Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Newtownmountkennedy Primary School, guests of the Tánaiste. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House today. As is customary, there is no homework for the rest of the week.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, International Protection Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (resumed), to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business and, if not previously concluded, to be brought to a conclusion at 4 p.m. by one question from the Chair which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by Government.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I am sure all the boys and girls from Newtownmountkennedy celebrated St. Patrick's Day this week. I hope they had a great time.

Last week I attended two Irish events in London and I commend Bord Bia, the Irish Embassy in the UK and Tesco Ireland on organising a fantastic showcase of Irish food producers. Tesco has its "Love Irish Food" partnership and is supporting small indigenous Irish producers to expand on the island of Ireland, into the UK and across Europe. It was fantastic to see Folláin, Silver Pail, Kerrygold and other brands. The quality of the produce is spectacular and it is interesting to see how the partnership allows very small producers to expand on an international scale. Well done to everybody involved and to the Irish Embassy for its support.

I am Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Oireachtas drugs committee, which is working away and due to report before the summer with recommendations to Government on drugs policies. Parallel to that, the Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, have launched a new draft drugs strategy. I commend the Minister of State and Department on drafting it, consulting with the committee and launching it on public consultation. Since 26 February, it has been available to any member of the public to have a say. Drugs are in all our communities. After alcohol, cocaine has the highest consumption, but there are also opioids, benzos and synthetics. We all need to engage in this discussion. Representatives of UISCE, Family Addiction Recovery Ireland, Pavee Point and CityWide are holding a press event in Buswells Hotel today. If people have time to go over, I encourage them to do that. They will be before our committee later. It is important everybody has their say before 10 April. The objectives are to reduce harm, support recovery, limit damage and ensure we all have a healthier world to live in.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I raise the enormous impact the war taking place in Iran is having on the day-to-day lives of people across the country. I will speak to the impact it is having in Wexford. I was contacted by a constituent who had agreed to purchase a lorry load of home heating oil for her house about three weeks ago and had paid upfront for it. The date it would arrive was agreed with the delivery company. Two days before it was due to arrive, she was asked to pay an extra €800 to ensure the delivery was made. Unfortunately, this story is becoming far too common. The small print in the contract apparently says customers pay the price on the day the oil is to be delivered, not the price on the day they purchase the oil. As a Government, we have to ensure people in situations like this are protected and to introduce measures to ensure they are not put at risk of fuel poverty by the war in Iran and the difficulties in getting oil out through the Strait of Hormuz. I listened carefully last night to the debate in the Lower House, where the Tánaiste said the Government is considering a range of proposals that would be targeted at those most in need.

The current fuel allowance, which is to expire shortly, should be extended. It is targeted at the most vulnerable in society and is an important payment enabling people to purchase fuel throughout the winter. I strongly suggest it should be extended, perhaps for seven to eight weeks, and then looked at thereafter. Recent measures have eased the fuel allowance means test, bringing more people into the eligibility net. It is important that this much-needed measure, at this time of global uncertainty in oil markets, should be extended. I encourage the Leader to take that point back to the Government; I will certainly be doing that within my own party.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I raise the proposal from the Government, through the Leader, contained in the Order of Business. We work in a parliamentary democracy and have plenty of time to do our business. We were off last week.We started the other day at 2.30 p.m. We have got to smarten up here - all of us, including those in the Opposition - in regard to how we use our time productively and creatively in a family-friendly Parliament. I have spoken to a number of people who cannot get home to their own families who live in the greater Dublin area. I also refer to facilitating people who live further afield and who have arrangements in place. We have got to work with everyone. We have got to make it a more family-friendly Parliament. Family comes in many guises and each and every one of us have commitments back in our homes to support people who support us. That is an important point to make. The Government's prerogative is that. It has the majority in the House and therefore, it is likely it is going to happen but it is not a nice thing to have on its record, particularly when we have so much time. All I can say is that I want to express my disappointment and frustration but that is the story. Ultimately, the Government side will decide on it. We will have the opportunity to highlight that in the media and outside of this House because that is incumbent on the Opposition. I will leave it at that.

