Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Fourth Report of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight on the amendment of Standing Order 87, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; and No. 57, motion 1, Private Members' business motion regarding domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, to be taken at 5 p.m., with the time allocated to the debate not to exceed two hours.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy Leader and welcome her guests Sam Doyle and Jamie Swail from Newbridge community college. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. I call Senator Mike Kennelly.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I want to raise the ugly side of the GAA. On 24 May, Sunday week, the biggest game of the All-Ireland football championships this year will be on in Killarney when Kerry play Donegal. The GAA has again put championship football behind a bloody paywall. Ordinary rural people with issues in Kerry and Donegal, and indeed the whole country, are being excluded from viewing this spectacular game of football. The very people who built the GAA are being excluded from watching it, including elderly people living alone at home, people in hospitals, people with disabilities and people in rural Ireland who do not have smart TVs, smartphones, laptops or any other instrument to stream the game.The men and women who gave decades of their lives to the GAA, the volunteers who cut the grass, washed the jerseys, sold the tickets, made the tea and sandwiches and stood at gates in the lashing rain so that our games could survive and be played still pay their TV licence. They have supported the GAA all their lives and now when Kerry and Donegal are lighting up the championship they are told they have to subscribe, stream, download apps and pay extra money just to watch their own county teams. This is a total disgrace. Gaelic football is beautiful again. Look at the crowds. Last Sunday over 32,690 people were in Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney to watch Kerry play Cork. Nearly 25,000 went to Dr. Hyde Park to watch a historic win for Roscommon.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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We see Westmeath contesting the provincial final against Dublin next weekend. We saw Cork the last day as well. The second best sideline ball ever taken by a footballer was taken by Monaghan's Jack McCarron, all viewed on RTÉ, which took Monaghan to a provincial final. We see the delight in the crowds and the number of people attending these games again. Unfortunately, what does the GAA do? It hides the Kerry and Donegal game away from the very people who made the association. All the provincial finals are on TV with two football finals to go. However, apparently that is not enough. Now it is box office. Now it is about squeezing more money out of loyal supporters and excluding people from watching their own club players. The GAA was built in rural parishes and rural communities, not in the corporate boardrooms up the street. There are 12 days until this game. Today I am calling for the Minister of sport to come to the House. It is not too late for the debate. This needs to be challenged because the people who carried the GAA for generations should never be locked out from watching their own heroes on the biggest stages of all.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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Today is International Nurses Day. It is an opportunity to recognise and pay tribute to nurses and midwives and recognise their contribution to the Irish health system. I particularly want to pay tribute to all the nurses and midwives in north County Dublin. As of June 2025 there were more than 92,000 nurses and midwives on the register in Ireland. This is the highest ever recorded number of nurses and midwives in Ireland. The workforce, as the Leader can imagine, is strongly gendered, with around 90% of registered nurses and midwives being women. Ireland relies heavily on internationally trained nurses and midwives to meet our workforce demands. While 59% on the register are Irish, the rest of them come from many other countries around the globe. I am grateful they have chosen Ireland to come to and work in our health service. Some 22% of our nurses and midwives are from India and 8% are from the Philippines. Many of these nurses and midwives left their own countries and families behind to work in our health service and watch their children grow up through screens and FaceTime. Today is a day to remember particularly their sacrifice to contribute to our health service.

Migrant Nurses Ireland has highlighted reports of racist abuse faced by migrant nurses and midwives. We as a society and as a health service must have a zero tolerance approach when it comes to making sure that our migrant nurses and midwives are safe within the health service and that their workplaces are inclusive, tolerant and respectful and, most of all, safe for them to work and do their jobs. Not long ago many thousands of Irish girls and women went overseas and trained and worked as nurses abroad. I am thinking particularly of the NHS in the UK. They encountered many barriers and racism. We should not forget our history. We should remember the migrant nurses and midwives working in our own health service here.

