently exists. We have talked and have had some debates, but we need to circle back and have a discussion on justice and accountability for Gaza, and what that really means in practice.

I just attended a briefing with some women from Colombia who are human rights defenders. We are approaching the tenth anniversary of the Colombian peace agreement in 2026. We have seen extreme gender-based violence and extreme levels of sexual violence. We are seeing across the globe a horrendous level of violence against civilians. We talk about Ireland's historic role in peacebuilding but we are losing that credibility when munitions are flying through Irish airspace. We do not see Ireland taking a proper, active role in leading accountability and justice mechanisms in the context of Gaza. I would like us to have a proper and meaningful discussion on the issue.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome Mr. Cillian Maguire, transition year student, to the Gallery. He is most welcome. I call Senator Nelson Murray.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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Yesterday, I was invited by the Rotary Club of Navan to the Just 1 Life event, which is the young person driver awareness programme. Approximately 350 students from St. Patrick's Classical School and Eureka Secondary School, Kells, packed the Solstice theatre in Navan. The event included presentations from An Garda Síochána, the roads policing sergeant, Dr. Ahmed Jamal, an on-call consultant from Navan and Drogheda, as well as a critical care nurse, ambulance call centre people and representatives of fire and rescue. It was clear when we arrived in the auditorium to see a crashed car on stage that nothing was held back.

At this event, you could have heard a pin drop during the presentations, such was the shock factor and the will to understand from all the students there. By the end of this year, the Rotary Club of Navan will have run this programme for 3,000 students. That is the amazing work it does. We cannot overestimate how important it is.Meath County Council supports the Rotary Club in doing this incredible work. I could not help but think yesterday that it is a no-brainer to teach this in all schools. If we are aiming for zero deaths on our roads, we have to start with our youth.

I was surprised yesterday to learn that 25% of all the people arriving in accident and emergency departments with severe injuries were not wearing a seatbelt. In 2022, 27% of all fatalities in Ireland were not wearing a seatbelt. Some 17% of people say they do not wear a seatbelt in the back of a car. I cannot understand it. One in four people killed on Irish roads are between the ages of 16 and 25 and young drivers aged 18 to 24 have the highest collision rate. Males have much higher statistics: according to the RSA, almost eight in every ten driver fatalities are male, while six in every ten people who are injured are male. We need to educate the youth of our country about the seriousness of seatbelts, speed, drink and drug driving and speed limits. I would welcome the Minister for education, Deputy Foley, to come into this Chamber to tell us about the work she is doing to educate our young people and save their lives. At the end of his presentation, Dr. Jamal expressed, through tears, that this is not just about the driver, but rather the family they leave behind.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I wish to highlight the multiple issues that have been raised with me regarding the An Post network, particularly in my home county of Mayo. Councillor Alma Gallagher in Ballyhaunis raised with me the proposal to relocate the delivery unit of An Post to Castlerea. In 2015, this unit was relocated from Bridge Street to the enterprise unit on Clare Street, which is owned by Ballyhaunis Chamber of Commerce. It has operated successfully. It handles approximately 2,000 packages per week and serves many of the businesses within the town. Within the last week or so, there have been proposals and discussions for it to be relocated to Castlerea. That is something that I am totally against, as are Councillor Alma Gallagher; the business community, including Dawn Meats, Major Equipment and AgriSpread; and local GP practices and shops in the area. It does not make sense from an accessibility point of view for businesses or An Post employees who will have to travel much greater distances. It is environmentally unfriendly if these are the grounds you want to argue on. It is not pro-business and it will not support businesses in the same way. We have gone to great lengths to fund and support An Post in recent budgets, so we need the services and the existing infrastructure to be maintained and protected in County Mayo. The same goes for Belmullet where a sorting office is to be relocated to my home town of Ballina. Belmullet is one hour from Ballina. That relocation does not make sense and it needs to be totally reconsidered. We need clarity. I ask that we discuss this with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to seek clarity on the logic of this proposal. Indeed, An Post needs to make it clear. We need to put a stop to it. I would welcome the support of the Leader on this.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome Councillor Ciara O’Connor to the Gallery along with Ella Horgan and Jayden. Jayden, you are most welcome to Seanad Éireann on your 16th birthday and I wish you a happy birthday. We will all have a slice of cake when Councillor O'Connor buys it in the restaurant. Anois, glaoim ar an Seanadóir Craughwell.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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In July 2026, we take over the Presidency of the European Union. The media has been rife with speculation in respect of our ability to provide security for the Presidency. The decimation of the Defence Forces is something I have spoken on for 11 years in this Chamber. There are green shoots and hopeful signs in some parts of the Defence Forces. Can we imagine the embarrassment in Ireland if we cannot host a meeting of prime ministers in this country because we do not have the security resources? Is the speculation in the media accurate? Are we turning to NATO to provide security for the Presidency of the European Union? If we are turning to NATO, is that a change in Irish policy? The Government needs to come clean now.It needs to lay out exactly what the plan is with respect to how we manage the Presidency of the European Union. Who will provide the security? We had a meeting last week with three arms of the Government: the Department of foreign affairs, the Garda and the Department of Defence. We need certainty.

