Senator Fiona O’Loughlin:

The Order of Business is No. 51, motion 1, regarding online safety, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate everybody in the north inner city of Dublin. This week, they welcomed the Taoiseach to St. Agatha’s Hall for the launch of the ninth annual north east inner city, NEIC, initiative progress report. The NEIC task force was established in 2016 and since then it has worked under the leadership of the Taoiseach's office. Dublin City Council has a dedicated NEIC task force office working with residents, schools, sports clubs and all of the organisations and businesses in the area to make it a healthier and brighter place for us all to live in. Great progress continues to be made there.

I want to call out, in particular, the expansion of the City Connects programme. This is a really innovative programme that was put in place to support young people in the school environment. It is a pilot programme that has been running now for a number of years and most recently, in 2025, it was expanded beyond primary and into post-primary level. The programme supports every young person in the ten designated primary schools, and now in the secondary schools, and ensures that their needs are met so that they can engage in education. There are three stages to it. There is an assessment, obviously with parental consent, of every individual child's needs, be they educational, social or emotional. Then a plan is put in place and there is an assessment. It is a great programme and I congratulate everyone involved. I also want to mention the P-TECH programme, the pathways to technology programme that is running in the secondary schools. Last year, 80 students graduated with a level 6 qualification, so well done to everybody involved. It is really great news. The residents' associations that are involved are really helping with the greening of the area and with cultural activities. The NEIC is a great news story.

I also want to welcome finally, after decades of campaigning, the Government's announcement of the move to construction of the national monument at 14-17 Moore Street. This will create for the first time a 1916 commemorative centre, which is so important. Those buildings were the last meeting place of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. They are on what was a battlefield site and the monument is going to preserve for future generations the history of the birthplace of our Republic. It is also going to commemorate and ensure that the legacy of the street traders, and of Moore Street as a trading street, is preserved and accessible for everyone. It is moving to the stage of a contractor being appointed and then construction will commence. This is a great news story for all of the relatives, all of the traders and everybody who has campaigned not just to save 14-17 Moore Street but to ensure there is an appropriate commemorative centre there, which is what we will have.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I am happy to support the Order of Business as proposed by the Deputy Leader today. I wish to bring up two issues. One relates to ongoing issues around mental health. Yesterday, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was in the House to deal with my Commencement matter but we did not make a lot of progress. Therefore, I am formally requesting another debate on mental health. I know the Minister of State will be back in the House on 18 March to complete the passage of the Mental Health Bill, which is really important. That date has been confirmed so we are all aware of it. It is the day after St. Patrick's Day. I want to renew my call for the Minister for justice to come in on this occasion. Members will know, having discussed it here previously, that the "RTÉ Investigates" programme that aired about two weeks ago identified very serious issues around a shortage of beds. My Commencement matter yesterday raised the situation of the 50 beds that are currently provided but are vacant. The Minister of State made the case that it is difficult to recruit staff and I understand and accept that. As a result, beds have to be opened up incrementally over a period. There are currently 50 beds vacant, as confirmed by the "RTÉ Investigates" programme. That is an issue. We have heard concerns expressed by Shine, the Irish Penal Trust and other advocacy groups and yesterday, at a hearing in Cloverhill Prison, Judge Alan Mitchell expressed serious concern about the number of people presenting to him with mental health difficulties whom he has no option but to put back in prison. He is not prepared to continue to do that and he has put the Government on notice, as was documented in various media yesterday. There are challenges around it. While it is a mental health issue, the blockage lies with justice and the prison system. Prison is not appropriate. People do not get well in prison if they have mental health problems and sometimes the reasons people are in prison are connected with all of that. We need to hear commentary from the Minister for justice on this occasion because we have to have a collaborative approach. We need to get the 50 beds open. We can be reasonable and accept that it will be transitional. It might be ambitious but it would be great if we could say that we will open 25 beds this year and 25 next year, or whatever. Let us hear what the logistics are and have a reasonable, fair and pragmatic debate about it.