The future of healthcare in Ireland depends on the empowering of midwives and nurses. Throughout the EU nurses are increasingly involved in community screening programmes, prevention and health promotion, nurse-led chronic health disease pathways and contraception and family planning services. The evidence is strong when it comes to nurses delivering healthcare in communities.Nurses and midwives need to have a clearer specialisation pathway, more support for postgraduate training and better advancement opportunities within the healthcare service. We have a growing demand for nurses and midwives due to our growing and ageing population. By 2040, we will need over 100,000 whole-time equivalent nurses and midwives in the Irish health service. The key to delivering this, and the Government has a goal towards this, lies in expanding our own training and undergraduate degree places for nurses and midwives in Ireland. I ask the Deputy Leader to request a debate with the Minister for further and higher education, Deputy James Lawless, in the House around the expansion of training, education and undergraduate places for nurses and midwives in Ireland. We are too vulnerable to rely just on nurses and midwives from abroad because it is a high-in-demand and highly mobile workforce and we need to be increasing across the board. It would be a really worthwhile debate to have in this House.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome to the Gallery guests of Deputy Séamus McGrath from Douglas Young @ Heart who are all here today. I think there are about 32 of them here. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. I hope they enjoy the day. I would like to say I am sorry about the football result on Sunday but really I am not. I thank them for showing up in such numbers to Killarney because the people of Kerry appreciate their visits down to Kerry. They spend more money than they should but we are very grateful for that.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I see our distinguished guests here, the ambassador, H.E. Cleviston Haynes from Barbados, and the foreign minister, Christopher P. Sinckler. They are very welcome.

Over the last number of days, we have been hearing about the ship MV Hondius. There were two Irish citizens aboard and there has been a lot of debate on the airways about how we get them off, etc. I commend the Taoiseach, the Minister for foreign affairs, the Minister for Health, and the Baldonnel team who brought in the two Irish citizens and got them safely back home. It was a fantastically successful mission and it showed that when we do things right we do them very right. I commend everyone concerned.

I also raise the Government's plan to withdraw accommodation from up to 16,000 Ukrainians currently living in the State. What is the thinking behind that? I realise that we do not have an endless purse and we cannot just keep funding indefinitely but last weekend, a Minister suggested that one or two Ukrainians might end up homeless as a result of these changes. As somebody who is involved in the homeless sector, that comment is something that deeply concerns me. That is certainly not the type of country we want to be seen as. The shots that were fired from Russia are still being fired. Putin has not stopped his war, which was started in February 2022. The families who fled here looking for help because their own homes and towns were destroyed and their lives were threatened, still, undoubtedly, have the same issues. Some people may be in a position whereby they no longer need State support and that is valid. Perhaps the accommodation is only essential for a small number but it still needs to be looked at. Could we perhaps means-test the supports rather than giving a blanket ban? Could we not distinguish between people who can afford accommodation and who can not? There is a better way of dealing with our Ukrainian neighbours, who are defending the borders of Europe, than giving a blanket notice that will push thousands of people into uncertainty, and potentially onto the streets. We have supported the Ukrainians in a wonderful way from day one and I do not want to see, hopefully near the end of the war, that we let our side down. We have always had a pride in ourselves regarding compassion and I want to make sure that pride is continued. I know the ambassador in Ireland, Larysa Gerasko, has been very thankful to the Irish Government, authorities and to the Irish nation for supporting her nation, but we must not let them down now.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call on the next speaker, I welcome Senator The Honourable Christopher Sinckler, Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados.He is most welcome to Seanad Éireann and I thank him for being here. I also welcome Ms Donna Forde, director general of foreign affairs and foreign trade, Ms Paula Byer, director of foreign trade, Ms Trecia King, senior foreign service officer, and Ms Kendra Holdip, minister counsellor. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. In 2021, on the day Barbados itself declared a republic, we had quite a debate and sent a letter to the Prime Minister congratulating the country on joining the ranks of the republics. We were slightly ahead of Barbados but we are glad it has joined the ranks of the republics. We are delighted our guests are here to continue to build on the long and historic, some of them quite tragic, links between Ireland and Barbados. As on their visit we glance back to the history shared between us, we are looking forward to building new and better relationships. I thank them for being here.

Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)
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Our guests in the Gallery are very welcome. I want to raise the issue of the election results in Britain last weekend. I am sure most of us are watching our phones to see developments and what might shape up in Britain with regard to the Prime Minister. That is important because Britain is our nearest neighbour but it is also important for several other reasons. This is the first time the Administrations in the North, Scotland and Wales have been led by pro-independence First Ministers. Michelle O'Neill was elected in 2022, there is John Swinney in Scotland, and Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru has now been elected in Cardiff. There already is a close working relationship between ourselves, and I am sure many people in Ireland, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru. Since both leaders have been elected there is now a commitment to strengthen this relationship and to work together to achieve self-determination and independence for Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The election result has profound implications for the British state and the union, as the prospect of significant constitutional change is gathering pace not just in Ireland but in Britain as well. That requires us on this island to step up our engagement on this, particularly at Government level.