There is a notice on the Order of Business as well to say: "On conclusion of the business of the House, it shall adjourn until 2.30 p.m." It was my intention here today to make a proposal that we would not adjourn until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday of next week but that we would resume at 1.30 p.m. in line with a better and more efficient Parliament and one that facilitates the needs of all of us too. I have now been advised that this is not the appropriate place to table it. I take advice and I do heed other people's advice. I want to put the House on notice that it is my intention to propose this at 4 p.m., for those who will have the time or make the time to be here at 4 p.m. If we agree to the Order of Business today, that is what we will be agreeing to - that this business goes on until 4 p.m. I will table a formal proposal and put it to the House, when the Leader or Acting Leader is asked when we will meet again. I will propose 1.30 p.m. and not 2.30 p.m. We have got to send a clear message to the public outside, who are paying us - this is their Parliament and House - that we are available, willing and ready to work for the people.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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Today, I raise the issue of schools, active travel and safe routes to schools. There is a school in County Limerick that has raised an issue where there is no pedestrian crossing outside the school, none of those lovely coloured crayon bollards for children to exit the school safely. We are coming into the nice weather now where kids might want to be able to walk home from school or cycle. Dromcollogher National School is on a main road through Dromcollogher which is also the main road from Newcastle West to Cork. If any of the trucks and lorries are going, that is the route they take. There are no speed bumps on that road so they tend to travel at quite a good speed going through because it is just outside the town. We have an active travel fund in Limerick. Limerick city and county are together when it comes to the council funding. Limerick city got 87% of active travel funding and Limerick county got 13%. Limerick county has a much bigger landmass than the city and we also would not exactly have footpaths to every single school in the county. I know my own local school has no footpath to it so it would be next to impossible for children to walk to school or even cycle to school safely. My issue is that you have the same population in both city and county and there is a bigger landmass in the county. I know it is probably not up to the Government to decide what way each council distributes its funding but I think there needs to be a little bit of fairness when it comes to the likes of active travel and safe routes to schools, so that it is not going to be better to be in school in the city than in the county. It is another way of pushing people and families closer to cities. If we want to look at keeping what we have in rural Ireland, we need to look at making it safe as well as the cities.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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This week in Washington, the Taoiseach told business leaders that the Government is prioritising the growth of data centres in Ireland. We already have, I think, 89 data centres in Ireland, with planning permissions approved for even more. Data centres are, of course, critical infrastructure but they currently consume over 20% of our electricity. This is huge compared to our EU neighbours. The next two highest countries are the Netherlands at 5.2% and Luxembourg at 4.8%. It is estimated that by 2030, data centres will account for 30% of our energy consumption in Ireland and this is completely unsustainable. Data centres are consuming vast amounts of energy and putting pressure on our grid. The "Journal Investigates" reported last year that many of these data centres are actually running on generators fuelled by fossil fuels, which are then releasing huge amounts of CO2 into our environment. While some data centres are being connected directly to renewable energy sources, and that sounds great in theory, it means the grid is now dependent on fossil fuels, so ordinary households are paying higher prices on fossil fuel-generated energy. Our energy needs are already incredibly stretched, with domestic consumers paying eye-wateringly high prices, some of the highest across Europe. The Taoiseach's words in Washington seem to suggest we are going to continue rolling out the red carpet for data centres without any consideration of our own domestic needs. It is reckless. It is going to negatively impact ordinary households and it is going to have lasting consequences for our environment. Where are the Government's climate goals when the Taoiseach is opening the door to further data centres? He is utterly muddying the water on his Government's supposed climate commitments.

Other worrying remarks from the Taoiseach this week included his comments on the need to "pivot more to innovation as opposed to regulation" on tech. Given that we have been dealing with the fallout from an horrific, dehumanising and abusive nudification scandal with Grok and X, I found it really shocking that the Taoiseach chose his limited time in the Oval Office to champion deregulation. When the Government talks about easing planning rules for data centres and deregulating the tech space, alarm bells ring for me. We need strong regulation to make sure horrific abuses of tech do not continue without consequence and to ensure our energy needs prioritise residential households and ordinary people first and foremost. I would like us to have a debate in this House about the balance between positive, sustainable investment and strong regulation with positive outcomes for communities first and foremost. Ultimately, our end goal needs to be developing sustainable, protected and safe environments and communities.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I formally propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that the International Protection Bill will not conclude at 4 p.m. but will adjourn at that time. I propose that formally and it will be seconded by my colleague Senator Black.

Frances Black (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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It is important to note that this is not normal. Some Senators have been in previous Oireachtais with me. I have been in three now. Some Senators are new but we need to note the kind of parliamentary action we are seeing, and the curtailing of parliamentary scrutiny we have seen. I refer to a situation where a Government brings 70 pages of its own amendments and then guillotines the debate after just two sessions. It cuts short the debate so that the vast majority of Government amendments will never be discussed. They were not subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. They were not discussed in the Dáil and they are not going to be discussed here. The amendments that we bring - which the Government could bring, by the way - are not going to be discussed either. We are going to have a guillotine imposed on a massive Bill, which is going to be life or death for some people. It is not normal. I want those Senators who entered politics - I think most people enter it in this way - in good faith because they want to be public representatives and part of parliamentary democracy to say, "Please, start standing up for parliamentary democracy".

Frances Black (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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We are not here just to give little announcements and speeches. We are meant to be doing to the job of legislators. At a time when democracy is under attack around the world, it is crucial that we do not let it be eroded. We had lectures yesterday about how sovereignty is there because we exercise sovereignty in the Parliament. I believe that but we are not being allowed to do it when we are not allowed to scrutinise legislation. It is very serious when we cut things short in this way. When we look at Hungary and the attempts that were made in Poland, or when we look across the water to the United States, everywhere we see that the chipping away of checks and balances in our parliamentary system is serious. Of course, we have a Bill that in itself is going to chip away and give very serious and, in some cases, quite draconian powers to new kinds of officials appointed in new ways and thereby erode some of the checks, balances and protections that are part of our international protection system. That is why the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, the human rights bodies and everybody else have been sending us their detailed work and scrutiny on how we can fix this legislation to make it any good. We are skipping past all of that. We have to ask questions about this slide.If we have a Minister who will not give the respect to Parliament of even accounting for his decisions on the legislation, how are we going to be confident that the very serious powers being granted in this Bill are not going to be used in a manner that brings us towards authoritarianism? There is an architecture in that Bill which, if used wrongly, would facilitate authoritarian actions like we have seen around the world. We have to hope it will not be, but confidence has to be much lessened by the fact we are not even able to talk about the Bill fully. I propose the amendment and I urge that contact be made and pressure be coming to make sure the debate is adjourned and the Bill properly scrutinised.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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We are all proudly wearing our daffodils today to remind everybody that it is Daffodil Day tomorrow, Friday, 20 March. One in every two of us will experience cancer and it will take €6 million to be raised tomorrow to help the Irish cancer services with their vital work. They did bring something very worrying to my attention, namely, the cost of car parking for those who are going through chemotherapy or attending oncology units in hospitals across the country. In my own closest hospital in Louth, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, the hourly rate is €2 and the daily rate €10. It is concessionary. They can decide to waive the car parking fees for anybody attending the oncology unit. In the main, however, right across the country, anybody going through a very difficult time in their life could end up paying in excess of €50 per week for car parking. If they have a child attending an oncology unit, it is even lengthier and can cost even more. I am calling on the Minister for Health to attend the House so we can have a debate on how we can either reduce or waive the costs for those who are attending oncology units. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital raised €500,000 in revenue in the last reports in 2023. Many hospitals could well afford to prevent people who are going through an incredibly difficult time in their life from having this extra burden on top of their expenses.

