Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the appointment of members of An Coimisiún Toghcháin, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; No. 2, address to Seanad Éireann by MEPs representing the European Parliament Midlands-North-West constituency, to be taken at 2 p.m. in accordance with the arrangements set out in the motion agreed by the House on 13 May 2026; No. 3, Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Second Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to conclude at 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 64, motion 1, Private Members' business, motion regarding rents to be taken at 6.30 p.m. with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before I call Senator Clifford-Lee, I welcome visitors from Rylane National School, who are guests of Senator Lynch. You are obviously from Cork. I see Deputy Nash is there with some guests as well; they are very welcome. Kyle Roche is here. He is on work experience with Senator Clifford-Lee. Sam Burke is here and he is on work experience with me. They are all very welcome.

I give a special welcome to the Italian ambassador, H.E. Nicola Faganello, and Michela Linda Magrì. I hope I have the pronunciation right. They are here to celebrate and mark Italy's national day. Republic Day celebrates the establishment of the Italian Republic, which marks its 80th anniversary in 2026. Italy officially became a republic in 1946 after the Italian people voted in favour in a referendum. It was the first vote in the country to be carried out under universal suffrage in the aftermath of the Second World War. This year Italy held an important place on the world stage as it held the Winter Olympics in February. The games were incredibly successful and became a record-breaking event in terms of global reach. Engagement figures surpassed previous records across viewing, streaming and social media platforms both within Italy and internationally. As proud nations at the heart of Europe, Italy and Ireland share a strong connection built on common values, rich cultures and a deep commitment to democracy and community. A vibrant Italian community of approximately 18,000 lives in Ireland. There is also an Irish-Italian Chamber of Commerce in Dublin, which was established in 2020. It supports Italian businesses across a wide range of sectors. I wish ambassador Faganello and Italians living in Ireland and around the world a very happy Republic Day. Buona Festa della Repubblica. You are very welcome and enjoy your visit to Leinster House.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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St. Peter's GAA is a juvenile amalgamation of three Gaelic football clubs in rural north County Dublin, namely, Clann Mhuire, Ballyboughal and Garristown. All three clubs have a rich and deep tradition of football. When the players reach minor level, they go back to their home GAA clubs to continue playing at a very high level. St. Peter's GAA is going from strength to strength, but with changing weather patterns it has become apparent the current facilities are not fit for purpose. They are not available when the local juvenile teams need them and the local availability is very limited. This year alone St. Peter's GAA has had to contend with frequent pitch closures and cancelled training sessions. It is very difficult for the club to provide consistent, safe and structured training for the children and young people. There is a clear need for a community all-weather facility serving the communities of Naul, Garristown and Ballyboughal.

I recently met representatives of St. Peter's GAA on their proposal to develop a multisport community facility for all three communities. They have identified council-owned land ideally located between Ballyboughal and Naul. They have also developed a concept and plans contained in the document I am holding, which is really well-developed. Stage 1 of the proposal is to develop a car park and all-weather pitch at an estimated cost of €2.5 million. This is a very reasonable cost when you consider the huge benefit of the facility to the three communities and the kids of St. Peter's. All three GAA clubs are committed to the development of this multisport community facility and there is huge support for it locally. The children and young people of Ballyboughal, Naul and Garristown deserve excellent sporting and community facilities. I am fully behind this development and will do everything in my power to deliver it for the communities.

When discussing this development we also need to look at the concept of the third space. The third space is a social environment separate to the two primary spaces in people's lives, which are their home and work or school environments. It allows people to connect, relax and build community. There are many important friendships and learning environments people need to have access to in order to exchange ideas and decompress. These are very important to keep community cohesion, but in rural communities third spaces can often be lacking. This multisport community facility proposed by St. Peter's fills this role in these communities. It will bring three thriving rural communities together and ensure all in the community have access to a place to gather and form bonds. All three communities have grown in population in recent years and are set to grow further. I would like a debate with the Minister of State with special responsibility for sport, Deputy McConalogue, on the provision of sporting facilities for rural communities and their importance in community development, community cohesion, belonging and collective action.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I want to raise one issue today. The special advocate for survivors of institutional abuse held a press conference. I do not recall that there were any Senators there but there were a number of Deputies present. It was packed and was extensively covered in all media today. It is a reminder of a lot of unfinished business. We heard a heart-rending story from a man who was taken to Kerry and ended up being boarded out. He shared with us the enormous emotion of the separation of his brothers and the impact it had on his life. This man had an extraordinary story that I had never heard before. Many of the journalists present were deeply moved by it. The story related to boarding out. There are many aspects to institutional abuse. We talk about emotional abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. It comes in many forms and is sometimes a combination of them all. The great tragedy is that thousands and thousands of children, both boys and girls, were farmed out and were separated from their families. This was aided and abetted by the institutions of the State and the church. This was, historically, of a time. Things have moved on.

As someone who is committed to agriculture and has represented the agricultural panel for over ten years now, I am struck by the thought that young children aged five, six and seven were housed in barns and sheds. They were not housed with the family or the children. They were out picking stones. They worked as slaves seven days a week. There are stories of children who were forced to eat swill rather than food. There are stories of children who were held back from any education. However, the greatest sin of all was to break the link from their brothers and sisters. Yesterday we heard the story of a man who went on a bus to Kilgarvan and was then wrenched away from his brother and taken up to another family in Kerry, not that far away, but for ten years they never connected and never met. That has all been validated and we heard that story yesterday. Again, there was no commitment to link him in. That leaves emotional, physical and mental scars on people.