Another reason the election is potentially important for us, and again this underlines the absolute necessity for the Government to engage and prepare on behalf of the people here, is the rise in support for Reform. If the election result were to be repeated in the British general election, and that is not a foregone conclusion, there is the real prospect of a Reform and Nigel Farage-led government. Bear in mind this is the party that brought us Brexit, with a reckless disregard for the implications for Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement. Its approach to politics is generally from the Trump playbook, which is about creating chaos and uncertainty to benefit the very wealthy few.

It is incumbent on us to ensure Ireland does not once again become collateral damage from British nationalist interests. I urge the Government, and I ask the Deputy Leader to urge the Government, to begin engagement with the British Government, whoever may lead it after today, given that it certainly has at least some time to run. The idea committed to by both Government parties of active preparation for reunification now has an added urgency. There is real jeopardy and uncertainty coming down the line in terms of British politics and who might lead it. The relationship with Britain is very important to us and it will continue to be. I ask the Deputy Leader to raise this issue with the Government and to underline the importance and urgency of early engagement directly with the British Government on planning for constitutional change on this island and our future relationship with the island of Britain.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I welcome our visitors in the Gallery. Today I want to commemorate a significant anniversary in our nation's history. On this date 110 years ago the final two signatories of the Proclamation who had been sentenced to death were executed. They were James Connolly, founder of the Labour Party, my party, and an inspiration for many left-wing, inclusive ideas around the world, and Seán Mac Diarmada, who was a native of a small farmstead in Kiltyclogher in County Leitrim. These two men represent two very different faces of the struggle for Irish freedom and two different faces of our nation. Both were radical voices speaking up, one for the urban proletariat and the other for the agricultural worker. They spoke for tradition and for change.Inclusion was and remains integral to the origins of the principle of the Irish Republic. Our flag is the ultimate symbol of tolerance and inclusion - the green and orange united in peace.

Today is International Nurses Day. There is no doubt that without migrant workers coming into our country, our health system and IT systems would collapse. I raise this issue because we have witnessed a lot of racial abuse online of the Labour Party candidate in the Galway West by-election, Helen Ogbu. It is shocking, and I want to call that out. We strive to overcome challenges in our society. We need to challenge this hatred and division. I recognise that particular today, on the anniversary of these two great men and International Nurses Day. Without migrant workers in our country, our economy would collapse.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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On International Nurses Day, we have guests of Deputy Devine who are nurses working in our healthcare system. I thank them and all those who work in our healthcare system, including nurses and those who assist them in their valuable work. My mother and aunt were both nurses. We have great regard for the work that nurses do.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I reiterate the sentiments expressed by Senators Clifford-Lee and Cosgrove on International Nurses Day in acknowledging the contribution of nurses and recognising them as health professionals. In doing so, I must mention that I visited the ambulance service workers on strike in Roscommon town today. They are also out in Boyle and Loughglynn. I respect the job the National Ambulance Service does. Like my colleague Senator Boyle, we have not been quiet in this Chamber about the ambulance service in recent months or in demanding a better service for the areas we represent. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I come from a constituency that does not have an emergency department. The dynamic model for the ambulance service does not work when there is no emergency department in the constituency. It means that when ambulance services are based at emergency departments, they do not provide the same level of support in certain area. A different model is needed for constituencies and counties that do not have emergency departments.

I spoke to an emergency medical technician, EMT, this morning. When he started his job 12 years ago, he was able to administer six medications. He is now able to administer 26 medications and he is still getting the same pay for his job. The responsibility, training and additional load that he has taken on is replicated across all employees of the National Ambulance Service. They need to be recognised for the job they do. They are currently being paid as ambulance drivers, not as healthcare professionals. They are healthcare professionals who are doing a job, often in harsher circumstances than other healthcare professionals. They never know what situation they will see until they arrive at a location.

