Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 – all Stages, to be taken at 11.45 a.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 1.45 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 the time allocated to the debate on Second Stage is not to exceed 40 minutes, with the opening remarks by the Minister not to exceed five minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed five minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than five minutes to reply to the debate, and Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately thereafter; No. 2, motion re the earlier signature of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1, without debate; No. 3, National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026 – all Stages, to be taken at 2.15 p.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 4.15 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 the time allocated to the opening remarks by the Minister on Second Stage shall not exceed eight minutes, group spokespersons shall not exceed eight minutes, time may be shared, the Minister shall be given no less than five minutes to reply to the debate, and Committee and Remaining Stages will be taken immediately thereafter; and No. 4, motion re the earlier signature of the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026, to be taken on conclusion of No. 3, without debate.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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Overnight we learned of an historic legal judgment in the case taken in the US by parents of a minor against big tech on the causes of harm to minors. Essentially, it is the first time ever that a jury has found that the design of social media, not the content, can cause harm to minors. Platforms such as Meta and YouTube were found negligent and liable for failing to warn users, with evidence showing they knew about the risks of compulsive use, mental health impacts and harmful design features. For the first time, this shifts accountability from users to those with corporate responsibility for the operation of those platforms. This ruling opens the door for thousands more lawsuits but for us, as legislators, I see three immediate significant implications.

First, it potentially has significant implications for EU policy in terms of strengthening the momentum for EU action on platform design risks. It creates international legal pressure for the first time as well, which may influence EU regulators. However, the implications for the tech sector, which is a huge sector in our economy, are that it shifts the regulatory focus from content moderation to product design and arguably signals a big tobacco moment for the tech sector. It is something we all need to engage with and inform ourselves about. Finally, this is a human issue and incredibly important. The implications for public health are enormous. It reinforces the evidence that links platform design to mental health harms, including anxiety, depression and body image, and supports stricter youth protection measures, which my party has been calling for. I would appreciate if the Leader organised a debate in the House with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan.

Before I finish, I give a huge shout-out to our boys in green. For 90 minutes tonight, the whole country will hold its breath. I am conscious that in the north inner city we have our heroes, and they are not just Troy Parrott, Kellie Harrington, Barry Keoghan and Pierce O'Leary, who are heroes and they get awards and medals for good reason. However, the superheroes in the north inner city are the parents, mammies, daddies, grannies, grandads, teachers and coaches. I am thinking of the guys and girls - the mentors - in Belvedere and Sheriff and right across to the Dublin Docklands Boxing Club. All these people give up their time to nurture young people in the heart of the inner city to create the amazing champions who will have the whole country holding its breath and cheering Ireland on tonight. Our hearts are with them. We are proud of them for being there and, more than anything, we are proud of those who helped to get them there.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I raise the issue of funding for the local improvement schemes in Donegal. While I welcome the recent allocation of €1.2 million, the reality on the ground is that the level of funding is far from sufficient to meet demand. The Donegal municipal district, which was my district, currently has between 250 and 300 applications waiting. Many of these date back as far as 2016. This highlights the large scale of the backlog. At present, funding only allows the council to do work on approximately five or six lanes per year. As a result, councillors from all parties are dealing with calls to their constituency offices from residents who are frustrated and angry. These people, who have been waiting for years, cannot understand why the progress is so slow.

Donegal is a rural county and many of these roads serve family homes, farms and even small businesses. This is essential infrastructure for us. Will the Department undertake an urgent review of the level of funding available to Donegal under the scheme?Finally, like my colleagues, I want to support Ireland this evening. I hope we can do the business, especially Killybegs native and proud Donegal man, Séamie Coleman. Hopefully, when he comes back to Killybegs, it will be to a hero's welcome.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I want to speak on the vicious and horrific attack on Scarlett Faulkner, a young woman and mother from the Traveller community, in Birdhill in Tipperary last weekend. The footage and descriptions that have emerged are absolutely harrowing and worse still is the result that Ms Faulkner is now in hospital fighting for her life. I believe I can speak for everyone here in this Chamber in saying all our thoughts and prayers are with Scarlett and we hope with the help of the doctors and the help of God she will pull through this.

