Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, the International Protection Bill 2026 – Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 1 p.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 6 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair which shall in relation to amendments include only those set down or accepted by the Government; and No. 54, motion 1, Private Members' business, a motion regarding a constitutional referendum to specify the number of members of Dáil Éireann, to be taken at 6.30 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, on the Greek national day I welcome to Seanad Éireann the Greek ambassador to Ireland. Of course, Greece is a country associated with creativity, resilience and the democratic spirit, a spirit that is needed now more than ever. From philosophy to science, from the arts to mathematics, Greece has offered and enriched the world with its ideas and its enabling of civilisation. It is important to acknowledge that not only did Greece give us democracy - the very word itself and the roots of that word - but it also gave us theatre. At this time when Kerry, and Ireland I suppose, celebrates the winning of an Oscar, we also acknowledge that the very word "thespian", the word for actor, derives from Thespis of Icaria who was the first ever performer who stepped onto a stage and portrayed another character. That was a radical idea at the time, indeed, democracy was a radical idea, when Greek civilisation created it. Theatres around the world owe their very existence to Greece, for which we are eternally grateful. This year is an important year for Greece because of the fact that it is 130 years since the birth of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. I was in that stadium and finished my one and only marathon in that stadium.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Well done Cathaoirleach, and you back there in 1896.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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It took six hours so I did not make the Irish Olympic team on the basis of it.

This year, 2026, also marks the 45th anniversary of Greece joining the European Union and we thank it for its support for Ireland throughout the last decade in terms of Brexit. We look forward to working with Greece on sharing prosperity and future ideas in this challenging time for the world. On Greece's national day, I welcome the ambassador and thank him for being with us. I also thank all the people in the Greek community in Ireland for their contribution to Irish society.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I add my voice of welcome to the Greek ambassador. I had the pleasure of visiting Olympia, the home of the ancient Olympics, which is a very special place indeed. We have to remind ourselves that the Irish Special Olympics is coming up in June. I know we support all of our athletes from all over the island of Ireland who will then be taking the opportunity to compete in the next Special Olympics World Summer Games, which will be in Chile. Athens actually hosted the 2011 Special Olympics. I had the opportunity to go there and was very appreciative, as was everybody, of the wonderful organisation that was put in place by Greece.

Speaking of sport, I offer my very best wishes to the Irish team ahead of their World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final tomorrow in Prague. It is a great honour for all of our footballers to represent our countries and to wear the green jersey and we are all very proud of their dedication and effort. Those of us who are older will remember the great spirit of Italia '90, a time when the country came together in hope and in belief. I know we are all united in looking for a positive result tomorrow.

The Cathaoirleach mentioned creativity and filmmaking and I am delighted to congratulate Sam Whelan and the talented young people from Patrician Secondary School and Holy Family Secondary School, Newbridge, on the success of their short film "The Wrong Jumper", which has been selected for the all-Ireland finals of the Young Irish Filmmaker of the Year competition organised by Fresh Film. It was nominated for the award for best comedy and also the overall Young Irish Filmmaker of the Year.As part of the festival, the audience award goes to the film with the most views on the Fresh Film YouTube channel, so I encourage everyone here and everyone in Kildare and beyond to watch and share "The Wrong Jumper" and help these very talented young filmmakers bring home this award.

Coming up this morning I was heartened to see at some stations, though not all, the excise duty drop reflected in fuel costs. Obviously we want to see that panning out over the day but reducing the cost of petrol and diesel was a really important practical step that was made by Government. We absolutely need to offer much-needed relief to motorists, workers and to the many small businesses that rely on transport every day.

The final item I would like to mention relates to the Bord na Móna headquarters in Newbridge. A fabulous new state-of-the-art landmark building on Main Street in Newbridge. It is going to have five storeys. I had the opportunity to look around it recently. Bord na Móna is on quite a large site there and the buildings that are operating as offices at present are preserved. Bord na Móna is a semi-State company and I would like to see the Newbridge community being able to avail of the existing buildings that will not be in corporate use following the move to the new building. I tried to put it in as a Commencement matter but it was not appropriate for that. I would like a debate with the Minister on this in the House.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise an issue about Clogher barracks, which is located near Portnoo in beautiful Donegal. It is a building with history and potential. It was operated as a Garda station but has been closed since 1999. For over two decades this fine structure has stood idle despite clear interest from the local community in bringing it back into meaningful use. Since 12 September 2018, the Narin Portnoo Rosbeg Community Co-operative Society has been actively engaging with the Office of Public Works and An Garda Síochána regarding the future of the building. Representatives from both organisations met the local community on site. Following that meeting there were strong expectations the building would be leased to the community to look after. However, several years on, nothing has happened. The community have shown patience, commitment and a genuine willingness to take responsibility for the building. They are a tight-knit community and work tirelessly to create all opportunities to strengthen bonds and work together. Their interest in the barracks is not speculative but rooted in a vision for the community. This community wants to come together and make the building a place where they can advertise what goes on in the local area. As Members will know, we have the thatching college down there. There is so much this building could be used for and this delay is really unacceptable. Maybe we could try to get the two groups together to see if we could get this signed over to the local co-operative, which really wants to make something good of it. The committee really is first-class.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker I welcome to the Gallery guests of Senator Martin Conway. They are his cousin Anastacia Beary and Kath O'Leary. You are both welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Anois, an Seanadóir Joe Conway.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I believe I had the first slot booked.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I do not have any running order. It is fine if the Senators are happy. Senator Conway was here first but Senator Craughwell can go next.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Thank you very much, a Chathaoirligh. I thank Senator Conway and offer best wishes to our Greek colleagues, who I thank for being here. I want to use my time to address an issue that affects families across Ireland and quietly punishes them at the very moment they are dealing with loss, namely, inheritance tax. As a person who is in the departure lounge himself, my family may be looking at it in the very near future. I hope not, but they may be. The inheritance tax is meant to ensure fairness but in practice it does the opposite. It penalises ordinary families, undermines the idea of building something for the next generation and treats aspiration as something that must be taxed rather than encouraged.