I have continuously asked for a debate on rural housing. Many Members of this House represent rural communities and they know better than me the demand for rural housing. We have been told continuously that we cannot proceed. The rural housing guidelines are out of date but there are imaginative ways in which we can enhance our villages and towns. We can have small clusters of houses. Clearly there are very good things going on in the area of renovation and restoration but we need to do more. A lot of people would like to work from home two or three days a week. They want to support their rural communities. GAA clubs, sports clubs, parishes, and national schools are facing imminent closure because of a lack of people. People want choice and it is about having various options. I would expect nothing less of rural public representatives that they would be here beating the drum about affording people the opportunity to live in rural communities.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I recently attended a very interesting seminar organised by the Garda in my region in Cavan to commemorate Coco's Law. Coco's mother, Jackie Fox, gave a harrowing account of what gave rise to Coco's Law. I rise to ask the Deputy Leader if people will be informed that there is recourse to cyberbullying. When children are being bullied or teachers in classrooms are witnessing obscene bullying, etc. - there are teachers and pupils in the Gallery - there are recourses in the law. They should report it to the gardaí and the various social services. On the topics of pornography, violence and gambling, all of that comes online as well. We need robust age verification tools. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, has said that he is working towards those quickly. We need them. I would like a report from the Deputy Leader on that and maybe a debate on this whole area very soon. We need robust regulation. We need dialogue with the platforms here. They are based in Ireland, but it is nonsense to think that because they are based here that we should not have robust dialogue with them about this. Of course, we should. There should be strict regulation. The Deputy Leader will know that I did a report for the Council of Europe on this area. It was adopted by all the member states around the whole area of online abuse, including of young people. I ask the Deputy Leader to let us know about that and to organise a debate. I ask her to tell me what she is going to bring to the Government from it and what she knows the Government is doing.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome guests of the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, to the Public Gallery. They are from St. Patrick's National School in Stackallen. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. I met them in the corridors. I remind them that there is no homework for the rest of the week. We will extend it to the weekend as well.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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Students, farmers, renters, people with disabilities, SNAs, pensioners and working families are among some of the groups that have been completely disrespected and left behind by this Government over the past weeks and months. Students see their student fees increased. Farmers are out on the street for Mercosur and Bord Bia. Renters who can afford their rent are looking at a market reset where their rents are going to increase if they change their accommodation after 1 March. People with disabilities are fighting every day for basic rights, never mind anything extra. SNAs feel like they are not respected. The children in their classes are devastated at the thought of losing a SNA and the families of those children are wondering how they are going to get their child to school if the SNA cuts go ahead. It is not definite that they will not happen. The Government has come out and said it is rolling back on them, but we need to see definite policies put in place to protect SNAs and students. Pensioners are facing rising costs, including ESB bills, every day and every week. There is no help. There are no extra payments. They do not know how they are going to live from week to week. For working families, there are concerns about childcare, groceries and ESB bills. The list goes on and on. It is like living in the Dark Ages at the moment because people are struggling so much.