I believe this appalling attack merits being mentioned today as it should give us all a moment to reflect, not just on the current state of the Traveller community, but on Ireland as a whole. I would like us to not only condemn the violence but also focus our attention on a glimmer of hope. Yesterday, I saw John Connors, a Traveller advocate, great actor and a member of that community, who put himself forward with commendable honesty and integrity to speak out against the incident and the so-called honour culture that fuels it. This “honour culture” has created a vicious cycle of violence. As Mr. Connors put it, “there’s not an hour’s look in it”. As those of us who know the Travelling community often hear, there is a greater problem of a culture of silence on this issue, of pretending there is no issue at all and letting the violence carry on. I believe John Connors is showing us all what a real honour culture looks like by speaking up and calling for an end to the beatings, videos and feuds that keep it all going. We all know the majority of the Traveller community are good, hard-working and honourable men and women. In fact, I was in the house last night of a local Traveller who was known as the king of the Travellers in our area, Tom Maughan, and who is being buried this morning. There are so many decent people in the Travelling community out there who will support the words I am speaking here this morning and who will support John Connors’s words. I call on them to join John Connors in speaking out against the feuds and call on us all to pray for the life and safety of Scarlett Faulkner.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise the Before We Die campaign. There was a “Prime Time” programme last Thursday night that featured people from the campaign. It is a group of elderly parents of adults with intellectual disabilities who are living at home who are worried that there is no plan in place for accommodation for their children when the elderly parents pass away. Some parents said they hoped their son or daughter passed away before them, which is a terrible thing to say, because they are so worried about what will happen to them afterwards. This is an issue we heard about regularly at the Joint Committee on Disability Matters in the last term and that I have raised several times in the Dáil and here. I raised this a few weeks ago, certainly some time since Christmas, and Senator Kyne indicated that he would arrange a debate with the Minister on the issue. That has not happened yet and I wonder if it could happen as soon as possible. Councils and the HSE are not working together to ensure a solution is brought forward. I have spoken to some councils, which have said they are willing to provide the accommodation - it sometimes needs to be adapted and it sometimes does not - but it needs a support or care plan in place by the HSE and that is not forthcoming. When the then Minister, Darragh O’Brien, introduced the Housing for All policy document in the last Dáil, it was indicated that the HSE and councils would work more closely together but that has not happened in all instances. We need to see that co-operation between the two bodies much improved so that there are solutions found for individuals with intellectual disabilities or disabilities of any nature and they can live an independent life without relying on elderly parents for care.

The other issue is the adaptation and mobility aid grants and housing aid for older people. Last year, many people applied for their grants to Cavan County Council. There was only so much money available for it and there were so many applications by priority 1 applicants that the money was all spent on those. That is rightly so - they have to prioritise people who might not be able to come home from hospital or a care institution without adaptions made to their homes or who need full-time care - but there are many people who might have issues with their roofs or windows and doors and the condition of their houses is deteriorating. If they could get the grant now, it would save money in the future because many older people, if they have issues with their roof, for example, are fearful of a storm coming and making it much worse and much more expensive to repair if the damage is not addressed now. I ask again that we have statements on these grants or an indication from the Minister that he will increase the money for the grants for this important work.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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I want to talk about the topic of loneliness. It is often conflated with being alone but it is actually a totally different feeling and thing. Recent surveys have shown Ireland to be one of the loneliest places in Europe. Twenty percent of Irish people surveyed admitted they regularly felt lonely whereas the European average was 13%. That is a big difference. I would like to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to come to the House and debate the topic. Someone can be lonely in a big crowd, so it is hard to see it in someone to deal with it. If we opened up on the topic, we might see the signs in someone who is feeling alone even in a big crowd. It can lead to major depression and isolation. It is a very important topic.

I will conclude by wishing Ireland all the best tonight. I thank them for the great journey they are bringing us all on.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I will raise two issues. I want to ask for a debate soon on enhancing social cohesion among communities in rural Ireland. This is against a backdrop of the Irish language community, the island communities and the desire to get rural housing back on the map. I know there are long promises about that. Affordability has become a real issue. Yesterday, the press had stories on how the GAA was in trouble in Kerry and national schools were closing in the west and in rural communities in the midlands. Parishes are dying on their feet. These are all the things that bring cohesion to local communities, be they sports clubs like rugby or the GAA, which is a significant and cohesive group within rural communities, or something else. It is really important that we would have that debate. I suggest we might have it in the context of Our Rural Future, the Government policy, and how in the broader context we can support rural communities.