Speaking of that hospital in particular, there are no car parking spaces generally left on campus for anybody attending for any reason at the hospital. There is a large car park right across the road. It is very far away, however, and is inconvenient in certain weather or for anybody who is elderly or vulnerable. There used to be a shuttle bus but that was dispensed with over the last couple of years. The hospital must either reduce the cost, provide a shuttle bus or provide more parking spaces on campus. I am calling for a waiver for those attending oncology units and I hope we have a debate in this House with the Minister for Health.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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Something that has been discussed at length over the past weeks, both here and in the Dáil, is the cost of living and the pressures people are feeling, whether at the pumps, with home heating oil, as hauliers or for school transport. I have engaged with a number of bus operators, for example, that are in fixed-price contracts with the Department of Transport for school bus routes. These fixed prices were for a certain defined number, which is now being well overshot with the current fuel prices. It is becoming unviable for certain coach operators to provide the service that was pre-agreed because of the unprecedented circumstances in which we now find ourselves due to fuel costs. Hauliers are critical to the operation of the whole economy and this is causing huge pressure on the industry. I note that the hauliers' association is meeting with the Minister today to discuss this. Individually, people who are living below the poverty, are on social welfare or are living with disabilities are feeling the pinch because of the increase in fuel costs. There need to be targeted measures to support the most vulnerable in our society. I know the Government will be working over the coming days to propose a package next week at Cabinet but there need to be targeted measures relating to the fuel allowance and its extension for a number of weeks or as long as is feasible. People are under pressure at the moment. We all get the calls and talk to our neighbours and members of our communities. A lot of people are under great financial pressure. We need to have supports and targeted measures that somewhat ease the burden in what are unprecedented international circumstances.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Today I want to speak on two issues. The first concerns the recent development in the UK regarding the law passed by the House of Lords that effectively decriminalises abortion up to birth. Since this concerns the country that has jurisdiction over Northern Ireland, I feel compelled to speak out. We should first be concerned as to whether we are being exposed to a serious risk of opening a back door to unregulated late-term abortions, mainly via pills in the post, through the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland. While I understand the North is devolved from Westminster in these matters, this is a risk that we in these Houses must seriously analyse. More importantly, I would like to condemn this as a dangerous development. Polling has shown that very few people in the UK or in any country for that matter believe that late-term abortions are acceptable, regardless of whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, yet legislation that de facto allows it was pushed through in an incredibly undemocratic way.

Second, I want to comment on the recent outrage over the improvised Epstein files floats in Galway and Mayo. I will not comment on the inappropriateness or otherwise of the display, but instead I point out that if you search online for the Epstein files and Ireland, you can see dozens of articles in just the last 24 hours condemning the float and very few investigating what the files say about Ireland. I really have to ask those expressing outrage today where this outrage was when the emails revealed that one woman claimed she had been trafficked into Ireland at 13. Where was the outrage when our Government declined to investigate these claims and the other possible Epstein links to Ireland? Once again, we seem to be directing more energy into outrage over appearance and pageantry than outrage over real concerns.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to request that the Minister for Transport come before the House so we could have statements on transport matters. I totally agree with what Senator Collins has said. I also agree completely with what Senator Kennelly raised in his Commencement matter this morning. We all understand that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in respect of the national roads programme. Once the funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities. I really want to see that Act reviewed because there is a complete disconnect between what is happening in the local authorities and TII. Transport Infrastructure Ireland has three functions. One is in relation to the operation network. Then it has the capital programme and the professional safety network. I am no different from any other Senator here. The N65 runs right through the town where I live. There is no traffic calming. There is one pedestrian crossing. The N65 goes on forever when you come into Portumna, but on the outskirts of it we have a village, a little place called Woodpark, that does not have lights or a footpath. It is in the environs of Portumna. I have no doubt everybody else experiences what I am talking about. At the same time, TII is totally oblivious and unaware of the health and safety needs and the need for safety measures there. I want a discussion on it. I want us to review the Act. It is part of our function as legislators to ensure that we can look at road Acts to ensure they can be addressed to meet the growing needs and safety of our young population. If we want to encourage people to be active, to cycle and walk to school, we have to put the tools in place and we need to have a real discussion about the active travel programme.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I would like a debate on the provision of dental services in Ireland, especially by practices that accept medical cards.In my home county there are four dentists registered for the scheme, but between them being at capacity and other issues, no one seems to be taking on any new patients. There are 810 dentists nationally registered for the programme and I believe only about 600 of them are actually active. Back in 2019, there were 1,500 dentists accepting medical cards. We have had a huge loss of dentists involved in that programme. This means that people all over the country are facing extended waiting times to see a dentist. By the time they actually see a dentist, sometimes the only measures acceptable to them at that stage are extractions. We all understand and know the implications that dental health has on overall health and the cost to the actual health service of not providing this. This is something we definitely need to discuss in this House and have an open conversation on. In January the Irish Dental Association said that we need about 500 new dentists into the system right here, right now. The provision of work that dental hygienists can conduct also needs to be looked at. This House has an opportunity to raise this, highlight it and address it. It is at an emergency level at the moment.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome guests of Senator Conor Murphy who are past pupils of the Loreto group. You are very welcome. Enjoy your visit here to Leinster House today.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I also acknowledge and welcome Mr. Jan Taylor, up from Carlow on the visit. He is very welcome.