I was in Cavan last night at an IFA meeting, which was attended by 800 or 900 farmers who are absolutely furious because there is a chairman sitting inside in Bord Bia with double standards. They truly believe, I truly believe and the rest of this side of the House truly believes that there are double standards going on. When somebody who has responsibility for promoting Irish food and produce is importing Brazilian beef for their own company, there is a double standard and a clear conflict of interest. They are not backing down. I wish to give a shout-out to those who are playfully called the Bord Bia five; the people who are still sitting inside the Bord Bia headquarters. I think last night was the 23rd night they spent sleeping on a floor because they are standing up for farmers, their families and what is right. We need to acknowledge that. We need to get them out of there by taking the chair out of his position.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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I rise to speak about the inadequate postal service that is happening at the moment. Stamps recently went up 20 cent to €1.85, which is very expensive to post a letter. It is not beyond reason to expect a very good service for a €1.85 stamp. A lot of councillors and people from the public have contacted me. I have done a bit of research on it. One delay that I sussed out involved some people who were getting no post. When I rang the local sorting office, I was told that a postman was on holidays, which he is entitled to be on, but there was no replacement. He was off for two weeks. People in that area had no post for two weeks. Our older people deal a lot in paper. Like anyone else who pays €1.85 for a stamp, they should expect a normal and good service. I wish to invite the Minister in and ask if he is aware of what is happening and what he is going to do about it. It is hard to believe in this day and age that someone would not be replaced when they are on annual leave. Annual leave is planned. If it was sick leave, even that would be hard to comprehend, but annual leave is planned far in advance. It is not good enough that postmen are not being replaced while they are on annual leave. I would like the Minister to come in to discuss this.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I raise the meeting that took place in Cavan last night, which was organised by the IFA. There were hundreds of people in that room from counties Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Donegal and all around the whole region. They are very angry, but they are also very steadfast. They are not backing down on this issue. The Minister needs to reconsider his decision to continue to back Larry Murrin as chair of Bord Bia. The actions of the chair of a board which guarantees quality-assured Irish produce in admitting to importing Brazilian beef, when we know it does not meet the same standards of Irish produce, are hypocritical to say the least. It is undermining the role of Bord Bia and everything it stands for in giving an assurance that what a person is buying is of good quality. Nobody wants to see that. The farmers are angry, but the public are angry as well. They do not want to see him remaining as chair. Recent polls have indicated that. As was said at the meeting last night, there is no wrong time to do the right thing. It is time for the Minister to do the right thing now without delay by backing down on his support for Larry Murrin - for whatever reason, he is so steadfast in supporting him - and by ensuring that the five people who are sitting in Bord Bia headquarters can go home, do their farming and see their families.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the national maritime security strategy, which will address key risks that threaten Ireland's maritime domain. I understand that the Naval Service is considering a base in the north west. Donegal would be the perfect place for the base. We have ports like Killybegs, Burtonport, Rathmullan and Greencastle. Geographically, we are in the right place for once. Naval ships often use Killybegs and Rathmullan. Naturally, Killybegs would have the greatest potential as one of the deepest ports in Ireland. We have a great service industry that has grown up with the fishing industry for generations. It has looked after the Naval Service in the past and worked on its fleet. I ask the Deputy Leader to ask the Minister to strongly consider Donegal as a port for the Naval Service. It would be a great natural fit. We have four ports up there that would be capable of doing this. It would strengthen our hand in the North Sea and everything up there. For once, Donegal is in the right place for this. I ask the Deputy Leader to make a recommendation to the Minister that we will fight hard for this one.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome Cash Cummins, who is a son of Ray Cummins who works in Leinster House. He is most welcome here on work experience for the week.I hope they do not have him working too hard and that he enjoys his time in Leinster House.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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Dartry gym, which is also known as Iconic Health Club in Rathgar, Dublin 6 is more than just a gym. It is a community hub that employs 35 or 36 individuals. The benefit of the gym to the local community is profound. It makes its facilities available to schools and sports clubs free of charge. Mental health groups such as Blueballs Ireland have had significant support from Dartry gym. Young and old use the facilities. It is a generous sponsor and supporter of various community projects.

The problem is that the gym and its development is being targeted and blocked by a prolific objector. The current objection from the prolific objector is to a canopy that was erected during Covid to allow exercise in a safe, open and healthy environment. This is a wellness space. It provides classes in a healthy space and it is barely visible to pedestrians. This facility will have to be removed due to this one objector, who I believe is not impacted at all by the facility. I have been inundated with emails and calls from locals who use the gym to improve their health and to socialise.

What really irritates me is that when residents in the inner city protest against a facility or service, they have to take to the streets because they do not have the resources, time, money or professional background. They are often derided for doing so by the media and commentators. This objector is a senior counsel and because he has the time, money and professional background, and knows his ways around the courts and legal processes, he can put in objection after objection and no one says anything. He is not derided in the press or among commentators. This mostly happens only if people are from a disadvantaged community. If people have the letters for senior counsel after their names, such as Gabriel Gavigan has, they can object as much as they want and object to anything they want and no one will comment. Anything I say now is on the public record; he has signed all of the objections and they are on the record. This is very unfair on a gym that makes a massive contribution to the local community. As I have said, it is being damaged and impacted negatively by one individual.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Items may be on the public record but Members need to be aware of the Standing Orders in relation to naming people in the House.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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We have discovered through a parliamentary question submitted by Aontú that the Department of education has given just under €500,000 to the LGBTQ+ organisation Belong To. Does the Government feel it is appropriate to fund organisations that have been criticised by young people themselves for putting its agenda over the well-being and safety of children? It has been rightly condemned for spreading misinformation, for advising children not to tell their parents if they use a chest binder and for encouraging young people to speak only with trusted adults. These trusted adults are, of course, only those who are affirmative of their gender transition. Belong To's stand up campaign, which is rolled out in schools nationwide, is rooted in the Bí Cinealta programme, which has been criticised by parents, teachers and students. We can teach our children to be respectful and kind without forcing them to go against what is biologically true. We have a duty to ensure that what we teach children is grounded in best practice and appropriate for their age and stage of development.