Let us start with the basics. The current tax-free threshold for parent-to-child in group A is €400,000 but the threshold for siblings, nieces, nephews and grandchildren - who are in group B – is €40,000. All others, including close friends and unmarried partners, are in group C and the threshold there is €20,000. In many constituencies that are urban - and increasingly suburban – the average family home now exceeds the threshold for group A by quite a considerable amount. The result is ordinary families rather than high-net worth households are being drawn into a tax originally designed for a very different economic reason. Furthermore, the current system clearly discriminates against childless citizens. In many cases, a son or daughter inheriting a house they grew up in can face a tax bill running to tens of thousands of euro not because they are wealthy or have done anything wrong but simply because their parents owned a modest home in a county where property prices have spiralled. This is not a taxed luxury; it has become a tax on ordinary life. What messages does it send? We tell people to work hard, save, invest in their homes and build a better future for their children yet when they do exactly that, the State steps in at the worst possible moment and takes a significant portion of what they have earned with money they already paid tax on. Inheritance tax creates inequality between those who can afford professional tax planning and those who cannot. Wealthy families can structure their assets and minimise the impact but ordinary families cannot. The result is a system that claims to promote fairness but ends up reinforcing the very inequalities it was supposed to address.

We need a tax system that reflects modern Ireland’s housing market, cost of living and values. This will mean raising thresholds to realistic levels, recognising the citizen’s home as a place of memory and stability rather than a taxable asset and it means ensuring people are not punished for wanting to provide for their children and that citizens who are not married and have no children are not prevented from providing people they loved and cared for all their lives. We should have a debate on inheritance tax and specifically on why, when we have worked all our lives while paying tax do we have to pay tax when we die, or rather why do our children have to.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
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I wish to raise the issue of the ship, the Catalpa. It may familiar to students of history but for those who are not, the Catalpa facilitated an escape of Fenian prisoners from Freemantle Prison outside Perth in Australia. The 150th anniversary of this escape will take next month. There had been a general amnesty for Fenian prisoners who had been shipped to Australia but these six prisoners had been serving members of the British forces and Fenian revolutionaries at the same time and were therefore excluded from that.

One of the prisoners who had been released prior to that, John Boyle O'Reilly, worked in the United States to try to secure their release. One of the prisoners was from Wicklow, two were from Cork, one was from Tyrone, one from Limerick and there was a guy called James Wilson, whose real name was in fact McNally. He was from Newry, County Down. The Fenian who people will be familiar with, John Devoy, worked in the United States to raise funds to raise funds to try to secure their freedom. I think the equivalent of £1 million in today's money was raised to buy a whaling ship called the Catalpa and send it to Australia to try to secure their release. The prisoners managed to escape out to the Catalpa in small boats but as the ship tried to exit Australian waters it was confronted by a British warship. The captain of the ship, who was a Quaker from the United States, hoisted the American flag and declared if they attacked the ship it would be an act of war on the United States of America and thus secured their freedom.

It is a remarkable story and this week in Freemantle and Perth there is a week-long commemoration of the events. I had the opportunity in October to visit Freemantle Prison and saw the exhibition and the excitement about the anniversary coming up. There are events in Boston and New York because that is where they eventually ended up after three months at sea but there are no events in Ireland. My colleague, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, asked the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, and was told there was nothing planned. The flag that was used is kept in the National Museum here yet we have nothing to commemorate this event.The consular offices in both the United States and in Australia are assisting with the events there. I ask the Leader to ask the Government to again consider hosting some events commemorating this. I ask the Cathaoirleach to ensure that, if there is an exhibition attached to the commemoration, we try to secure it for this place at some stage over the course of the year. This is a remarkable story that is receiving increased attention given the anniversary of the escape and I would like to see us having the opportunity to commemorate the anniversary in Ireland, and not just in Australia and the United States of America as is currently happening.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I became aware of the Catalpa story through an extraordinary play by Donal O'Kelly. The play is a wonderful one-man show that tells the story of the Catalpa and brought everything very much to life. If it is decided to mark the anniversary, perhaps Donal O'Kelly would be willing to revive his show. It is one of the most striking plays that I have seen and gives a deep insight into history.

I wish to formally propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that the International Protection Bill 2026 would adjourn rather than conclude at the end of the discussion today.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I second that.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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Next, I ask the Leader to arrange a debate for after the recess. The Brussels court of appeal in Belgium has found the Belgian state to be in violation of its obligations under international law and, therefore, domestic law, which recognises international law, by its permitting of overflights, of arms transfers to Israel, over its territory. This is overflights and not landings. The ruling of the court of appeal points to the measures in the January 2024 court finding which established the credible risk of genocide. This is one of a number of serious and high-level court rulings right across Europe on the clear message that we should not be complicit in the transfer of arms, and that states have a responsibility to ensure they are not complicit. Yet we are still seeing no inspections of the flights that are landing in Ireland, and no measures to address the known and documented overflights of weapons that have taken place through Irish airspace. Again, on a separate but linked issue, we do not really know what is happening with overflights or landings in the current conflict in the Middle East.