Today, the HSE said the strike was regrettable. Regrettable is when I spill something on my tie driving up to Dublin on a Tuesday morning. It is unacceptable that we do not have a full service. We have a contingency plan in place at the moment, but we cannot afford this strike to go on and on. We need the Labour Court to intervene immediately and ensure that we do not go into a 48-hour strike next week.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I raise the handling of a Commencement matter that I submitted on Garda enforcement and charges arising from recent protests. This might seem a small enough procedural point for the Order of Business. I would not usually be inclined to raise it, but the way this has been handled needs to be raised. The difficulty is not simply that the Commencement matter was refused - that happens, and we are all used to it - but how it was refused. The written ruling simply states - it does not go much further than this - that the Minister has no official responsibility in the matter. My office was given a different reason in advance, namely, that the question somehow asked the Minister to interpret the law. We asked that this be reflected in the written decision. It was not. That leaves us in a peculiar position of having two reasons, neither of which has been explained and neither of which is consistent with the other.On the substance, I am at a loss. The written ruling suggests the Minister for justice has no responsibility for Garda enforcement, which, if correct, is quite a remarkable position to be taking. There was an earlier suggestion that asking for the statutory basis relied on for charges brought against protestors amounts to asking for an interpretation of the law. If that is the standard, it is difficult to see how any questions could ever be admissible. Finally, no indication was given as to how or to whom such a matter could properly be directed. In summary, I simply ask for consistency because at present, the difficulty seems to lie less in the question than in settling on a reason not to answer it.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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As often happens with Commencement matters, they are routinely ruled out of order because the Ministers have no jurisdiction for those issues. However, I know when Senators engage with the Seanad Office, as many have, they often work in making sure there is a way to have the question answered in a way that is appropriate. I ask the Senator to perhaps engage with the Seanad Office and see if we can get that question committed again in a way that we can ensure an answer. Regardless of the topic, I want to ensure that all Senators are able to get answers on behalf of the people they represent. Oftentimes, they are refused in the first instance but, subsequently, when we change the way the question is phrased, it can lead to a better outcome.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Today, as other Members have stated, members of the National Ambulance Service find themselves on the picket line. I visited a number of them this morning in County Monaghan before I travelled to Leinster House. The one thing they all had in common was that none of them wanted to be there. As much as that is for sure. They wanted to do what they do very well; look after the communities in which they serve.

Their big gripe, as they explained to me this morning, is that their service has changed completely from what was once upon a time a patient transfer service to now giving very sophisticated medical attention to patients on-site. That professionalism, which has been recognised across the National Ambulance Service, has resulted in greater patient outcomes, and that is for sure. As part of the journey they were on, an independent report was carried out to see exactly what pay increases were due to the members of the service because of the changes in professionalism they had adopted. That report, which was released back in 2022, recommended that pay increases, among other things, be given to the NAS.

Apparently, that has never happened. I understand agreement was reached by union heads but it was balloted to the members and that was rejected. Apparently, it has been in abeyance since. When members tried to bring the matter up again to get what they feel they are entitled to, there were preconditions being entered into that they feel are unfair. All of these disputes ultimately are resolved and I call on the HSE to re-engage with the National Ambulance Service with a view to finding a resolution to this problem. The next day of action is not until 19 May so there is a window. I ask all sides to re-engage to find a solution to this outstanding issue.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I would like to be associated with the calls of my colleagues about the National Ambulance Service. As we know, I am always very vocal in here about that. I thank my colleagues for taking it up and I thank my colleague for taking up International Nurse Day. My late mother-in-law was a nurse for many years and so is my wife.

Today, I want to talk about a very serious issue of the availability of givinostat for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD. I know colleagues have raised it here on numerous occasions. DMD is a serious, lifelong condition for children and their families.I have continued to raise this since I was appointed to the Seanad. Families deserve answers and action on this. I raised it at an Oireachtas health committee meeting in October and we were told it was hoped it would be sorted by the end of the year or the beginning of 2026. We are now nearly halfway through 2026 and families are still waiting.

I especially mention my local boy in Donegal and his family, who along with other families across Ireland, are living with DMD every day. These families are not asking for a miracle; they are asking for urgency, fairness and access to a treatment that has been approved in Europe. The drug company is not engaging with the HSE. We need to put pressure on to get it to engage. Families need clarity on this and we need progress. Children with DMD cannot afford endless delays. Time is muscle and that is the important thing. I will continue to raise this issue and fight for these children and their families.