I want to acknowledge that the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance has agreed to meet the CEO of Galway County Council, Liam Conneally, on the equalisation fund and the chronic funding shortage at Galway County Council. I had a meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, this morning. I understand that he, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy Naughton, have a meeting in the county hall with Mr. Conneally to address the issues. The Tánaiste has come on board and committed to meeting the chief executive, the management team and, no doubt, councillors, who are also a critical part of it. It is a welcome move. There is a major shortage, and there are major concerns in Galway County Council about the equalisation fund. I wish the meeting on Monday well and look forward to hearing shortly what the Tánaiste has to say on it.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome to the Public Gallery the guests of Deputy Jennifer Whitmore. I also welcome Deputy Cian O'Callaghan's guests from Our Lady of Consolation National School. I hope they enjoy their visit. As is customary, there will be no homework for the rest of the week.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to pay tribute to Michael Lyster. Michael was ever-present in Irish households for decades. He was an outstanding Gaelic games presenter and a tremendous ambassador for County Galway. He will be missed. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

The issue I wish to raise is the firebombing of social homes as a drugs-related intimidation tactic. Earlier this week, the head of Dublin City Council's antisocial behaviour unit stated that this has become an epidemic in Dublin. It is also an issue in inner-city areas of Galway. Generally speaking, the tenants affected by it want to return to their homes when the damage has been repaired. However, councils have had to adopt a strategy of not allowing tenants to return to communities after they have been burnt out of their homes. This is their safety and that of their neighbours. It is horrific that this has reached the stage where it can be called an epidemic. What is happening is not good enough for poor families who suffer such horrific acts. It is also not good enough for the communities where these events are taking place. Furthermore, it is not helping us tackle the housing issues that we have currently.

After the recess, the House should have a debate on this matter in the context of how it can be tackled in the most effective way. I would be grateful if the Acting Leader invited the Minister for justice to join us in the weeks ahead to discuss it.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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Yesterday, another video containing the distressing image of a horse being killed in Clonmel, County Tipperary, was circulated. The video, which is absolutely sickening, shows a horse terrified and out of control being forced to run on a public road with a child no older than 13 years of age in charge. That child obviously had no training or protection, and there was no regard for life. The video ended the only way it could end in tragedy, fear, chaos and the brutal death of a horse. That horse ran for hundreds of metres in panic, crashing into cars as it did so. Imagine the terror and pain experienced by that animal as it lay there suffering, its blood gushing out onto the pavement and street, and waiting for help that came too late. This is cruelty - pure and simple. It is not just the animal that paid the price. What about the people in those cars and the 13-year-old involved? How many more near misses, injuries or deaths are we going to accept before something changes? Only recently, a horse named Anne and her unborn foal were brutalised to death on the Ballyfermot Road. Where is the accountability? Where is the enforcement? Where is the protection for these animals? Enough is enough.

Sulky racing is like a cancer on society. We need real action. There needs to be proper enforcement. There also needs to be a dedicated Garda animal crime unit to tackle animal cruelty like this, because silence is part of the problem. Staying quiet means that it will happen again. The Minister for agriculture clearly does not give a damn. The evidence suggests that he does not give a damn. How much more death and destruction of horses is needed before sulky racing is banned? When will the Minister for agriculture, Deputy Heydon, stop looking away and do something? I ask that he come before the House for a debate on sulky racing and animal welfare. Week after week, there are horrific events like this happening.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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As Easter approaches, it is an apt time to remind the House and the Government of how much the people of the Ireland think of our neutrality and the triple lock. The triple lock was introduced in 2001 after the defeat of the referendum on the Nice treaty. When the referendum was defeated, the Government of the day noted that the one main public concern was that the treaty was about a potential erosion of Irish neutrality. Every opinion poll since has shown shows that the Irish people value our neutrality. The Government is hoping that the issue will disappear behind more topical headlines. While people struggle with grocery bills and fuel costs, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will quickly and quietly remove the triple lock. I commend Senator Tom Clonan who, in his own way, brings this issue up consistently every week.

The Government is deliberately misleading people by saying that decisions to deploy Irish peacekeepers are being made by Russia and America. This is factually incorrect. The truth is that the Government does not want to let down its buddies in the EU Commission, so it is constantly sending out the message that our hands are tied by the triple lock. We had a MEP from Clare in here a month ago. He stated that Europe does not care whether Ireland keeps its neutrality or not.

Let us be clear. The triple lock was not imposed on Ireland. It was chosen by the Irish people. I ask that the Government listens to the people. Why is it pushing to have us aligned in an EU military bloc? We do not want our male and female peacekeepers to be sent off to fight on foreign battlefields where they have no business being. At a time of global instability, we need to use our position of neutrality to help broker peace. If there is pressure coming from other member states, the Government needs to be clear that we will not engage in military conflict. As de Valera once said, "in a world at war, each set of belligerents is over ready to regard those who are not with them as against them". There are members of the Government who are deeply uncomfortable about the removal of the triple lock. I ask them to use their position to fight for what the people want.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I wish to raise two issues. First, statements relating to Bessborough are being taken in the Dáil today. A debate on this matter was previously requested for the Seanad by my colleague Senator Noonan. It would be great if we could seek to have such a debate.