I ask that the Leader arrange a debate in these Houses on military flights, overflights, landings and what measures the State is taking to protect our neutrality and our compliance with international law. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Transport to discuss that matter with the Houses.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next Senator, I welcome the Speaker of the Parliament of the Isle of Man, the Honourable Juan Watterson, and a member of that Parliament, Mr. John Wannenburgh, who are guests of Senator Gerard Craughwell. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann and I thank them for visiting Leinster House.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I, too, welcome our guests from the Isle of Man. It is great to see them. Last year, I had the honour of representing Seanad Éireann at the Tynwald Day ceremony. The pageantry and event are worth noting. If anybody gets the opportunity, I recommend visiting the Isle of Man and certainly Tynwald Day because visitors receive a very warm welcome. I again welcome our guests.

The main reason I rise today is to join with Senator Craughwell in relation to the inheritance tax. It is an unfair tax, especially for people who have no children, because when people pass on their home, money or an item of value, only €40,000 can be passed to nieces and nephews and then it is €20,000 to other members of the family. I welcome the words of the Taoiseach, who is certainly looking at reform or would welcome it. It is an unfair tax because people are discriminated against. People have already paid tax on their income and when they die they leave their estate to a loved one who then must pay over 33% in inheritance tax over the rates. There is due to be a meeting with the Minister for Finance in the coming days. The Government will consider some sort of reform but I think there should be reform over the lifetime of this current Government. I am not advocating for doing away with the inheritance tax altogether but we need to reduce the rates and make it more affordable for people to inherit because in some cases people end up having to sell the house they inherit just to pay the tax on it. It is an unfair tax and needs to be looked at.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I rise today because this House must confront a pattern of incidents that raise serious questions about public safety, national security awareness and the State's capacity to respond. Most recently in Navan, County Meath, a woman claimed to have a bomb strapped to her during a children's confirmation in a church. While the details are still emerging, the targeting of a place of worship fits into a broader and troubling pattern. Last year, two gardaí were attacked with a knife on Capel Street with the attacker shouting the term "Allahu Akbar" and later stating in court that he was inspired by ISIS. The year before, an Army chaplain was stabbed in Galway by a perpetrator who also admitted being inspired by Islamic extremism. These incidents do not exist in isolation. International experts and people who monitor this have warned of Islamic extremist networks in Ireland, including the Muslim Brotherhood front organisations.

Recently I visited Dubai and met Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the defence affairs committee of the UAE Federal National Council. They have recently cut all of their student grants here in Ireland with the Irish universities and asked their students from that area not to attend universities here in Ireland. Let me be clear. There is a crucial distinction between Islamism and the vast majority of Muslims who are law-abiding members of our society. That distinction must be maintained not only because it allows us to identify genuine threats but because confusion and ambiguity are assets to extremists and a danger to genuine Muslims. What capacities and capabilities does the Government currently have to monitor emerging risks? How is intelligence policing being done and community engagement being co-ordinated? What concrete steps are being taken now to prevent further incidents?

This House needs a full debate on the State's preparedness. The Government must outline what additional tools and resources are required to keep people safe. Transparency and action are needed now.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I want to highlight the announcement this morning by the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, of €48 million annually for the new DEIS plus scheme and the DEIS strategy to 2035. It is a significant step up in addressing educational inequality across the country. As part of the announcement, it was confirmed that 121 schools will receive funding and the plan will deliver 400 additional roles, of which 350 will be teaching places.

I want to mention that Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe has recently been included in the schools building programme, which has been complemented by the announcement this morning. The programme will address where we see inequalities and where public representatives have highlighted inequalities. The funding will be used to balance the whole system to ensure that all students have access to the education that they deserve, and will support the teachers and staff in these schools. The programme will provide additional supports in relation to the home-school community liaison scheme. It will strengthen well-being, community and inclusion. It will also give schools access to capital funding, and provide funding for breakfast clubs and free period products. Today's announcement must be welcomed and the Minister must be commended.It was only Monday last when I met Councillors Liam Callaghan and Michéal Frain in Ballaghaderreen in County Roscommon. We have been working together on addressing inequalities in the town. It was great to see that St. Attracta's National School in Ballaghaderreen was included in the programme and I commend Noel Loftus, the principal there, and all his staff on the work they have been doing. I hope they will be able to continue to do it in a better way with this support.

I also want to recognise Roscommon Community College, which recently won six drama awards at the all-Ireland finals for schools, including for best director, best actor and best supporting actor. It performed an adaptation of "Eclipsed", a powerful play set in 1960s Ireland exploring the experiences of women in Magdalen laundries. It is great that students are able to experience this. It is a better way for learning in our schools and must be encouraged.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I agree with Senator Higgins's request for a debate. Now more than ever we need to ensure that Ireland is not facilitating, and does not facilitate, war, militarisation and genocide.