Before I sit down, I thank my colleagues across the House. Every party has raised this issue in the past year and a half since I was appointed. It has nothing to do with politics. We need to get this issue sorted out for the children of Ireland. Time is crucial for this so I ask that we put pressure on the drug company to engage.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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This morning, I met staff of the National Ambulance Service who are on strike on the picket line in Cavan. The first thing they said to me was that they do not want to be there, they want to be out doing their jobs and it should never have got to this stage. They are looking for the recognition of the upskilling they have undertaken in the past 15 years. One woman who was there told me she has been working for the NAS for 30 years and when she began working there, her job was to transport a patient safely from one location to a hospital setting. She said basically what she had to do was drive faster if the person was more seriously injured or more sick than someone else. She needed to get them there. Now, the NAS provides medical intervention en route to the hospital and has saved the lives umpteen times of people who have had heart attacks or are on the verge of strokes. They are able to make interventions that save those people's lives until they get them to the hospital they are going to, so they deserve proper pay and conditions.

The Minister for Health needs to get back to the negotiating table to talk to the unions representing these workers. A number of colleagues brought this up this morning. They belong to Government parties. Some of them are in the same party as the Minister. They should talk to her and tell her to get back to the table. This is much too serious to be left on the picket line.

Concerns were expressed by a number of those striking about the director of the NAS, Robert Morton. There seems to be a pattern. He managed an ambulance service in Australia that was involved in a dispute as well and another in Britain after that. He has a history of industrial disputes about conditions. The staff feel that the management system in the HSE has failed to address the chronic understaffing, pay and morale issues. Management now even wants to cut the pay staff get for overtime. Many of them do a 12-hour shift that seldom finishes after 12 hours. They often end up doing two, three and sometimes four or five hours more. We need a lot of investment in the ambulance service but we first need to solve the dispute that has brought these people to the picket line where they do not want to be. They want to get on with their work.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir. I also welcome some extra guests of Deputy Séamus McGrath from Douglas Young @ Heart. I thank them from being here as well. Deputy McGrath is having a great day bringing them around Leinster House.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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Tomorrow evening, the Dáil will vote on the Social Democrats' Bill to remove the three-day waiting period for abortion in Ireland. Over the past week, I have received many emails from constituents who are very concerned about the proposed legislation. This attempt to remove the three-day wait is not about supporting women; it is about pushing abortion as the only option. Why? The HSE's own figures show that between 2019 and 2024, 10,426 women did not attend their second appointment, yet no one has followed up with these women. No one has asked why they changed their minds, what support they needed, or whether the three-day wait period gave them that time and space to reflect during an incredibly difficult moment in their lives. Do those voices not matter in this discussion and if not, why not? It seems only right that women should be made aware of all the support available to them and have time to reflect before making what is an irreversible decision. Ireland is not alone in recognising that principle. Countries such as Germany, Spain and the Netherlands all retain waiting periods within their laws.

I ask people to listen to the story of Ruth O'Sullivan, who felt pressured to have an abortion after finding out her baby girl had Patau syndrome. Her family was not supported. They were pointed towards abortion as the only choice and left to manage their grief alone. In an interview, Ruth said: "I thought I was doing what was best for her ... but no one actually gave us another option." No one said she might "regret this ... down the road" or that there is another option.

It is irresponsible to push for extreme abortion legislation without hearing from the women who regret it. It is wrong to remove the three-day wait without asking even one of those 10,000 women why they did not go back and go through with an abortion. This is not what people have voted for.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I support the calls made regarding the National Ambulance Service and the need for urgent further engagement. We had the Minister for Health in Clare yesterday. She was out in the very west of Clare, in Kilkee, and she saw for herself the distances involved. People who suffer most when there is a strike are the vulnerable people and those who are the furthest distance away from the emergency departments. I call on all parties to reflect because it is critical at this stage.

I call for a national audit on vacant properties in the ownership of the State. Between local authorities, the HSE, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann, the Department of education and the myriad other State and semi-State organisations and so on, the amount of derelict property is significant. We are in a housing crisis and, in that context, we need to look at derelict properties.I have highlighted on a number of occasions properties in County Clare that have been idle for years, some owned by the OPW. There is a significant estate of property owned by the OPW that is lying vacant. I suggest that in every county in this country there are houses in the ownership of the OPW that are boarded up for one reason or another. They exist in many of our towns and villages. It is not just the OPW; it is a myriad of agencies across the State spectrum.