Second, the day before yesterday, the Government's new student accommodation strategy was launched by the Minister, Deputy Lawless. I have some concerns in relation to that strategy in the context of the over-reliance on private developers. In many ways, the strategy is one of public land for private developers. There are no protections in terms of rent caps for students or ensuring that college service charges cannot be used an excuse to increase rents above the 2% window relating to rent pressure zones. I request that the House engage in a debate on this matter.

I also have concerns in relation to the lack of engagement with stakeholders around the launch of the strategy. It was disappointing that Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn and student unions were not told about the launch. Some of them found out about it when they got calls from the media. It was a missed opportunity not to invite Opposition spokespersons on further and higher education to attend the launch, particularly in the context of having a more complete launch of the strategy. A lot of this has gone under the radar in terms of debate and coverage in the media. I would like to have a fulsome debate on the matter in the House.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the ten Senators who contributed this morning. Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about the historic legal judgment in the US regarding a case taken against big-tech companies by the parents of a minor. It was fascinating to listen to the judgment and the reaction to it As the Senator pointed out, the judgment is significant. It is a milestone decision. There are going to be implications across the world, and rightly so. In this case, the jury found big-tech companies guilty in relation to the design of the product as opposed to the content. Previously, the focus has always been on the content.As Senator Fitzpatrick has said, for the very first time, the responsibility has shifted from the content part to the design. The Senator has rightly said that this has very significant implications for EU policy, international legal pressure and the focus shifting from content design to platform design. Listening to the radio this morning, it was interesting to hear where the focus was. Many of us have spoken here about the importance of supporting young people's mental health and supportive environments for young people and, indeed, for the rest of us. The Senator is right to look for a debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan. We will certainly look for that. I do not think he has been in this Chamber since he became Minister in this area so it is nigh-on time that we have him here. We will also talk to the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, because there has been talk about our priorities for the EU Presidency. As is custom, those priorities are not shared until the previous country completes its six months. I know there is going to be a focus on AI and digitalisation. I certainly think this could pre-empt something really important Ireland could do during its Presidency. Based on what the Senator has said and brought to our attention, we will certainly look for that.

Senator Manus Boyle spoke about local improvement schemes, which are a lifeline for many rural communities. He spoke about the €1.2 million allocation for Donegal, which is very significant. I totally appreciate that all of Donegal is very rural and that there are an awful lot of roads. The Senator mentioned 250 applications in his own municipal district. That is indeed significant. With regard to a review, we have asked the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to come to the Chamber to talk about funding. We will ask him to address that as well.

I should have said that Senator Fitzpatrick also spoke about the boys in green. She gave a shout-out to all of the mentors, volunteers and families who give so much, day in and day out, to ensure that young people like Troy Parrott do really well. A lot of people helped out heroes to get there. We certainly wish them well. Senator Boyle also wished the team well. He particularly mentioned Shane Coleman. Senator Murphy O'Mahony also added her voice. I know we will all be glued to the television this evening.

Senator Keogan spoke about the horrific attack on Scarlett Faulkner, who is now fighting for her life. From looking at the papers this morning, I know that a woman and a girl have been taken into custody in relation to the case. The Senator gave a shout-out to John Connors. It is my belief that, as the Senator has said, he has always acted with honesty and integrity. He is someone I have great respect for. He calls things as they are. He does not hide behind anything. The Senator spoke about the honour culture within the Travelling community and the silence around it. She echoed John Connors's remarks that this honour culture causes a lot of problems and that it is time to change. We all support that call.

Senator Tully spoke about the Before We Die campaign. Elderly parents are very concerned about the absence of plans for their sons and daughters with disabilities, who will have to fend for themselves after the passing of their parents. Over the last few days, I saw the Taoiseach speaking about the issue. I know he has met some of the parents. This is not just about money. Money does come into it but it is not just about money. I know funding for residential supports was increased by 20% this year but it is not just about that. It is about the different supports each individual needs. That is where the conversation needs to be. The Taoiseach has asked the subcommittee on disability that sits within his Department to discuss this matter. As the Senator has said, there needs to be co-ordination between the HSE and local authorities but also between the section 39 organisations, which are very involved in these young people's day care in particular. We really need an holistic approach between all of the different organisations. There has been a large investment in decongregation and this has generally worked quite well. We need to see the same effort and commitment with regard to the design of this support. I genuinely do not think the Government will be found lacking in providing funding for it. It is a question of getting the design of the supports right. We will look for a debate on it. It is a hugely important issue.