On another issue, a young man, Gary Ward, died by suicide on 7 April 2023. He had his struggles with his mental health. He was interested in and studied politics in UCD. He had schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. He was a loving son. He was hospitalised a number of times. The mental health system failed Gary and his family. The hospital did not tell his doctor he was on suicide watch. The family were unaware he was on suicide watch. The protocols for a person on suicide watch were, the family believe and the evidence would support, not followed. Gary's team was meant to check in daily but it seems this did not happen either.

Nearly three years later, there has still been no inquest and this is very upsetting for the family. There has been radio silence from the coroner's office. I know there are issues with resources for the coroner's office but three years of a delay is lamentable. It is very unfair on the family. The coroner's office is clearly not fit for purpose and a three-year wait is simply unacceptable. Gary's family has been left in the waiting room for three years. They need and deserve answers. The Government needs to get this sorted out so that Gary's family and other families get some answers and some peace. The shortage in staffing numbers is discussed but Gary and his family are the faces and people behind these numbers and statistics. They deserve better than this. The Minister needs to come to the House and outline how he will address the crisis in the coroner's office, which is having serious implications for families who are already distressed.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate the girls of Bailieborough Community School who won the all-Ireland post-primary schools junior B Gaelic football competition against a Carlow side. It was an extraordinary achievement for a small local community school and we are very proud of them. I live across the road from the school and it is my neighbour. I see the teams training there and it is wonderful.

To turn to the issue I have come in specifically to raise, and recognising the good work that the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, is doing in the area of older persons, I request the Leader to invite him to the House to discuss progress on putting home care on a statutory basis as we have done with nursing homes. Most people want to stay in their own homes. In the first place, it is best for the person and best for the community, but it is also more cost effective. It would be necessary to put in place a well-trained, permanent and well-resourced cohort of carers to establish this scheme. We should have a statutory home care scheme. I ask the Leader that we have that debate in the House on this important topic. It could be one of the greatest reforms of this age. We should have the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, in the House to discuss it. He is probably working on it very effectively but we need to see it happen in the lifetime of the Government.

Joe Conway (Independent)
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The Kremlin does everything it can to claim Russian society is squarely behind Mr. Putin and his war but when one of the Kremlin's leading legal proponents turns on the President, we begin to see fault lines open up under the pressures of war and economic decline. Ilya Remeslo is not a household name in Ireland but the 42-year-old lawyer led a ferocious campaign against opposition leader Alexei Navalny at the behest of the President. Having initially supported Navalny, a man who came to embody the fight against Putin, Remeslo suddenly began accusing him of fraud. He testified for the prosecution in the 2022 show trial that saw Navalny sent to prison. As the world knows, this anti-Putin hero died suddenly two years later in a Siberian penal colony. Russia blamed "sudden death syndrome" but most people conclude he was poisoned.

Remeslo turned his attention to Ukraine and started blogging his support for the war, that is, until last week when his 90,000 followers on Telegram received a post entitled "Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin". It was quite a moment for such a vocal supporter, and risky too, of course. He accused Putin of waging a failing war in Ukraine and breaking Russia's economy, concluding that he was not a legitimate president. He said Putin must resign and be brought to trial as a war criminal and a thief. The concluding idea is that when people begin to view that the ship is sinking, they will look for the lifeboats.

On this subject, I wonder whether, with the current turn of events when the predominance of the media is concentrating on the Iranian crisis in the Middle East, we tend to push the business of Ukraine to the background. I would be delighted to have, after Easter, a comprehensive and informative debate on the situation in Ukraine with the Minister for foreign affairs.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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A question I ask myself day in and day out, a question the Palestinians ask themselves day in and day out, and a question Irish people ask themselves constantly is why the Irish Government is not doing anything in the face of the ongoing human rights violations and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank. Perhaps it is because we hear there is a ceasefire. Perhaps this is why the Government is not doing anything. We all know that, in reality, there is no actual ceasefire.

Since the so-called ceasefire, Israeli aggression against the people of Gaza has continued. Nearly 700 Palestinians have died and 2,000 have been injured. Perhaps because 70,000 people have been killed altogether the numbers have lost any meaning for us. On Sunday, a strike against a refugee camp killed three and injured ten. The Rafah crossing is, once again, closed with little to no humanitarian aid getting in. The Government shrugs its shoulders and says it cannot do anything about it. The UN has been cataloguing what it calls a systematic assault on humanitarian operations in the occupied Palestinian territory. A total of 37 aid organisations, including Irish organisations such as Trócaire, GOAL and Concern, and Médecins Sans Frontières, have been banned from providing essential life-saving aid to those in Gaza. More than 2,000 healthcare and humanitarian workers have been killed, many of whom were also working for the UN.

Due to the deliberate targeting of food imports, many Palestinians are starving to death. It is estimated that about four out of every five people are facing crisis levels of hunger. We saw the horrendous massacre of the Bani Odeh family returning home from a Ramadan shopping trip. We have seen the unspeakable cruelty of the Israel Defense Forces, IDF, inflicting torture on an 18-month-old baby, including burning his little legs with cigarettes and poking him with rusty nails for ten hours before handing him back to the Red Crescent, while his father remained in detention. They were torturing a toddler.