I would like to see an audit led by the Department of the Taoiseach to establish exactly where we are and how these properties can be brought into use, starting with the ones that have been vacant for many years and moving along to the ones vacant for a small number of years. It would be an exercise worth doing because, at the end of the day, the State is the biggest property owner in the country.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I also acknowledge today as international nurses and midwives day. I agree with the comments made by Senators Clifford-Lee and Cosgrove about the work nurses and midwives do across this country. I saw when my two sons were born the calmness and professionalism midwives show in doing their work. I spoke last week in the Chamber about the work nurses do, particularly in Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel, and the service they provided when I was in hospital with sepsis. It was a nurse who spotted it and, luckily, I survived it.

It is important to say many of our nurses are not Irish-born. The services they provide are critical to people in this country. It was mentioned that 22% are from India and 8% from the Philippines. When we talk about a new Ireland and immigration, we always have to remember these people give so much to this country and support this country very significantly. We need to make sure that they are protected in work and outside of work and that they feel appreciated. For all nurses and midwives across Ireland, it is important we as a House recognise the huge contribution they make.

Also in relation to health, there is a protest today by the National Ambulance Service. It is a normal protest, which is welcome. It should be recognised that the service needs support. It needs more financial support. People who go into that work give an awful lot and work hours totally outside of the normal 9-to-5. It is not just pay and conditions. I spoke to a paramedic a number of weeks ago. A lot of it has to do with updating decisions made about how people are treated and where ambulances go. That system has only been updated twice since the 1940s and really needs an update soon.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I know animal welfare is close to the Deputy Leader's heart. I was at the petitions committee earlier and a petition was looked at from My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue. It highlighted the concerns all rescues probably have. Last week a pregnant horse was found dying, tied up and neglected in a field in Rathcoole, County Dublin. She was abandoned by her owners to give birth and die in the field. When she was found, her two-day-old foal was already lying dead next to her. The images are distressing. The treatment is barbaric. My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue took her to veterinarians in UCD but, tragically, she did not survive the abuse and neglect of her owner.

Cases like this happen every day of the week all over the country and next to no action is being taken to investigate the perpetrators of animal cruelty or to prevent it from happening in the first place. There seem to be no consequences for people abusing animals and pets.We can have all the strategies and plans we want but there is no enforcement. There needs to be enforcement. Thousands of dogs are handled by rescue centres each year but there are only 24 prosecutions each year, so that suggests a clear lack of enforcement. Over 3,000 greyhounds were killed last year and there are no consequences for that. There are no consequences for puppy farms and there are countless other examples of animal and pet abuse. I ask that either the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine or the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration come to the House to discuss the appalling abuse of animals in this country, which is tolerated by society.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the 15 Senators who contributed to this morning's Order of Business. We started with Senator Kennelly speaking about the GAA, the upcoming match between Kerry and Donegal and the fact that it is behind a pay wall. There is no doubt that it will be spectacular match. It is sad that the volunteers who spend their time week after week helping support their local clubs, training, washing gear and providing food, may be precluded from watching the match because it is behind a pay wall. The GAA is made up of the best of volunteers. The president Jarlath Burns typifies the very best of volunteerism. Any time I have heard him speak over the past year, he talks about the grassroots of the organisation. It is wrong that the match is behind a pay wall. The GAA gets plenty of State funding. I did a quick search while the Senator was speaking. Through the community sports facilities fund alone, about €97 million goes to GAA clubs, while Croke Park itself receives other specific funding. We will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy McConalogue, not just to look at this but to take it very seriously and to contact the GAA. The Senator is right and I am happy to fully support him.

Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee spoke about International Nurses Day today and was supported by Senators Cosgrove and Ahearn. It is important that we recognise the contribution of the wonderful nurses working in so many different settings. Some of them are working in clinics, while others work in hospitals. Many of them work in nursing homes and schools as well. The fact that we have 92,000 nurses on the register means that we have to say "thank you" multiplied by 92,000 to recognise the huge contribution all of these nurses make.

Senators Clifford-Lee, Cosgrove and Ahearn spoke about Ireland's reliance on nurses from abroad. Sometimes a figure of 20% is bandied around. Statistics given by Senator Clifford-Lee show that it is far higher than that, with 22% alone coming from India and 8% from the Philippines. Compassion is a global language and I think nurses speak it fluently. They show up every single day with skill, patience, compassion, courage and resilience. It is completely shameful to see some of the racist comments that have been made. Senator Cosgrove spoke specifically about Helen Ogbu suffering racial abuse. We need to call it out. It is shocking. From what I have seen, Ms Ogbu is a very fine person and a very fine candidate. All of us stand in solidarity with her and say that is completely wrong.Yesterday, I heard just a little of "Liveline", on which Suad Mooge, a medical student who has been chosen as the Dublin Rose, was speaking about the racial abuse she received. We have to call it out where it happens.