CBS Westland Row is a great school. It is only a five-minute walk from here. Willie Pearse and Pádraig Pearse were students in the school. It has been there since 1864. It is understandable that it will have a lot of maintenance requirements. As it is a very old building, it does require a lot of maintenance. Half of the boys' toilets in the school are closed because of flooding due to the rain. There is a downpipe that is not working and it is causing the destruction of the toilets for the boys. It is also affecting the classrooms. A knock-on effect is that it is affecting the morale of teachers. These teachers are working with some of the most disadvantaged and diverse communities in the country. The downpipe is the source of the problems and it needs to be urgently fixed. The money is there because they were recently granted €700,000 to do other maintenance works. They are only going to spend about €400,000 of that so the money is there to do up the downpipe. They got quotes. They have engaged with the Department of Education and Youth. It is really urgent that these toilets are fixed. The money is there and it needs to be reassigned to fix the downpipe and fix the toilets. We need to see some common sense. I am sure there is somebody in the Department ticking boxes there and saying "No" but we need to see common sense. We need to see the Minister for Education and Youth intervene and say that this makes sense. It will maintain the school morale and the health and safety of the children in that school. Can we ask the Minister in to debate schools in general and their maintenance?

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I raise the issue of the fuel crisis that is affecting everyone. We only have to look at community Facebook pages to see it. People are posting every day asking where the cheapest petrol or diesel is. It is not because they want a bargain: they are trying to stretch their wages just that little bit further every single day. They are searching for fuel that is a few cent cheaper, hoping it will make the difference between getting through the week or falling behind on their bills. A haulier rang me on Monday and said, "Sarah, no man can stick this." He is right. When fuel prices rise, everything else rises with it. Hauliers have no choice but to pass those costs on to retailers and the retailer has no choice but to pass those on to the customers. In the end it is ordinary families who pay the price as per usual. Recently, we heard a Government representative on the radio saying that people are confused about the increase in carbon tax and that petrol and diesel are not going up in May, only home heating oil. What he failed to mention is that the carbon tax is set to increase every single year. While it might not hit petrol and diesel this month, people can expect prices to rise again later this year, again next year, and the year after that.

Fuel is not a luxury; it is a staple. People need it to get to work, to bring their children to school and to run their businesses. Aontú was the only party to vote against carbon taxes because we knew this policy would pile further pressure on people who are already struggling. It was a punitive tax and a punishment tax. With 60% of the price of fuel being tax, the Government cannot pretend that its hands are tied here. Right now families are being forced to dig deeper into their pockets and simply suck it up. We do not need platitudes sympathising with people's struggles. We need tangible help for people and we need the Government to cut the taxes on fuel.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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The free fuel allowance is a fantastic targeted allowance which now reaches 470,000 households. I acknowledge the increase in the budget so that it is now €38. This is substantial. The duration of the allowance is 28 weeks, usually from the end of September to April. Today, particularly with the increase in fuel prices and all that is going on in the world, I call on the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, to extend the period. We are nearly into April now and I would like him to extend the period, even for this year, by maybe three or four weeks. It would be a huge help. I know there are other people in society such as the squeezed middle and they must be helped as well, but I just think this is a very easy and targeted help to many people. I call on the Minister to increase the duration of the free fuel allowance.

Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)
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I have a number of issues to raise, the first being Hughes Agriculture and Farming, which was based in Kells, County Kilkenny. Hughes grew about 12% of the carrots produced in Ireland. It was also a grower of onions and daffodils. People would see its beautiful fields in parts of Kells in County Kilkenny. The company has folded and has gone into liquidation. It was a combination of and a perfect storm of prices and supermarkets. I remember talking to its representatives a few years ago and they told me it would be cheaper to plough the vegetables back into the ground than to accept the prices that supermarkets were offering them. It was also about labour and, more recently, the weather events we have had over the past couple of months where climate is now playing a part in the horticultural sector. It is a significant challenge for that sector. I would welcome a debate on the issue of the horticultural sector. We have seen it almost collapse in the last ten years, going from 600 growers down to about 75 now. I heard the Minister speak about it. He spoke about people buying Irish, but that will not butter any parsnips when there are no Irish parsnips to butter.

I would welcome a debate on the report of the local government task force. We hear of the debacle that is happening in Limerick with the Mayor of Limerick. Certainly there are forces there that do not want the directly elected mayors to be a success, but they have to be. It is an embarrassment that we do not have a directly elected mayor in Dublin and in other large urban centres as they do in Europe where they have budgets and powers and where they are accountable to people. I would welcome an opportunity for a debate on that. I know our own Councillor Janet Horner has been very strong on having a directly elected mayor for the city of Dublin. It would be timely to have a debate in this Chamber on the report of the local government task force.

In relation to Bessborough, there are other sites around the country and it would be useful if we had a debate about these sites where there are sensitive issues and where there are, potentially, burials. There are issues of closure for families, respect for burial sites and memorialisation of loved ones who have been lost.It would be useful to have a debate in this Chamber in that regard and the Cross-Party Group is calling for such a debate.

Frances Black (Independent)
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I am delighted to hear that representatives of Family Addiction Recovery Ireland, FARI, are before the Joint Committee on Drugs Use today. It is an unbelievably brilliant organisation. It is the umbrella organisation for family members who have somebody they love with an alcohol, drug or gambling problem. I am sorry that I will not get over to Buswells Hotel for the press conference because I will be in the Chamber. The work FARI does is fantastic. I want to put that on the record. We must take into consideration, particularly for the drugs strategy, the impact on families. We all know that addiction is soul-destroying not only for the individual but also for the whole family. The whole family need their own separate recovery. That is what is really important. Even though family members do not take a substance or act out an addictive behaviour, they need their own separate recovery to deal with the trauma of watching somebody you love going down the route of self-destruction. It is soul-destroying and heartbreaking. I am delighted they are before the committee and want to put that on the record. Perhaps when the drugs strategy comes out, we can have a debate on it and ask the Minister to come to the House and give us an update.