I have always been a supporter of eliminating the triple lock, for example. I have always been a supporter of engaging with other defence forces throughout the world - it is good for training - but if there is a change in policy, the Irish people have a right to know that. I believe the time has come for this Chamber to invite in the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence and ask him to lay out the plans there are. If we are asking a NATO state to provide the security that this country needs to host a prestigious event such as the Presidency of the European Union, the citizens of this country have a right to know. We need to get that clear, once and for all, or stop the speculation in the media. It is either true or false. If it is fake news or false information, we need to call it out for what it is.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I raise the issue of childminding as well because we are looking at an inevitable crisis in childminding if the Minister, Deputy Foley, does not act quickly. The Minister needs to engage with the childminding sector to discuss and rapidly adjust a new Government system for childminding. Up to 80% of childminders are going to cease operation within 12 months if action is not taken immediately because the new system will increase the paperwork, and the subsidies and grants are insufficient. There is no longer support for the access and inclusion model, AIM. There is also a possibility of rates being imposed on childminders' homes. We have a shortage of childcare provision as it is. If we lose 80% of our childminders, we will be in dire straits. It will force parents out of work. I was contacted by a mother who was due to go back to work in mid-June. When she was four months' pregnant, she put down the name of her unborn child for a place in the local crèche but there was still no availability when it came to her time to go back to work. She could not go back to work until the end of September. She managed to find a childminder, who, she says, is excellent, but this childminder is now talking about getting out of this line of work because of the new system. The Minister needs to sit down with Childminding Ireland and other elements that represent the sector and discuss how we can avoid a catastrophe in childcare provision.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 52, motion 1 on the Order Paper be taken before No. 1, without debate. The motion in question, which was tabled by me and supported by my colleagues, reads:

That Seanad Éireann: - reaffirms its outright condemnation and revulsion at Russia's war in Ukraine, expresses solidarity with Poland [regarding the drones] and calls on the Russian Federation to retreat and remove its armed forces from all Ukrainian territory.

When the first homeless child strategy was launched, there were 800 children without a home. Today, I attended the Simon Community launch and the Focus Ireland launch and we discussed the fourth such homeless strategy. Now, we are at 5,286 homeless children. That is not progress. It is heartbreaking. They went through the various statistics about how over 5,000 children are staying in hotels or family hubs for their second Christmas and they are being told they cannot play in the corridors. They cannot bring their pet, because pets are not allowed. They gave the testimony of a six-year-old child who was whispering to one of their support workers that they are ashamed to tell their school classmates where they are living as it comes with its own reputation. No child should ever know that kind of shame. There needs to be cross-party support and every single shoulder needs to get behind the initiatives of the Minister, Deputy James Browne. The plan, this time, must work. It must give real hope to these children. I have to ask what number of homeless children are we looking for before we act on it or are we waiting, perhaps, for the first child to die of homelessness before we act on the urgency of this crisis. I pray and hope that this will be the Oireachtas that makes a difference when it comes to child homelessness.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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As we are heading into the Christmas season and people are beginning to look at shopping and so on, a number of online scams are going on. I know that Sergeant O'Halloran, a local sergeant in Limerick community policing, was advising people not to click into apps, or if they were asked for bank account details or other details, not to click into it. Many of these are scams.