Every day, there are new and horrific breaches of international law by Israel. Israel is now furthering its expansionist colonial plans in south Lebanon, where it has already displaced more than 1 million people, blown up seven bridges and killed more than a thousand civilians, including children and healthcare workers in the process.For these and countless other reasons I could list all day, I ask why the Irish Government is not doing anything. You might say we cannot stop this and ask what we can do. We can pass the occupied territories Bill and show the Palestinian people that there is political will to back them in their cause for peace. What use is the recognition of Palestine? We talk about how Ireland was one of the first countries in the world in respect of this cause but it was the 142nd country in the world to recognise the state of Palestine. What is the point of it when the facts on the ground do not change and when Palestine is reduced to rubble and dust? So much for statehood recognition. What does it mean in practice? How did it change the lives of the Palestinian people?

We need a commitment from the Minister that she will bring the occupied territories Bill forward without delay and come to this House to explain why she has not. We wait for the Attorney General’s advice. We wait for so long. The Government can say it needs to ask the Attorney General more questions and that the details are not clear yet. It is about ten months since the foreign affairs committee, on a cross-party basis, approved a recommendation to pass the occupied territories Bill immediately, covering services, and at the same time requested that the Department, as part of a dual process, put all the plans in place to pass it, yet we have nothing.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the guests from Raheen National School to the Gallery today. As is customary here, I request that the pupils have no homework today. I hope they enjoy their visit to the Oireachtas. I thank them very much.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in welcoming the guests from Raheen National School to the Chamber. It is a coincidence that I am speaking when they are present. I wish them the very best on their visit to Dublin. I hope they really enjoy their tour around Leinster House and get to see what we do here as representatives of the people through passing laws and trying to make decisions that benefit the lives of all those back home who sent us here.

In that vein, I would like to raise some of the issues that Raheen, a small rural village right in the heart of County Wexford, faces daily owing to speeding. I recently met some representatives in the village, who have highlighted to me that some of the cars that make their way through the village, particularly when students are coming and going to school, are simply travelling too fast. It is quite dangerous and not safe. I encourage the Minister for Transport to reopen the safe routes to school programme. When it was originally opened, it made much-needed funding available to school communities to assist with traffic and address speeding outside school gates. Unfortunately, the programme has been closed to new entrants for about four years. It is time to take another look at this so that villages like Raheen, including Raheen National School, will have an opportunity to have much-needed traffic calming, working in collaboration with Wexford County Council. While some work was done in the area recently, more funding and greater access to the funding for primary and secondary schools is a matter on which the Minister for Transport should come to the House to provide more detail and an update.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I want to discuss the fast-moving geopolitical environment we inhabit at the moment. As we speak, the US is deploying approximately 8,000 ground troops to the Persian Gulf. Included are the 1st Marine expeditionary force and the 82nd airborne division. This presages a ground intervention against a population with 91 million citizens. It is part of a growing strategic doctrine in the US on what is referred to as the “axis of disruption” of CRINK, namely, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. These countries have now been identified formally by the US as a threat and an enemy with which they will compete for resources, including water, energy and fossil fuels, in the coming century. It is in this turbulent and destabilised environment that the US and her allies are pushing very hard against the international rules-based order. They are pushing against the UN and have set up the Board of Peace. They are abandoning the international laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions. This war is illegal, however reprehensible we find the Iranian regime. I personally find it repulsive but I lament the tearing up of the world order.

It is precisely at this moment that the Irish Government wants to remove the triple lock and abandon or walk back from the principle of a UN Security Council mandate. In our lifetime, there will be no peacekeeping if this is done. It will be all about peace enforcement, coalitions of the willing, interventions and stabilisation forces. If our troops are not wearing a blue helmet, in what capacity will they be participating in these missions? They will be war fighting. I ask my colleagues, particularly those in Fianna Fáil, because I know they are uneasy about this, to have a referendum on our constitutional neutrality. We must put a protection in place. In the absence of the triple lock, we are being asked to trust a community of decision-makers who have made mistake after mistake. By getting rid of the triple lock now, the Government is setting its face against the people. It is a question of judgment similar to that when choosing a presidential candidate. The Government is making a big mistake.

Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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I wish to raise the ongoing issue faced by newly qualified paramedics in terms of the National Ambulance Service. We saw them striking outside Leinster House. I spoke about this here a couple of weeks ago. There is widespread reporting on and engagement from paramedics across the country who, for the first time, were not automatically offered permanent contracts upon the completion of their training. This breaks with long-established practice. There is some movement on the permanent contracts but the reality on the ground is very different. The paramedics are still facing significant uncertainty. I have been contacted directly by many of them but I will just talk about one man who reached out to me yesterday. He outlined that he may now be assigned to a station a considerable distance from his home, with no clarity in advance. Most concerningly, he was told that if he declined such a placement, he risked the non-renewal of his temporary contract. This newly qualified paramedic was after putting his life and soul into training. Paramedics are the front-line workers in our community. The man in question was told that if he did not head so many hundred miles down the road, he might not get the contract. This is totally unacceptable. In this Chamber, we need to ask the Minister and HSE to urgently provide clarity on the guarantee of permanent contracts for all graduates, transparency on how locations are assigned, and assurances that no paramedic will be penalised for being unable to accept an unreasonable posting. If we continue like this, we are not just risking morale but also risking losing paramedics from a service that is already at breaking point.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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The surge in fuel prices is catastrophic and threatens to undermine rural communities and food production. The reality is that, if it costs more to produce food, it will cost more to put it on the table. Right now, the rising costs of agri-diesel, home heating oil and energy are squeezing farmers, fishers and rural communities from every direction. The price of agri-diesel has gone up by about 50 cent per litre in the past month. With the new measures, farmers are getting only 3 cent off the cost of a litre of diesel. Everything on a farm is run on agri-diesel and farmers are watching their margins disappear every time they have to fill the tank. Also, agri-contractors will have to charge more.