I want to pay tribute today to a really good friend of mine who had the most beautiful and soulful voice in Ireland, namely, Dolores Keane. We will all miss her deeply. Just saying her name brings music to mind. She came from Caherlistrane in County Galway. She was the voice that carried the soul not only of the west of Ireland but of the whole of Ireland. Many years ago, when I was a teenager, I used to listen to De Dannan and Dolores Keane and all her songs. I learned off all her songs. Little did I think that I would be singing onstage with her many years later on "A Woman's Heart". I used to stand at the side of the stage and be in awe of her and how she could bring this beautiful soulful voice. The whole place would come alive. She uplifted the audience and they all loved her dearly.

My sister, Mary, was a very close friend of Dolores. I want to share a quote that Mary put up after Dolores passed away. She said:

Dearest Dolly, we had great times together on the road with De Dannan all those years ago - two mothers missing our babies. You'd prop me up and I'd prop you up. A strong bond that lasted a lifetime. And we laughed - boy, did we laugh!

That was Dolores. She always made us laugh. Our President said of Dolores, "a voice like hers does not leave us, it moves into the air and lives forever". Rest now, Dolores, in the music that you always carried. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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I rise to highlight deeply concerning testimony given to the Oireachtas committee on higher education by Ms Angela Clayton-Lea, chief executive officer of Cancer Trials Ireland, and Dr. Veronica McInerney, programme manager. They made it clear that Ireland is facing a significant shortfall in clinical trials, which are not an optional extra but a vital component of modern cancer care. Clinical trials give patients earlier access to innovative and potentially life-saving treatments. They improve outcomes, drive the development of better therapies and ensure that our Irish clinicians remain connected to global advances in cancer care. They also attract investment into Ireland and strengthen our healthcare as a whole. Yet, despite these benefits, Ireland continues to lag behind comparable EU countries. The current national cancer strategy sets a target of 6% of cancer patients participating in clinical trials. It is just not ambitious enough. We should be striving to meet the 10% target recommended by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes.

The most shocking revelation at that committee was the stark geographical inequity in research funding. Between 2021 and 2026, approximately €10.8 million has been allocated to Dublin and the east while a mere €600,000 has been allocated to Limerick and the mid-west. I will say that again. Some €10.8 million has been allocated to Dublin and the east while a mere €600,000 has been allocated to Limerick and the mid-west. That is not a funding gap; it is a further example of healthcare discrimination for people living in Limerick and the mid-west. It means that cancer patients in the mid-west have virtually no opportunity to access clinical trials. Accident and emergency access, dentistry and now access to clinical trials for cancer patients - how did we get to this point?

I acknowledge the positive news that 43 acres in Raheen have been acquired by HSE Mid West and the steps that this coalition Government is taking to address the hospital facilities shortage at University Hospital Limerick, UHL. I am also calling on the Minister for Health to urgently address this cancer treatment imbalance. Access to clinical trials in Limerick could literally be the difference between life and death for some patients. I call on the Minister to ensure that this inequity is fully considered by the project board overseeing the new campus development at UHL on the recently acquired 43-acre site. We cannot continue to tolerate a two-tier system in healthcare. The people of Limerick and the mid-west deserve equal access, equal opportunity and equal hope.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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On Monday of last week, Cavan County Council invited all the Oireachtas Members from Cavan and Monaghan to attend a council meeting to discuss the roads allocation. There were four Members of this House in attendance, namely, Senators Sarah O'Reilly, Joe O'Reilly, Wilson and I, as well as four of the five TDs representing the constituency. The Fianna Fáil councillors met the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, prior to Christmas about the roads allocation and how poor it is. We have approximately 3,000 km of local roads in the county. Sufficient money is being provided to repair less than 50 km of those roads each year. The Minister promised the councillors that the announcement of the roads allocation for this year would be made in December and that it would be significantly increased. The announcement was not made until February and it was not increased. In fact, there is less money available this year than there was last year. This is very disappointing. It is very disappointing for the councillors in the area and for all the Oireachtas Members. I know that Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised this issue yesterday and I raise this matter in support of what she said. We need the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to come into the Chamber and discuss the roads allocation for Cavan. We heard that day of other counties getting a much more significant roads allocation in proportion to the length of their roads. After he promised the councillors he would increase the allocation, and recognised all of the work that the staff of Cavan County Council put into preparing a report on the roads and the funding, he ignored all of that and came out and gave a smaller allocation this year. We need to have the Minister in the House to discuss the allocation. We have brought up the issue a number of times but have never had the Minister into the House to answer questions on the roads allocation.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I always dislike using exaggerated language, but I find myself disgusted, disappointed and shocked by the Government attempting to guillotine the debate on the International Protection Bill in this House. On Committee Stage, there are over 400 amendments. Based on a rough view of the amendments paper, approximately half of them are Government amendments. It will be proposed, in all probability, that all of those amendments will be adopted by this House without any discussion whatsoever. That will be the consequence of what is happening. In the wider world, people on the hard right are exploiting the migration and asylum-seeking issue. The shameful decision on the part of the Government to try to railroad this measure through this House at this stage will prevent it from being properly discussed and prevent different voices with different perspectives on some of the issues raised, including detention of people, being heard. All of this is being rushed through. There is no excuse for it; none whatsoever. There is no urgency. We have had a lengthy St. Patrick's Day break. We are coming up to a lengthy Easter break. This measure, which has huge social consequences for this State, is being rushed through without debate.