As we head into the season of Christmas shopping, I encourage people to shop locally. Many small businesses are feeling the pinch. While some of them are doing well, others are finding it difficult. In terms of job creation and keeping and sustaining jobs, we need to shop local and support local. Many small SMEs out there have so many quality goods on offer, be it Irish goods or local goods. It is about keeping the person employed in their position. It is something that we should encourage across the country.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I second the motion.

Dublin City Council is planning to increase rent for its tenants. What happens in Dublin City Council will invariably be followed by local authorities across the country and in the Leader's constituency as well. Tenants of Dublin City Council are facing increases of up to 10%, 20%, 30% and 50% in their rents. This is at a time when the cost of everything is soaring. The cost of food, heating and electricity is up. Now, rents for council tenants are going to go up. Council tenants are vulnerable and many of them pay high rents in the flats and accommodation they are in. This is clearly not the time. The council has said it will use the increased income to invest in maintenance. I have raised this here many times. No one believes that will happen at all. Not one person believes that the never-ending neglect and problems that council tenants have will see a penny of any rent increase that is imposed on them.

If you are living in a tiny council property and it has damp, mould and a front door that has been hanging off for years, you will not believe that the council is going to do more maintenance. You simply will not believe that. It is understandable why residents would not believe it. If you are paying high rent for a home that is overcrowded and has just been flooded because of the outdated drainage systems, why would you believe that Dublin City Council is actually going to improve its maintenance? There is no evidence to suggest that it will. If you are living in Markiewicz House, Conway Court or any of the other flat complexes around the city and have put up with tiny flats, damp, mould and rats playing with your children, why would you believe the council? Families living in council housing across the city are constantly faced with the reality of overcrowded conditions, poorly insulated homes and insufficient maintenance. Demanding more rent is an insult and it needs to be opposed. I ask that the Minister come to the House so we could debate this issue.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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First, I welcome the guests in the Gallery, particularly Councillor Ciara O'Connor, our Labour councillor from Cork, and Ella Horgan. Both of them work with me. I thank them for all the work that they do.

I also welcome Jayden Browne from Cork city. It is his 16th birthday today. I want to wish him a very happy birthday. He is a fantastic member of the community in Cork. He is on transition year work experience. He is from Greenmount in Cork city and he attends Coláiste Éamann Rís in Deerpark. He is on the student council there. He is getting a Garda youth award in Cork city for community safety next week. I congratulate him on that.That brings me to the issue I want to raise, which is votes at 16. There are many 16-year-olds like Jayden who are very active participants in communities across the country and who are very politically engaged. They have access to lots of information through civic and political courses in school, and online. We need to follow the lead of other jurisdictions like Austria, Scotland, many German states and the Isle of Man. Jersey and Guernsey, too, have extended the franchise to vote at 16. We need to look at that here.

A 16-year-old can seek employment, be liable for tax and get a licence to drive a tractor in some cases, so why can they not be eligible to vote as well? We really need to increase voter participation and turnout. I know it is Jayden's first time in Leinster House today but I think he will be in Leinster House many times in the future, maybe as an elected representative as well. Happy birthday again to Jayden.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The Senator is buying the birthday cake.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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We had a cake and we will have a second.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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You can never have enough cake. I call Senator Martin Conway

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome the Government's proposed new housing plan that is at Cabinet today and will be launched tomorrow. I welcome the increased targets that form part of this plan. I note the Taoiseach said on his way to Cabinet this morning that it will be more ambitious than any other housing plan and that it will deliver. I sincerely hope it does. I call on the Leader to organise a debate on the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, in the next couple of weeks so we can get into the teeth of it. Every one of us in this House is frustrated at the slow pace of development in general in this country but certainly when it comes to the building of houses.

It is terrible to think that there is planning permission granted for thousands of houses that cannot be built because of the punitive increase in construction inflation and various other challenges. Also, there are villages like Lisdoonvarna in County Clare, for example, where there is land available but the current guidelines only allow for so many new houses whereas the infrastructure is in place in terms of treatment facilities and so on to accommodate a huge amount of development. We could build dozens of houses there because the sewerage system is up to standard. It was built about 15 or 20 years ago. There needs to be a whole-of-government response to this and I sincerely hope that is what we will see.