The Government's priorities seem totally twisted. We constantly see money being poured into NGOs, awareness campaigns and agenda-driven gender guides and no priority given to what is actually important. Classrooms remain under-resourced, parents struggle to find support for their children, and young people with disabilities feel totally left behind in the education system. Please stop allowing these loud activists to push an agenda. Are we now educating flag wavers for NGOs? Listen to what teachers and parents actually want. They need to know their children will have a place for school in September and that they will have SNAs to support children with additional needs.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I want to bring the attention of the House to a report published by Alcohol Action Ireland. It is findings are very disappointing. During recent high-profile rugby matches in Ireland and abroad, alcohol branding appeared at a rate of one reference every eight seconds. Imagine that every eight seconds young people watching their team play something we promote as healthy, positive and community driven are exposed to alcohol marketing. As chair of the south-west regional drugs and alcohol task force and Tiglin, I have seen the damage that alcohol can do in communities. Imagine these heavily alcohol-branded events are being broadcast during watershed hours and are getting around the rules. When young people are watching it is concerning because they cannot distinguish between zero alcohol products and full alcohol products. They see them all as alcohol and research has shown this. In effect, we are allowing backdoor advertising directly into the minds of our children.

Research has shown that youth drinking in Ireland has increased by 12% over the past decade, with 78% of 15- to 24-year-olds consuming alcohol on a regular basis. As somebody who experienced alcoholism in my family, and from working with Tiglin and seeing addiction, I have real lived experience. This is this beginning of a journey that too often ends in crisis for families with the lives of young children going off track. I know we have the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 but it is not being fully implemented and there are gaps for zero alcohol products. This is a key issue. Long-standing recommendations dating back to 2012 call for a ban on alcohol sponsorship. We need to stop waiting and implement it. If we are serious about prevention, we need a joined-up Government response and thinking to put young people first. This is something we cannot ignore. Will the Leader bring the Minister for Health before the House to outline what immediate steps will be taken to close these gaps and protect our young people?

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery none other than my nephew Ruairí, who is on work experience. He is suffering badly from paper cuts due to a massive amount of envelope stuffing and other activities required in the office of somebody working in the Seanad or the Dáil. I thank Ruairí for all his hard work and for putting up with his uncle for the week. It certainly has not been easy and not only for the week as I have been his uncle all his life, which is really tough.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I hope the paper cuts will not last too long. If he wants to come to any of our offices, we will find similar work for him.

I thank all of the Senators for their contributions. Senator Fitzpatrick greeted us with very positive news this morning, and it is always good to get positive news about positive affirmative actions that are making a difference in the lives of people. She spoke about the Taoiseach launching the ninth annual report of the north inner city task force in St. Agatha's Hall yesterday. This task force sits in the Taoiseach's office and co-ordinates and make sure the voices of people who live in the north inner city, be they students in schools, businesses or residents associations work together to try to make the inner city a good place to live. One of the highlights was the expansion of the City Connects programme, which encourages children in school to excel in their own way. Currently, ten primary schools are involved. It really seems like a wonderful programme and something we would love to see every child in the country being able to get. We could not because of the time element. Every child has a plan for themselves in terms of centring what is going and what they want to achieve in their own lives. It is expanding to secondary schools, and through the P-TECH programme 80 students graduated secondary school with technical skills up to level 6. It is really good news.

There is also the commitment to move to construction for the monument on Moore Street.It is not just the commemoration of the birth place of our Republic, it is also home to the Moore Street traders, and we need to make sure they are all remembered in the appropriate way. It is a significant announcement, which we welcome.

Senator Boyhan spoke about ongoing issues regarding mental health in prisons. He is correct. It is something about which we are all concerned. We were all shocked by the "Prime Time Investigates" programme. Some 50 beds are not being used and the Senator made the point they should be used incrementally if it is not feasible to open all 50 at one point in time. We will ask the Minister for justice to address the matter. While we need a cross-departmental approach, it is appropriate that we ask the Minister to respond. The Senator also referred to rural housing. We are awaiting a new strategy. There are things we can do. Serviced sites and small clusters are a way forward. There is a huge benefit to rural communities not just in terms of schools, sporting groups, etc., but also intergenerational living where children grow up beside their grandparents and help one another.

Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about a recent gathering in Cavan addressed by Jackie Fox in respect of Coco's Law. Jackie has been an incredible advocate and her work directly led to Coco's Law, which is the criminalisation of the sharing of intimate images without consent and sending harmful, threatening and offensive communications. We have to appreciate what she has done in turning her incredible tragedy and grief into something that, we hope, will help others. I am sure the Senator realises that Fianna Fáil has tabled a Private Member's motion on online safety, something which concerns all of us, to be debated later today. I want to acknowledge the work of the Senator on the Council of Europe in regard to same.

Senator Collins spoke about students, farmers and SNAs. Regarding student fees, it is important to note that for the first time ever, we have had a permanent cut of €500. While post Covid there was a reduction, it was always on a year to year basis. It is important to state that a reduction was introduced by the Minister, Deputy Lawless.

Senator Tully also spoke about the meeting held with farmers in Cavan last night. I have attended a number of such meetings and met farmers in Kildare who are travelling to support those in Bord Bia. I understand where farmers are coming from because they are subject to many different inspections and are very proud of the reputation of Irish meat. I understand the concerns. I will continue to meet them. We need highly experienced and wise people to head our boards. It is not easy to get them. It is important to say that the chair in this case has done nothing illegal. Everybody agrees with that. At a meeting of the European affairs committee yesterday, I said that we are coming up to the Presidency and a period in which CAP is being negotiated. As we all know, there currently is a proposed 20% cut, which would be a crisis for Irish farmers. We all need to concentrate all of our energies on ensuring that we get to negotiate a better deal.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the inadequate postal service. She correctly referred to the need for a good service. We have all met postmasters at different stages and support them in getting more Government funding, etc. Unfortunately, the price of a stamp has gone up. The role postmasters and the postal service play in all of our communities, urban or rural, is important. To leave a community without post for two weeks because somebody is on well-deserved leave is not good enough. We will ask the Minister to come to the House to address the issue and take any questions people have.

Senator Boyle spoke about the new maritime strategy and said for once Donegal is in the right place. I think Donegal has always been in the right place. It is a beautiful county to visit. There is always wonderful hospitality and it has beautiful beaches. It just needs better weather. He made a fair request about considering Killybegs as a base. That is something I will pass on to the Minister. I have no doubt he will use his good services to do the same.

Senator Andrews spoke about Dartry gym, which sounds incredible. It is almost a community centre, providing a hub to not just those who use it but organisations which need a place to meet. It is important that we have places that serve every single age. As he said, it acts as a generous sponsor. He referred to a canopy where people can gather for outdoor activities. People have the right to object, and that is something we have to stand over. It would be relatively unusual that decisions are made on the basis of one individual. Having said that, when I became a Deputy I opened an office with a lovely canopy. There was a canopy on the building before because it was a blind shop, and I assumed I could install a new canopy on which I spent a lot of money. One person made an objection under a false name and permission was refused. The whole thing cost me an incredible amount of money. I adhered to the rules, but it was an incredibly frustrating experience. I hope Dartry gym does not have to take down the canopy, but obviously we cannot interfere with planning decisions.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the Department of Education and Youth giving half a million euro to the LGBT group Belong To. It is important that the group gets funding. When I was mayor of Kildare in 2014, one of the first things I did was hold a meeting with our youth parliament. By far the strongest message that I received from those young people was that they wanted more support for those within their peer group who belonged to the LGBT community. That was something that resonated with me. During the marriage equality referendum, people felt very strongly that those in the LGBT community have the right to marry on an equal basis to anybody else. I support it, along with its advice to for young people to speak to trusted adults because we need them in our lives, be they teachers, parents or others. I have spoken to parents and young people. As we all know, that time of life can be fraught with difficulty. We will have to agree to differ. My opinion is that it is the right thing to do and I will support it. I accept that the Senator does not agree.

Senator McCarthy spoke about Alcohol Action Ireland. He referred to the fact that at some of the large rugby matches to which many people tune in, there is alcohol branding once every eight seconds. That is concerning. He is correct about backdoor advertising, whereby a loophole is being used to advertise non-alcoholic beer. I noted that research. I understand why people cannot tell the difference. It is like low calorie chocolate or whatever. I accept what the Senator has said. It is concerning that youth drinking has increased by 12% over the past decade. What is more concerning is that it is not happening in social gatherings.I often think that within the pub setting, there are people who can keep an eye out when young people are gathering together. When it is happening at home or behind closed doors, it is more concerning in terms of the volume that can be drunk and, sadly, behaviours that can take place. We need a joined-up Government response and I will ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to address that.