Fianna Fáil stood for the retention of Seanad Éireann. Do we remember that? If the Government behaves like this, it effectively says that it does not matter what the people in the Seanad think. It is going to do what it wants. It is going to table 150 amendments to its own legislation, which went through the Dáil on a guillotine. It is going to railroad those amendments through without debate. It is going to prevent anybody who does not have the same perspective as the Department of justice and the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, from having their views even put on the record.It is a disgrace. It is a serious disgrace.

All I can say is that the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, is a good friend of mine. He has come into this House and he has appeared to be decent and open to ideas and constructive debate very frequently. Whoever decided, however, and it must have been a Cabinet or Chief Whip’s decision, to guillotine this legislation on Committee Stage in the way it is being done is a disgrace to Irish democracy. The Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, unfortunately, is fronting up for them. I am not going to allow my personal regard for him to stand in the way of calling out what he is doing, which is trampling on democracy.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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At the outset, I acknowledge the Taoiseach’s visit to Washington. I think he handled it very diplomatically. He defended what he needed to defend and he said what he needed to say. Overall, the Government’s St. Patrick’s Day programme internationally, across Europe, the United States and other parts of the world, has gone exceptionally well. The benefit of this is significant.

I listened with great interest to Senator Ryan talking about cancer services in the mid-west. I came in here with the intention of calling for a debate specifically on cancer services, the national cancer strategy and cancer in general because it is the daffodil period. I believe Daffodil Day is next week. So many citizens suffer from cancer and so many survive cancer now because of that significant improvement in treatments, services and supports. I share concerns that it is not geographically equal. It depends on where people are living in the country. We saw this particularly in relation to Donegal and the situation with the flights. In the mid-west, certainly, the system is great once you get into it, but the geographical challenges in getting into the system are a problem. We need to look at equality in terms of availability and access in a significant way.

I also welcome the announcement of the purchase of 43 acres in Raheen. Of course, I would love to have seen that happening in Ennis but I am a realist and I understand that healthcare has to be regional. It is a shame that it was not done 20 years ago when “configuration” was the buzzword at the time, and we would not be where we are today. It does, though, present us with an opportunity to build a state-of-the-art, world-class facility. I sincerely hope that does happen, because I am convinced that when the children’s hospital is opened and the people of Ireland see the services, supports and accommodation there, they will believe it is value for money. I would like to see the same happen in our region of the mid-west, namely, that eventually out of the suffering of the people in the mid-west in terms of access, particularly access to emergency care, we would see a world-class facility we can all stand over and that will benefit the health of the people of my region.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I want to raise serious concerns about the draft national drugs strategy because those working on the ground are saying it is fundamentally flawed. This week, we had three respected community networks, namely, CityWide, Family Addiction Recovery Ireland, FARI, and UISCE, briefing policymakers. Their message is clear. It is that the new draft national drugs strategy is missing the point. It fails to recognise a key point, which is that drug harm is deeply linked to poverty, inequality and disadvantage. If we are ignoring that aspect, then I think we are missing a significant aspect and we are building the drugs strategy on the wrong foundation.

Over 11,000 people died between 2004 and 2020 from drug overdoses. These are real death statistics that were preventable. What worries me most is that the voices of the most affected are not being considered in the draft strategy. In effect, they are being pushed out. Communities, families and people using services are sort of being treated as afterthoughts and not partners.

As chair of the south western regional drug and alcohol task force, I see that decisions are being made in the drugs strategy to suit the systems we have rather than the people. Local drug and alcohol task forces have been the backbone of the community response to drug addiction over the last number of years, and they are being weakened rather than strengthened. I say this from experience.

As the Deputy Leader knows, I have worked on the ground in drug community projects. I see organisations like ours and many others, like CityWide, trying to meet people where they are at. Families are living with fear, financial strain and often in silence. The people who use drugs are not just service users; they are citizens, parents and neighbours, people that the Deputy Leader and I know, and they deserve a real voice in this strategy. I am asking that the draft strategy be revisited urgently, that we align it with the recommendations of the citizens' assembly in which I took part and that drug policy be treated for what it is, which is a core socioeconomic issue, with oversight at Cabinet level. We cannot afford to get this wrong. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Deputy Leader.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the students from the Edmund Rice Secondary School from Carrick-on-Suir. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House today. As is customary, there will be no homework for the rest of the week. I hope they enjoy their visit. I call Senator Mullen.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I would like to say two things. First, I endorse what my friend and colleague, Senator McCarthy, has just said about the drugs strategy and the need, in particular, to ensure that people who use drugs are also heard in this conversation. What we must never lose sight of, though, is that as a society and a collective, and I do not think people will disagree with this, the message should always be that drugs are bad for people and bad for society. I sometimes worry that in our effort to meet people where they are, as important as that is, we lose sight of the importance of keeping the message simple and clear.

What prompts this particular reflection is what I read reported in The Irish Times on St. Patrick’s Day, which was that in the context of the St. Patrick’s Day Festival festivities, part of the invitation the HSE had to give was that "anyone who uses powder and crystal forms of drugs in Ireland" should "start low and go slow". Well, that might be a very good soundbite and it might make sense to people who have harm reduction very much on their minds, but do they not realise that what they are actually doing with that kind of discourse is endorsing drug taking? This is the same as the way in which policies of checking people’s drugs at festivals and so on may be well intentioned but are hopelessly naive and this undermines the effort to curb drugs in our society with all the chaos that causes for people, not just here, but in the places abroad from where these drugs are sourced. Senator Fitzpatrick tackled me recently enough when I said that I thought the Government was soft on drugs. That is the kind of messaging, though, that says to me that the political establishment and the health establishment in this country are in some ways soft on drugs, at least on soft drugs. I think that is very bad for our society.