Certainly, when it comes to the easing of zoning of land we need to see a lot more land being zoned residential. We need to just remove the red tape, remove the bureaucracy and create an environment where developers are not sending skilled construction workers abroad to work on projects because of the difficulties here. We need to see people want to work here and people coming from other countries to work here in order to achieve the target of 600,000 in six years. It is something I very much welcome and we in this House have a role to play in scrutinising the proposed plan.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Dympna Daly-Finn, a guest of Senator Maria Byrne, to the Gallery. She is most welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate and express my deep appreciation to the campaign that successfully saved Corpus Christi hall in Drumcondra. This is great news for Drumcondra. The Corpus Christi hall on Home Farm Road was left to the community in 1962 by a private individual, a woman by the name of Madeline Dwyer, and from then it was used by the local school, Corpus Christi school, and the local community for all types of community events, such as knitting, dancing and singing. All sorts of groups availed of that hall. Unfortunately, four years ago we had to commence a campaign to save that hall.I thank the board of management at Corpus Christi, the parents association, the local community, the representatives who came together and worked collectively and the Department of education. The previous Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, was instrumental in saving the school and hall. Now, thankfully, two purpose-built autism classes have been incorporated into the hall and the hall will be reopened for community use.

This is a great win for Drumcondra. This is really good news. It builds on all the work done by residents and businesses to make Drumcondra an autism-friendly village and, most important, a vibrant, connected, engaged and inclusive community in the heart of our capital city. Congratulations to everybody involved in the campaign. It is a great success story. It is great to be able to stand here today and say we saved our hall.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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Last month, 17-year-old Vadym Davydenko, who was in State care, died after a serious attack in Donaghmede. It is now believed the suspect in the attack was not a juvenile but was over 18 at the time of the attack. This is what we mean when we talk about a chaotic migration system. This vulnerable young man was in State care. We have a responsibility to ensure international protection applicants, particularly children, are safeguarded. It should set off alarm bells that an adult was allegedly housed in an apartment with three children and that this was only discovered after the death of one of those children. This is indicative of a deep failure by the Government to properly vet people claiming asylum in the country.

It is also worrying that we continue to see Tusla place children in unregulated accommodation run by private for-profit companies that HIQA does not inspect and which employ, in some cases, untrained staff. Two days ago, Judge John Campbell said he was "incandescent with rage" that Tusla could not find a secure bed for a child at risk of death. A child who should be getting ready for Christmas is left in an unregulated placement because no special care beds are available until January. Out of 26 beds, only 15 are operational because there are issues recruiting and retaining staff.

How many more children need to go missing or have their lives put at risk before any concrete change happens? Our asylum system needs to be reformed immediately. We have to bring an end to children being housed in unregulated accommodation.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank all Senators for their contributions. I welcome Dympna Daly-Finn from Roscommon to the Gallery. I hope she enjoys the day.

Senator O'Loughlin welcomed, as we all do, the ending of the hunger strikes and the resolution to those issues. It is always important that engagement happens and that meetings happen to sort these things. The Senator also raised the issue of childminders, as did Senator Tully, particularly issues in relation to possible commercial rates. I will raise that with the Minister, as I suspect the Senators will too. It is important that there be no uncertainty and that we not place more costs on childminders. We need more childminders and childcare providers, rather than driving any more out. I will certainly take that up. Senator O'Loughlin also raised concerns regarding traffic on the M7-N7 and the commuter belt. I have heard some reports on that. What should be routine journeys are taking longer, unfortunately. I will call for a debate on that with the Minister.

Senator Ní Chuilinn congratulated those involved in Sporting Liberties in Basin Lane and in the €1 million philanthropic fund. She acknowledged all involved in that over the years and the importance of raising awareness of the need for sports facilities in all communities across our country. I agree with that and will try to arrange a discussion on the importance of sport in the coming period.

Senators Keogan and Sarah O'Reilly raised the issue of migration and the need for a debate on this matter. We had a debate in the first week we came back with the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy. I will try to arrange for a further debate on the issues relating to migration that the Senators raised today to allow them to express their concerns.Concerns were expressed about the numbers and the situations that have happened, whether that be in Drogheda or elsewhere. I will certainly try to arrange for that.

Senator Conor Murphy congratulated Catherine Connolly on her inauguration yesterday and raised the issue of citizens in Northern Ireland not having a vote. I have requested a debate on the franchise and I will request that again from the Minister. The Senator also raised concerns regarding the comments by Secretary Benn in relation to the Good Friday Agreement and participation for reunification. I will request a debate with the Tánaiste on the whole area of reunification as well.