There has been no movement on cutting carbon tax and it is clear to everyone that the Government is giving with one hand while taking back with the other. Carbon tax serves no purpose here because there are no non-carbon fuel alternatives for agricultural vehicles. I would love to hear the Government state what alternative is available to farmers. The Government can frame its initiative as a good news story but farmers are still paying 17 cent per litre in carbon tax. Fishers at harbours are weighing up whether they can afford to go out to fish. That there are no targeted measures for fishers or farmers is a shocking indictment of this Government’s priorities.

Kerosene, another product used for home heating, mostly in rural Ireland, is subject to the tax cut of 3 cent per litre but that 3 cent is inclusive of VAT. It is actually not 3 cent because VAT, which is also a tax, is included in it.

I welcome the measure for hauliers and coach drivers, amounting to 22 cent per litre. However, let me put that in context. A filling station out the road from Bailieborough was selling diesel for diesel engine road vehicles, DERVs, at €2.09 per litre on Sunday evening, but by Monday morning it had increased to €2.29.That was an increase of 20 cent in one day. That is the context of what people are dealing with. While the measures are welcome, they still do not go far enough.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before we move to the next speaker, I would like to welcome guests of Senator Clifford Lee, namely her cousin Catharina Butler, who is accompanied by her two daughters, Katie and Emily, and her sister Karen Dobbyn and her daughter Aoife. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House today.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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The visitors are very welcome. I want to raise the issue of meals on wheels. At its meeting earlier this morning, the social protection committee had representatives from a number of the LEADER companies before it. They were setting out their strategy for the next five years. Representatives from the Offaly Local Development Company raised the fact that it is providing meals on wheels and that there is a shortage of funding for it. When we are having the conversation about the cost of fuel, we also need to be cognisant of the needs of older persons. Could we also have a conversation or a debate with the Minister of State with responsibility for older persons in the interests of ensuring that the six regional executive officers, REOs, have sufficient funding? This would allow the REOs to ensure that all of those who are responsible for meals on wheels would, in turn, have adequate funding, not just for their work from Monday to Friday but also to provide meals on wheels that are being delivered through many day care centres and that they are able to get to the most vulnerable on a seven-days-a-week basis. That would be really welcome, and I would appreciate the opportunity.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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In recent weeks, we have been hearing a lot about the cost-of-living crisis and how it is affecting people. It seems that people in Ireland are not actually living any more, they are barely managing. That is the aspect we need to address. We are in a situation where ordinary people - decent hard-working individuals - are doing their best but are being squeezed in every way. The cost of fuel and insurance are both up. We discussed yesterday the fact that the cost of education is also up. The cost of the weekly shop is up. The small things that used to give people a bit of relief, such as going out for a meal, etc., are now prohibitively expensive. Having a normal night out is now out of bounds. People have been quietly cutting off doing all of those things. They simply cannot afford to live. It seems that people are tired. If we listen to "Liveline" and similar programmes, we will discover that many people are complaining. They are tired of watching every euro. They are tired of working hard and feeling like they are falling behind.

The economy seems to be strong on paper. When we look at the statistics, we can see that ours is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. However, the ordinary guy is still struggling. It is ordinary individuals who are beginning to quietly lose hope. They are not complaining, but it seems they are accepting that this is as good as it gets. As a new Senator, I am of the view that this is not the Ireland we should be building. People should be allowed to afford a life of dignity whereby they can plan ahead, plan for kids and give them a sense of security. Something seems to be fundamentally off. We need to stop talking about this matter in House and start dealing with the real pressure points, such as everyday living expenses, fuel costs, which the Government are addressing at the moment, and the hidden costs that are crushing families every day.

Will the Leader bring the relevant Ministers before the House for a straight, honest conversation about the lived reality out there? We are seeing the demographic of those who are appearing at our homeless cafe changing from people who are working but cannot afford rental and food. Right now, for the ordinary person, it feels like a lot of people are being left behind. That is something we cannot ignore in this House.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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This morning, many Senators will have received a letter from the Ombudsman for Children's Office in relation to the International Protection Bill 2026. It states:

Dear Senator,

As I’m sure you are aware the International Protection Bill 2026 is due to go to Report and Final Stages in the Seanad at 1pm this afternoon.

If this legislation passes in its current form, we are concerned that children seeking asylum in Ireland could be more vulnerable than ever before to breaches of their rights.

The letter then refers to an article in The Irish Examiner. I had a read of that, and I thought what it said was harrowing. I have great admiration for the Ombudsman for Children's Office and how it advocates. I just want to quote two lines from the article in The Irish Examiner. All Members can read it. They all got a link and they all got the correspondence anyway. It states:

Complaints to my office show how children seeking asylum are already among the most vulnerable in Ireland and if the Bill passes in its current form, it risks further undermining their rights. It is important to stress my concerns about the new system are not an endorsement of the way we currently treat children seeking asylum here. I have repeatedly sounded the alarm on the inadequate care and protection afforded to these children.