Senator Clifford-Lee asked for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy James Lawless, to come to the House to speak about opportunities so we will not be completely reliant on those who are coming in, even though we are completely thankful for that. The Minister has given us a date – I think it is in the last week of May – to come here to speak about opportunities in further and higher education. We will certainly ask that he address this matter during that debate.

Senator Aubrey McCarthy spoke about the hantavirus. We were all very concerned when we heard the breaking news about the cruise ship. The Senator wished to commend the Taoiseach and the Baldonnel team, whose quick action ensured the two Irish citizens were brought home. It was a very difficult situation, particularly when countries started to refuse the ship permission to dock. We have to call for global compassion in cases like these because we cannot have ships simply left at sea when very serious circumstances arise. The two Irish citizens are now in quarantine and, as I understand it, they are doing well. We certainly wish them well.

Senator McCarthy also spoke about the supports being withdrawn from Ukrainians. The supports were very much needed when put in place. The associated payment was called the beneficiary of temporary protection, BOTP, payment for a clear reason. It was never intended to be permanent; it was always intended to be temporary. We do not want to see anybody homeless, whether they come from Ukraine or Ireland and regardless of their background. We want to see protections and supports put in place to ensure nobody becomes homeless.

We have to acknowledge that more than 1.2 million of the Ukrainians who left their country have gone back. They see a future in their own country despite what Putin is doing. The Ukrainian Government and President have called on people to return to rebuild their country. That has to be respected. Listening to debates on the radio this morning and yesterday, it was clear that the Government wants to put a plan in place to support those who wish to return to Ukraine, to ensure vulnerable people are supported and to recognise that many Ukrainians who came here and who wish to stay are in full employment and are able to pay for their own accommodation and resources. It is about putting a response in place to support affected people in their various scenarios. I know we will see some of the measures unfold over time.

Senator Conor Murphy spoke about the election results in Britain. Obviously, strong engagement is important to the relationship we have with the present and future British Governments. Only this morning, members of the UK trade committee were here. I believe they met members of six Oireachtas committees. I met one of the groups with members of the EU affairs committee. It was very good to see such strong engagement on our relationships going forward and I certainly agree with the Senator on that. We need to ensure Ireland does not become collateral damage. Cross-party engagement is exceedingly important.

I understand that the next UK-Ireland summit will take place in the next month or two. Again, that is important. The UK-Ireland summits are extremely important in terms of how we go forward. We have to acknowledge the shared island funds and supports being provided in conjunction with Northern Ireland.Senator Cosgrove spoke about the 110th anniversary of James Connolly and Seán Mac Diarmada being sentenced to death, and what they spoke about at the time which was the need for the tradition and the need for change. There is always a need to honour the past, but there is also always the need to move on.

Senator Scahill spoke about the ambulance services, as did several other colleagues - Senators Gallagher, Boyle, Tully and Conway. We had several people speaking about that. In opening the debate, Senator Scahill spoke about the responsibility and training those who work in our ambulance service undergo. I acknowledge the incredible work ethic of our ambulance service. Thank God, I have very rarely had to engage with them on a personal basis, but when I have, the kindness and compassion in serving either myself or family members was absolutely second to none. We acknowledge all the workers.

I will make the point that while it is regrettable that SIPTU and Unite members have chosen to proceed with industrial action, we have to say the only real negotiation is done through dialogue. We absolutely have to have recognition of upskilling, and the pay structure has to be modernised. We also have to acknowledge there was a 3% to 14% pay rise agreement linked to reform offered, and this was on top of the 9.25% increase under the current public service agreement. We have to acknowledge that union leadership recommended this be accepted, but it was rejected following a ballot, which was the right of those union members to be able to reject that ballot.