Senator Stephenson called for a further debate on the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and the difficulties in getting aid and medical equipment in. As she said, there are difficulties even getting in the basics such as crutches. She has called for justice and accountability in Gaza. I will request a debate with the Tánaiste and Minister for foreign affairs on this matter again. We have had a number of discussions but it is such an important issue that we need to continue to highlight the issues there.

Senator Nelson Murray commended all those involved in the Just 1 Life campaign and the rotary club in Navan. Some 3,000 students will have seen the showcase. I saw a similar initiative in Leisureland in Galway a number of years ago. There were very hard-hitting messages and graphic imagery from gardaí, firefighters, consultants and doctors in relation to the horrific injuries and fatalities that can take place in car accidents. She rightly talked about how, unfortunately, young males are most at risk of being killed in car accidents. She called for further education, particularly in relation to the use of seat belts, which is nothing new. Clearly, too many people are dying because they are not wearing seat belts.

Senator Duffy raised a specific case relating to An Post network and the relocation from Ballaghaderreen to Castlerea. He mentioned the work of Councillor Alma Gallagher, who has raised concerns about this, among others. I will ask him to put down a Commencement debate for the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, because it is a rather specific issue.

Senator Craughwell raised the issue of the Defence Forces and whether we can secure our upcoming EU Presidency. We had a private meeting of the defence and security committee last week, which he attended. I am confident this State will be able to secure the Presidency. There are plans, in conjunction with the Garda, local authorities and the Department of Defence and Department of foreign affairs. We have done it in the past and I am confident we will be able to secure all visiting dignitaries who will be coming during the Presidency from July of next year.

Senator Tully raised the issue of childminding. I will request a debate on that.

Senator McCarthy has asked that item No. 52, motion 1, be taken before No. 1, which is a motion to reaffirm the "outright condemnation and revulsion at Russia's war in Ukraine, [express] solidarity with Poland and [call] on the Russian Federation to retreat and remove its armed forces from all Ukrainian territory." I certainly agree to that request. He has also raised the issue of homelessness and the new housing plan. We all hope the new housing plan that is going to Cabinet today will have even stronger proposals to ensure we put an end to homelessness and ramp up the supply of housing across the State. We have seen some of the budgetary measures which, anecdotally, we have been told will increase the supply of apartments. I am a firm believer that all types of housing need to be provided, from private and rental to social and affordable, and from student accommodation to homelesness hubs. We need to provide everything that is needed to get people off the streets and provide hope for people.

Senator Martin Conway also raised the issue of the housing plan and the need for a debate. I have asked the Minister to come in to debate the new housing plan. There will be a debate with the Minister next week on Irish Water and the investment in our water and wastewater infrastructure.

Senator Maria Byrne raised the issues of scams as we come up to Christmas and businesses that are impacted. Customers and particularly the elderly have to be wary of all scams. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people out there who will try to con people and take hard-earned money and pensions off people. It is right to raise this matter. She also raised the issue of the need for people to shop local and support their local businesses.The period in the run-up to Christmas is obviously hugely important for many small businesses in turning a profit and being able to survive into the new year. I certainly agree with that.

Senator Andrews raised the issue of Dublin City Council plans to increase rents. As I understand it, that will be an executive decision rather than a decision of councillors. There is a similar debate in Galway. The Senator asked that the Minister come in. I will ask for that, although if the Minister comes in to discuss housing, it might be an opportunity to raise the matter at that time, or the Senator could put down a Commencement debate.

Senator Harmon advocated for votes for 16- to 18-year-olds and talked about those who actively participate in communities. I understand there was a motion on this last week in the Dáil, or there will be this week. I have not had an opportunity to look back on that to see what the Government response was but, like any motion, it would have gone to Cabinet for agreement and discussion. I will see what the response was in relation to that matter.

I commend Senator Fitzpatrick, and all public representatives involved, on the saving of the Corpus Christi hall in Drumcondra, which has been saved for community use. It is important that old historic buildings are saved for community use. Two autism classes have been added to that hall, which will be in use for the local school. Well done to Senator Fitzpatrick and all involved in that.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Aubrey McCarthy has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 52, motion 1, be taken before No. 1." Is that agreed? Agreed.