The Leader has a proposal that will amount to a guillotine on the Bill if we do not conclude all of our business today. I just want to put on record my disappointment about that. Of course, we will have an opportunity to tease matters out later on, but this does not bode well for a Government that has a huge majority in both Houses. There is time to debate these issues. It is something that has exercised people on all sides who are of different beliefs and have different priorities and different points of principle, but I do think it is important in a parliamentary democracy. This is the Upper House. It is a Chamber in which things are perfected. One of our principal functions here is to add to and assist with legislation. I do not think this sends a very strong, clear message of support for parliamentary democracy. I will leave it at that. We will have another opportunity to talk through it.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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If that is the way it is going to continue, then this a very sad day for the Seanad and for the people-----

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I will finish on this point. It is a very sad day for the people who advocated and worked hard for the retention of Seanad Éireann, because they believed it had a function. If what is proposed happens, it will be a sad day for Seanad Éireann. That is something on which we must all reflect.

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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I rise to call out the deeply irresponsible actions of An Taisce. Yesterday, it sought to challenge Ireland's nitrates derogation, which we were successful in securing last year. This is a move that risks doing enormous damage to rural Ireland, farm families, the agrifood sector and the 7,000 farmers who are in derogation. Derogation is not a loophole or a shortcut, it is scientifically grounded and tightly regulated. It reflects the reality of Ireland's grass-based farming model. As I mentioned, it supports 7,000 family farms while still operating within a robust environmental framework. Despite all of this, we now see An Taisce asking the EU Commission to reconsider its decision to grant a nitrates derogation.

At a time when farmers are already under immense pressure as a result of rising costs, regulatory burdens and the growing global uncertainty, this action sends a terrible message that ideology is being prioritised over practicality and litigation over collaboration. We have to protect our water quality. Farmers want to protect their water quality. Anyone in derogation wants to protect water quality. Progress is made by working with farmers, not working against them, and by supporting behavioural change, investment and innovation rather than by seeking to query a decision that has already been made and that was fought hard for by the Minister for agriculture, MEPs and politicians here.

What An Taisce is doing risks undermining confidence. It could damage livelihoods and create division where unity is needed. If this succeeds, the consequences will be severe and will lead to reduced stocking rates, loss of income and a direct hit to rural economies right across the country. I urge An Taisce to reconsider this approach and to engage in meaningful dialogue instead of pursuing this adversarial action that will ultimately harm the very communities we are all meant to serve.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I want to put on the record my acknowledgement of the announcement by the Government yesterday in respect of dealing with the cost of fuel in light of the current situation in Iran. There has been significant engagement with the Irish Road Haulage Association, and there is a commitment to continue this engagement.We cannot forget that we are an island nation and rely on hauliers to transport goods in and out of our island. This is always going to be something that needs be kept under review.

We perhaps need to consider an overall future strategy when it comes to excise duty in general. It is correct that we are collecting a significant amount of money in excise duties, more than many other European countries. The cost of fuel in Ireland is significantly higher than other countries. A more long-term review is needed. I call on the Leader to request a more long-term study or review on how we can ensure lorry and truck drivers and the haulage industry in this country can remain competitive because of the supply chain necessitated due to our being an island nation. Yesterday's announcement has to be welcomed and will make a difference. It is to be hoped this is a short-term difficulty and the situation in Iran will rectify itself. Even if it does, it will take some time before changes percolate down to the pockets of consumers of this country. I welcome the announcement.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank all Senators for their contributions. Senator O'Loughlin acknowledged the Special Olympics and the Irish football team playing against Czechia tomorrow. She also mentioned Sam Whelan from Newbridge, a young filmmaker whose film "The Wrong Jumper" was nominated for an award. I wish him well. The Senator also referred to the reduction in excise duty reflected at the pumps and called for engagement with Bord na Móna regarding new state-of-the-art landmark buildings and the old buildings in Newbridge. She says she will seek a Commencement debate on that, but she might engage directly with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, in that regard. It is an important issue for the community of Newbridge.

Senator Doyle raised Clogher Barracks, which closed in 1999, and interest in the local community regarding other uses for the site. He may table a Commencement debate on that matter. There are good examples around the country of old barracks and buildings being used for community purposes. I acknowledge his interest in the matter and he could seek a Commencement debate with the Office of Public Works.

Senators Craughwell and Maria Byrne raised the issue of inheritance tax which penalises ordinary families, in particular in respect of the family home where the threshold for passing assets onto one's offspring is €400,000. For nephews, nieces and others the limit is €40,000. They acknowledged the issue for childless couples. I will request a debate with the Minister for Finance on the matter of inheritance tax.

Senator Conor Murphy discussed the Catalpa ship, the commemorations in Fremantle in Perth marking what happened 150 years ago and the general amnesty for prisoners at the time, with the exception of six. He has called for commemorations in this country. I will raise the matter with the Minister for arts and culture, Deputy O'Donovan. The Senator could also seek a Commencement debate on the matter.

Senator Higgins, supported by Senator Boyhan, proposed an amendment to the Order of Business regarding the International Protection Bill. Senator Boyhan referenced a letter from the Ombudsman for Children. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, has given a lot of time to the Bill and I appreciate the interest. He has attended most of the debates and will be here for five hours to debate Report and Final Stages later today. Unfortunately, I cannot accept an amendment.