I will conclude by saying what I intended to start by saying, which is that it is a disgrace that it is yet again being proposed to guillotine important legislation. The parliamentary guillotine should be a method of last resort when there is genuine urgency and haste on an issue of great importance. There is time to discuss this important legislation properly, to consider amendments and to have things thoroughly gone through. There are issues of the most compelling importance at stake with this legislation and it is a disgrace and an indictment of the Government and of all who support this measure that the guillotine is being proposed here again today.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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We have had nearly a record attendance, and it is good to see so many Senators remaining in the Chamber for their response as well. We had 22 Senators speak, so I thank all of them for their contributions this morning.

Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about being in London at two important events during the St. Patrick’s recess. One of these involved Tesco Ireland, which was supporting small indigenous producers through a Love Irish Food element. I have no doubt that this was a great promotion of Irish foods. It was interesting to marry that with what Senator Noonan just spoke about in relation to the number of producers, particularly Hughes in Kells, County Kilkenny, which sadly has now ceased operating.In fact, we only have 75 producers. There has to be something between those two events that will support our Irish producers at home and abroad. Senator Fitzpatrick mentioned the event in the Irish Embassy. We are so well served by our teams abroad. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, who does so much to promote the Irish-UK friendship.

Senator Fitzpatrick also spoke about the drugs committee, as its Vice Chair. I thank her and all of the committee members for the important work they do. There is no doubt that drugs impact everywhere that people live, no matter how small the community. We see the devastation they cause to individuals and their families. The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, has drafted a new policy, which will be available for public consultation until 10 April. It is very important that everybody takes the opportunity to submit to that, bearing in mind that Senator McCarthy also spoke in his capacity as Chair of the south-west drugs task force, acknowledging all of the important work done by Tiglin. While there is the opportunity to engage before 10 April, the Senator feels there is not sufficient examination of the link between addiction and those from deprived backgrounds. We need to have a community response, and I hope the Senator will make a submission, as I have no doubt he will, before 10 April.

Senator Mullen also spoke about this issue. I am vehemently anti-drugs. The Senator talked about checking drugs at festivals. When that policy came in, as someone who is genuinely anti-drugs in whatever form they take, I questioned it too. However, we have seen deaths in the past when young people at festivals have taken drugs laced with toxic substances. I believe that checking what the substances are saves lives. It is not a measure we want to take but, at the same time, we cannot put our heads in the sand and pretend drug-taking is not going on. Recently, the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, visited Willow and Cuan Mhuire in Kildare. I know she is understanding. Excellent work is happening with many organisations around the country that are trying to stand up to the drug scourge.

Senator Cathal Byrne spoke about the impact of war on the cost of fuel and prices. This is something we are all witnessing. Senators Murphy O'Mahony and Sarah O'Reilly also brought up this issue. There is no doubt that there is an element of price gouging. When someone has paid in advance, they basically have a contract with the supplier. It is completely wrong to come back to look for more money. I have advised other people to refer those cases to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Its role is to enforce consumer rights, which are important. The suggestion was made by Senators Byrne and Murphy O'Mahony that the free fuel allowance scheme be expanded. I know the Cabinet will be considering measures next Tuesday. We all support it in that. We need to have measures. I think those measures will be around the excise part and not the carbon tax. If we believe in a climate crisis and in global warming, it is important that there is a carbon tax. We have signed up to it at European level. In fairness, those taxes provide the funds for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, and for retrofitting and the extension of the fuel allowance. It is working to help those who are at risk of fuel poverty.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the International Protection Bill 2026 and the proposal to complete Committee Stage at 4 p.m. today. He is wrong to say we met at 2.30 p.m. yesterday. We actually met at 1 p.m. Ministers were not available last week because of the visits taking place around the globe, which have been acknowledged in the House and which have been important in terms of trade and of fostering international relationships. This is not the conclusion of the Bill. We will move to Report and Final Stages next week. The International Protection Bill is large, complex and time-sensitive because it transposes and implements the EU asylum and migration pact, which Ireland opted in to in July 2024, nearly two years ago. It is a central priority of the Government that our immigration laws are robust and are enforced. This is the most comprehensive reform of immigration law in the history of the State. The overall objective is to provide a fair, sustainable and effective asylum procedure, which will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU. The enactment and commencement of the Act are required by 12 June 2026. Therefore, it is time-sensitive.

Senators Higgins, McDowell and Mullen spoke on this issue. The Minister has requested that we finish Committee Stage at 4 p.m. Senator McDowell asked who requested that. The Minister requested it. Senator Higgins said she would be proposing an amendment to the Order of Business, which, on behalf of the Leader of the Seanad, I will not be accepting at this point.

Senator Collins spoke about a school in Dromcollogher being on a main road. It is a busy main road. I know the area and Dromcollogher. It is surprising that this has not yet been addressed under the safe routes to school scheme. Obviously, funding goes from the Department to the local authorities. I have no doubt the Senator has been in touch with the local authority about the issue. We will ask for a debate with the Minister about the safe routes to school and active travel schemes because they are an important element of safety and in ensuring that not everybody has to drive to school. We will certainly ask for that.

Senator Stephenson spoke about the fact that we now have 89 data centres. I agree with her that they consume a lot of energy and there needs to be a balance between domestic consumers and businesses that need to have the data centres. However, the data centres sit at the intersection of economic strategy and the transition to the digital economy, and they support cloud-based business systems. There is a statement on the role of data centres in Ireland's enterprise strategy. First published in 2022, the strategy was updated in 2025. We will ask for a debate about it. Balance is the important element here.