While we want to see pay and reform, we need to acknowledge the right of those who have chosen to go out. There is a 24-hour work stoppage today. If we do not have agreement on 19 May, there will be a 48-hour work stoppage. If there is no agreement then, a 72-hour work stoppage will take place on 26 May. Hopefully, there will be some type of resolution before that, but contingency arrangements have been put in place. There is a reminder that the 999 or 112 phone service remains fully operational throughout the stoppages. Priority has been given by the HSE to patients facing emergencies, such as cardiac or respiratory arrest and serious trauma, such as those arising from road traffic accidents. However, we have to urge people to consider alternative healthcare options during the stoppage. We certainly hope that by the time 19 May comes around, negotiations will have ensured there will be no further stoppage there.

Senator Keogan spoke about inconsistencies in Commencement matters and responses. I have to say I have found the Seanad Office, particularly Carmel, very helpful in helping to suggest rewording of Commencements to ensure we get the proper and appropriate response, but I recognise the frustration that is there.

Senator Boyle spoke about givinostat for children. It is a very difficult situation, and we totally support that this should be given to those who need it. I acknowledge those who have raised it before, particularly my colleague Senator Teresa Costello and Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan, who have put a lot of work into this area.

I am not sure I acknowledged Senator Tully talking about the ambulance service, but she has also met with the ambulance services and is of course supporting those who work within the service, as well as supporting a settlement on that.Senator Clonan spoke about the public consultation that is happening in Aviva Stadium tomorrow around a payment for those with disability. I have to say I reject the words that he is using. He called it a PR stunt and a photo opportunity. I totally reject that. People living with disabilities always say "nothing about us without us." Having a full piece of public consultation is something that Senator Clonan often asked for when I was a member of the disability matters committee with him. It is hugely important that those living with disabilities and those who represent them have the opportunity to come together on the scale that is envisaged at the Aviva tomorrow, to be part of the solution going forward. Absolutely, commitments were given in the programme for Government, and rightly so. However, there has to be a period in which to tease out all the different nuances that exist. I commend the Minister, Deputy Calleary and his team and those who are working on this. I have seen at first hand how committed the Minister, Deputy Calleary, is to this.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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We need to spend a proportionate amount of time to make sure that we get it right. I think Senator Clonan is completely wrong in what he says.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the Social Democrats' Bill in the Dáil. I acknowledge that it is a very difficult situation for any woman who has a crisis pregnancy. Our first thought must always go to that woman in relation to difficult decisions facing her. It is a difficult situation. There is no other area of healthcare where practitioners are exposed to criminal liability if things go wrong. In his response to this, the Taoiseach has said that the Government is committed to ensuring there is safe and equitable access to abortion services. Services for terminations up to 12 weeks are now provided in all 19 maternity hospitals. There are 491 community providers, following a sustained increase. That is important and it has to be recognised. I want to recognise here that there is a very broad spectrum of sincerely held opinion on the issue of legislative change on either side. Proposals of this nature require careful consideration. That is the only comment I will make in relation to that.

Senator Martin Conway looked for a national audit on vacant properties in the ownership of the State, where buildings that are now derelict can be used either for housing or, indeed, for community use. I completely agree with him. With the support of a Member of the Dáil, I submitted a parliamentary question on this in respect of my own county of Kildare. I certainly was not satisfied with the response I got. The information is not there and I was certainly aware of other buildings not mentioned in the reply. It is a huge piece of work but I support the Senator's call for it.

Senator Ahearn spoke about International Nurses Day and the ambulance. He spoke particularly about the nurses in Clonmel where he and his two children received the really important help that they needed.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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And his wife.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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Of course his wife, too. Senator Andrews spoke about the committee this morning at which My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue was present and the horrific situation in Rathcoole where a horse died while giving birth and both were sadly lost. It is shocking where we see neglect all over the country. My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue does incredible work in rescuing horses. Our animal rescue centres and the volunteers there do amazing work in rescuing animals, supporting them and trying to find new homes.From the figures the Senator mentioned, thousands of dogs go in all the time to rescue centres but only 24 cases were brought to court. Along with puppy farms, etc., it is very sad to see the lack of consequences. The Senator has repeatedly asked for the Minister for agriculture, in particular, to come to the Seanad. It is an issue that cuts across the portfolios of the Minister for justice and the Minister for agriculture, but we will ask again for the Minister for agriculture to come. I think he needs to come in and talk about his Department's oversight and what it is doing. Following that, we can look for the Minister for justice to come. To be fair, he has been very good about coming to this House on issues of justice.

Those are my responses for today. I thank the Cathaoirleach.