The Senator also mentioned mobility grants and the money that has been spent. Houses are deteriorating because they are not getting the funding for early interventions. We will look for a debate with the Minister on that.

Senator Margaret Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the epidemic of loneliness in Ireland. A recent survey has shown that Ireland has the highest levels of loneliness in the EU. People are concerned. About 20% of people in Ireland say they experience loneliness. I actually would have thought it might be more than that. The average in Europe is about 13%. It is something that comes up regularly. We will look for a debate with the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health to discuss that.

Senator Boyhan spoke about social cohesion in rural Ireland and particularly in Gaeltacht communities, island communities and very small rural communities where the lack of housing has become a problem. As he rightly said, we see schools suffering. They are not able to hold onto teachers because their numbers are going down. The GAA and other sporting organisations are also losing numbers. When we were all growing up, the parish was the thing. Parishes are struggling. It was always all about the parish, how people could support the parish and how the parish could support people. They are struggling. We are awaiting information from the Minister in relation to rural housing. I think we will have that soon. We will most certainly look for a debate on the issue as a matter of priority. The Senator also welcomed the fact that the Tánaiste is meeting the chief executive of Galway County Council with regard to equalisation fund funding.

Senator Ollie Crowe spoke about the great Michael Lyster and how sad everybody was to hear the news over the weekend. Michael was just incredible. He was a wonderful sports ambassador and a wonderful ambassador for Galway. We all have great memories of him. I met him in Galway during the 2003 Special Olympics World Games. He was just fantastic. It was lovely to have the experience of meeting him one to one. He was a really kind, warm and compassionate person. Our deepest sympathies go out to his wife and family, to his community and to everybody who met him. He touched lives. There is no doubt about that.

Senator Crowe also spoke about firebombings in Dublin and Galway and the fact that councils have developed a policy of not allowing residents back to these houses for their own safety. For some families, that is very difficult because these are their communities. They have been firebombed through no fault of their own and it is very difficult to have to start anew. We need to look at the way this type of horrific behaviour is tackled. To be fair, the Minister for justice is a regular in here but we will look to have a debate with him on the matter at some point. Senator Andrews spoke about the horrific situation where a horse was killed in Clonmel. Only last night somebody brought it to my attention and sent me a photograph. I was glad I did not see the videos that are circulating. I could not look at them. They show the terror and the pain and the carnage on the roads. We cannot blame the 13-year-old who was in charge of the horse. We have to blame the people who put that 13-year-old in charge of the horse. It was absolute cruelty. Senator Andrews mentioned the case of another horse and an unborn foal that was killed in Ballyfermot. We absolutely need enforcement around sulky racing. I see it has started again in Kildare. Sometimes the speed they go at is shocking. It is absolute cruelty of the highest order. We 100% need regulation around it and we will, again, ask the Minister for agriculture to come in. I know Senator Andrews has called for a debate on animal welfare. We are well overdue one and we need to include the sulky racing in that as well.

Senator O'Reilly spoke about her concern regarding the triple lock, which is going through a process. We will have the opportunity in the Seanad to have a debate on the legislation that the Government is introducing.

Senator Harmon spoke about Bessborough mother and baby home, and the fact there are statements in the Dáil this afternoon on that. We need to have statements in the Seanad. We certainly will look for that. The Senator also spoke about the strategy of the Minister for further and higher education, Deputy Lawless, on student accommodation, which was launched yesterday. I have not read all the detail. The Senator raised concerns about over-reliance on private landlords and no rent cap. We will ask the Minister to come to the House to have a debate. It is really important when we have around 42,000 students who do not have appropriate accommodation. It is something that, in all areas where we have third level and universities, we need to get right. I am glad the Minister has tackled it because it really needed a particular focus and he has put that focus on it. We will certainly look for that debate. I thank Senator Harmon.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Leader. I wish to welcome St. Colmcille's Girls National School from Swords, who are guests of Deputy Eoin Ó Broin. As is the custom here, there is no homework for the rest of the week. At the other end of education, I welcome Professor Blánaid White of DCU, Professor Vincent Wade from Trinity College Dublin, Professor Stephen Byrne from University College Cork, and Paul Johnston, director of the Irish Universities Association. I know they were presenting to the higher education committee this morning. They are also very welcome.