Senator Comyn spoke about Daffodil Day. It was great to see so many supporting Daffodil Day at the coffee morning earlier in LH 2000. The Senator is right to raise the fact that there are a lot of non-medical costs for those who suffer from cancer. Another Senator also spoke about that. In terms of parking costs, it is awful. When people are at the end of their tether and sad, upset or traumatised going to visit relatives in hospital, it can sometimes be the last straw. Scrabbling around trying to get change or to ensure you have money on an app is difficult and an extra burden.I understand Senator Comyn was talking about Drogheda in particular and she said maybe a shuttle bus should be provided instead. That could be a viable alternative. It is a proposal we should put. We will look for the Minister to come in and address that and also what Senator Ryan said about Ireland facing a significant shortage in clinical trials. That we are lagging behind other EU countries is not good enough. We need to show ambition. We need to show courage for people who are suffering from cancer and who are getting those diagnoses. None of us knows on any given day when any of us might get that diagnosis. We need to show that ambition. The geographical disparity Senator Ryan spoke about is quite shocking and we must acknowledge that here. Again, we will look for the Minister to address this inequity. In light of what Senators Ryan and Comyn spoke about, we will look for the Minister to come before the House in relation to those specific issues. When a family member is undergoing treatment for cancer, finances come into it in a big way. The financial stress apart from the medical stress is quite enormous.

Senator Duffy spoke again about the cost of living and particularly about the costs for hauliers. He pointed out that, of course, the impact is going to come back onto the retailer and the consumer.

Senator Keogan spoke about legislation recently introduced in the House of Lords. While we do not comment on legislation brought forward in other jurisdictions, I share her concern about it opening a door to unregulated abortion. She also mentioned the improvised Epstein files floats in two parades. It is quite shocking. I do not know how anybody could have conceived that either of those would be a good idea. We have to call it out for what it is. The Senator did raise this issue before and I said that anybody who has any information or evidence absolutely needs to go to the Garda, and once a formal complaint is made, it absolutely should be investigated.

Senator Rabbitte spoke on the policy and funding role of the Minister for Transport and the responsibility for TII in local authorities to carry out policy and make sure the structure is in place. She highlighted the fact there is no adequate traffic calming in Portumna and its environs. We absolutely do need to have a good, active and safe traffic programme. That relates to the issue Senator Comyn spoke on and we will look for the Minister to come. He is overdue a visit to the Seanad. We will certainly look for that.

Senator Scahill looked for a debate in respect of dentists. To think we have gone from 1,500 to 600 dentists who are active in the medical card scheme is quite shocking given the growing population. It is particularly difficult with young people and with schools. Somebody recently told me about a Ukrainian dentist who was here but could not get work. One thing we need to do is look at recognising qualifications from other countries. We need a debate on this. It comes up in this House regularly and we have not had a debate on it with the Minister for Health, so we will certainly look for that.

Senator Andrews spoke about the CBS in Westland Row, which has been there since 1864 and needs maintenance. Half of the boys' toilets are closed because the downpipe is not working. The Senator said the school has been given funding of €750,000 but it is spending only about €450,000 on what it was assigned for. He believes we need to be able to divert that funding. I agree that we need a common-sense approach, but we must have procedures and protocols that are quite strict. If funding is given for a specific purpose, it should be used for that purpose, and if there needs to be a change, there needs to be a very specific set of criteria. It is shocking to see a school operating like that in the city centre. I suggest Senator Andrews put down a Commencement matter. Speaking of Westland Row, I was in Dublin City Council's Pearse Street Library last night, which I believe has been refurbished in the last few years. It is an absolutely stunning, beautiful building. A really excellent job was done of refurbishing it and having an open building people can come into.

Senator Noonan spoke about Hughes Agriculture and Farming Limited. He talked about the cost of production and getting labour, etc. We need an urgent policy reset of how we support horticulture in this country. Maybe that has happened at the agriculture committee, but it is terribly concerning to see us going down this road as a country that has always been so proud of our produce and, it seems to me, is always talking about food security. However, we are not living the food security piece if we see what has happened in Hughes if that continues, which none of us want. The Senator has also asked for a debate about the local democracy task force. That is important to all of us for many different reasons. I understand the report is with the Minister at this point. We need to have an urgent debate in this House. We will certainly look for that.

In relation to Bessborough and sites of sensitivity, that is something to explore. I am not sure whether it would lie with the OPW or the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, but we will investigate it and see if we can do something and bring forward a debate on it.

Senator Black spoke about Family Addiction Recovery Ireland, FARI, presenting in Buswells today and thanked them for their huge work around addiction impact on families. She outlined very eloquently the huge trauma on families. I thank the Senator for her work with the Rise Foundation because all of that work is important for rebuilding people's lives and giving them all opportunities. She also spoke about the wonderful Dolores Keane. Once somebody heard her voice, they were just addicted to her. I remember seeing her and her two aunts what must be 35 years ago down in Dingle and it was one of the most incredible concerts I ever saw. She had a haunting voice and she embodied Ireland's culture within that. Mary's poem was lovely. She was right that Dolores's music will remain forever and we will always thank her for her music.

Senator Tully spoke about the Oireachtas Members meeting Cavan councillors about insufficient funding for Cavan roads. Obviously I was not privy to that meeting and did not hear what was said besides what was said here in the Chamber. We will look for the Minister for Transport to come and talk about allocations. Once allocations are made, it is important that the Minister, for whatever allocations, comes and talks about the position and defends the policy around what funding is given to which county.

Senator Conway spoke about the Taoiseach's visit to Washington and the fact that the international programme went very well. Thankfully it did in Washington, given that you just do not know what you are going to be faced with. I spoke about this yesterday here in the Seanad. I think the Taoiseach absolutely faced up to his responsibilities both as a Taoiseach and as a proud European member. Senator Conway also spoke about equality and equity for those suffering from cancer. We have already said we will look for the Minister to come to the House in relation to that.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator O'Loughlin. Senator Higgins has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 1, International Protection Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (resumed), be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business and adjourn at 4 p.m., if not previously concluded. Is the amendment being pressed?

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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Yes.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Is the Order of Business agreed? Not agreed.