Senator Higgins also raised the issue of violations on overflight arms transfers in Belgium and elsewhere. She spoke about complicity in this area across different EU countries and called for a debate with Ministers for Defence and Transport. Senator Andrews has supported that request. I will request a debate with the Ministers on that.

Senator Sharon Keogan called for a debate on Islamic extremism. She drew a distinction between that and law-abiding Muslims. She called for a debate on our intelligence policies. I will request a debate on the matter. The State is no stranger to all that has gone on across Ireland.

Senator Scahill commended the Minister, Deputy Naughton, on the DEIS plus programme. Some €40 million is allocated annually. The Senator mentioned Scoil an Chroí Naofa, Ballinasloe, in regard to the school building programme and the inequalities evident in the community. DEIS plus acknowledges and engages with attendance, engagement and retention, student well-being, strengthening school leadership, improving access to opportunities and services and supporting the transition to further and higher education. The Senator also acknowledged Roscommon Community College, which won drama awards for a 1960s play about the Magdalen laundries.

Senator Andrews referenced an individual who unfortunately took his own life and the protocols for persons on suicide watch. He said there is no inquest after three years and called for a debate on the coroner's office. I will request a debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on that important matter.

Senator Joe O'Reilly commended the recent success of Bailieborough Community School. He also called for a debate with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, on older persons and the progression support towards a statutory home care scheme. I will request an update from the Minister of State on that matter.

Senator Joe Conway raised the issue of Russia and some high-profile individuals calling out President Putin. He called for a debate on the conflict in Ukraine, which I will request with the Minister for foreign affairs.

Senator Stephenson again raised the plight of Palestinians and issues regarding delays in the occupied territories Bill. I know from the Tánaiste that the Minister for foreign affairs has engaged with the Attorney General and has received and replied to questions on this matter. We hope to see publication of the Bill soon and its progression through the Houses.

Senator Cathal Byrne raised the safe routes to school programme and referenced Raheen, a small community in County Wexford. He may wish to seek a Commencement debate on the safe routes to school programme. There is huge demand and a lot of plans, and good work has been done. There is frustration for those who run the scheme in terms of delays, as well as those who cannot avail of the scheme. He may wish to seek a Commencement debate on that.

Senator Clonan again raised concerns regarding the triple lock. He spoke about the possibility of troops being deployed to Iran by the United States, an illegal war and the abandoning of the UN convention, which has been a theme in a number of his contributions here today. I will request a debate on those matters.

Senator McCormack raised the issue of paramedics who have not been offered permanent contracts. I will check out the latest information. Progress had been made last week, and I understood those graduating this year would be offered full-time permanent contract with the National Ambulance Service, there would be a range of opportunities available and that agreement had been reached with the trade union. Perhaps the finer print is the issue. I will raise the matter with the Minister.

Senators Sarah O'Reilly, McCarthy and Martin Conway raised the cost of fuel. Senator Conway called for a debate on the long-term review of taxes on fuel. I will request that debate. Senator O'Reilly raised the issue of the carbon tax, which is due to increase in May. That is still some time off and all these things are kept under review. The budget 2026 carbon tax allocation measures funded include residential and community energy efficiency, the green climate fund, the just transition fund, targeted social protection interventions of €350 million, community energy efficiency, which has an allocation of €558 million for 2026, incentivising green and sustainable farming and green agricultural pilots to a total of €170 million, greenways, urban cycling, EV charging infrastructure and providing grants for EVs of €20 million, as well as €5 million for peatlands rehabilitation. Such measures total €1.114 billion. That is where the carbon tax goes. I acknowledge the pressures people are under. As I said, any increases have to be decided closer to the time. I acknowledge that. I also acknowledge the Government supports provided yesterday for hard-pressed motorists. The Bill regarding the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, will come before the House tomorrow. It will pause the levy on petrol and diesel for two months, which will have an impact on home heating oil.We have also seen the cuts in excise on green diesel. I acknowledge that all these things are being kept under review. If this conflict in Iran continues into the medium term, that could, unfortunately, have serious impacts on our whole economy and everything would have to be kept under review.

Senator Rabbitte raised the issue of meals on wheels, the recent meeting of the social protection committee and the concerns of LEADER companies regarding a shortage of funding. I am sure that the present conflict will add costs to those as well. Diesel prices would add would add costs to those too. The Senator may wish to put down a Commencement matter about the meals on wheels with the Minister for Social Protection and see if she gets any clarity on that.

Senator Lynch raised what she called the deeply irresponsible action by An Taisce with regard to the nitrates derogation. It is sending a terrible message and that is regrettable. I know there has been a lot of work done by the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Government to ensure that the nitrates derogation was secured for a period of three years. It was hard fought for and it certainly has been hugely welcomed by the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, and farm organisations on the dairying side in particular. We acknowledge the importance of it to the economy of this country as a food-exporting country in terms of beef and milk products and other products of value that we produce. It is an issue and obviously the nitrates directive includes reference to water quality and the establishment of the Cabinet committee on water quality. I do acknowledge the importance of the nitrates derogation to Irish farmers and to our economy.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Senator Higgins has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 1, the International Protection Bill 2026, Report and Final Stages, be taken at 1 p.m. today and, if not previously concluded, adjourn at 6 p.m." Is the amendment being pressed?

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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Yes.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before we call the vote I just want to welcome guests of Deputy Brendan Smith and Senator Martin Conway who are in the Gallery. You are very welcome.