The Government has acknowledged different things. I want to make a particular reference to the Taoiseach. I am only talking about boarding out here today because there were many aspects covered yesterday. The Taoiseach gave an apology and a recognition in the State's apology to the boarded-out people, but nothing has happened. We were told yesterday about restitution that never came. That was the story about the boarded-out survivors. They are still excluded from any financial redress despite repeated recognition of the wrongdoing of the State. Indeed, I sat in the Chamber some weeks back when the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, who I know has huge sympathy and empathy with this particular issue, spoke about an apology but the redress has not been given. I want to thank the special advocate, Patricia Carey. I want to thank the people who shared their story with us at Buswells Hotel at the press launch yesterday. I ask the Leader if we could have a debate specifically on the boarded-out families to let us look at it again and see what practical measures there are. Redress is about more than money; it is about practical supports. I would like to have a targeted, respectful conversation with the relevant Government Departments to see what we can do to progress this matter, which is about justice and redress.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before we carry on, I want to welcome former councillor, Kathleen Shanagher, chairperson of the Roscommon Tidy Towns Association, along with Alison Maher and Kevin Woods. I thank them for all the work they do. They are guests of Senator Scahill, who I call on now.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Kathleen, Kevin and Alison here today. Kathleen may be retired but she is probably as busy now as she has ever been with the Tidy Towns Association. She is building on the great effort she has put into that down through the years. I wish Kathleen continued success.

It is just coincidental I am bringing this up at the moment. I welcome and commend Councillor Emer Kelly for, once again, raising the ongoing parking crisis in Roscommon University Hospital at the regional health forum recently. The response that she received from the HSE clearly acknowledges the seriousness of the issue, with additional parking now described as "urgent and essential". It also sets out the requirement for the future development of the hospital campus. The acknowledgment is important because everybody using Roscommon University Hospital - patients, family and staff - know that the current situation is simply unsustainable. Parking pressures have continued to grow as services, staffing levels and activity at the hospital have increased year on year. This is not a new issue. I raised this issue when I was a member of the regional health forum in 2024. At that stage I was informed that the spatial plan for the hospital campus would be completed by December 2024 and would help to address the parking difficulties. Since then, I have continued to pursue this matter and I have worked very closely with my colleague, Councillor Valerie Duffy, who is now representing us on the regional health forum. It is very frustrating that two years later, public representatives are still being fobbed off with a reference to a spatial plan that has not been delivered, while no meaningful progress has been delivered on the ground. Patients attending appointments should not face the stress of searching for parking and staff should not be left to rely on overflow arrangements that are already at full capacity most days. Enough is enough. Action is needed. The HSE must provide definite timelines for the completion and delivery of this spatial plan along with immediate interim measures to ease the parking crisis in Roscommon University Hospital. I am calling for a debate on this matter to see whether we can ensure that HSE west and other HSE services around the country are not just fobbing off public representatives with the same answers they have been using for two and three years. When we ask these questions, we deserve honesty and delivery on them.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I want to start by wishing all the exhibitors well this weekend at the Bloom Festival, where we showcase the best of our gardening, Irish products, food and sustainable living. As Senators know, it is sponsored by Bord Bia. It was raised with me over the last couple of days that there will be exhibitors there showcasing Irish wool. The Irish wool that they showcase actually has a product that is imported called merino, which means it is not actually 100% Irish wool. There is a company called Galway Wool. I have dealt with Blátnaid Gallagher from Galway Wool in the past through committee and other engagements. Hers is one of the only companies in Ireland that is 100% Irish wool. It is important to promote Irish business also, so I am not giving out that there are other companies there, because they are Irish businesses. However, it would be nice to see our Irish products being showcased also. It comes back a little to the issue with labelling when it comes to this country as to whether the product itself is an Irish product or whether it is imported or there are ingredients within the product that are imported. It is very important we ensure that if something is being promoted by us or by Bord Bia, we are promoting it correctly and making sure that people understand if it is a fully Irish product or if there is a percentage of it that is not. However, I want to wish everyone well. It is going to be a fantastic event. Thankfully, they seem to have the weather in their favour for it which means it will be even better. With lots of people coming into the city for the weekend there will be a great buzz around the place. I wish all the exhibitors the best of luck but going forward it would be nice to see our products as well as our businesses being promoted when they are 100% Irish.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to seek that No. 13 be taken before No. 1. I refer to putting the Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026 on the Order Paper. The Bill is grounded in the simple principle of upholding Irish neutrality, the sovereignty of our airspace and international law. For decades, Shannon Airport has been used as a transit hub for US military operations. Recent reporting in the media has raised serious questions about the scale of those activities and the lack of transparency surrounding them. The Irish Times has reported that 250 more US military aircraft passed through Irish airspace than was previously reported to the Government. At the same time, reports in The Ditch have consistently highlighted the role of commercial aircraft providers carrying weapons through Irish airspace. For example, in just one week in February last year Lufthansa carried over 1 tonne of munitions to Israel on three flights over Irish territory. American Airlines carried munitions used in the illegal war on Iran just last month, carried on passenger aircraft, including critical parts for launching missiles. None of these were sanctioned by the Government.Under Irish navigation law, carrying weapons of war through Irish airspace requires an exemption from the transport Minister. Otherwise, it is an indictable offence. However, exemptions have not been applied for in many cases.

We have consistently heard from the Government that it is impossible to know what is being transported. Therefore, we need a random on-the-spot inspection regime. This is the central issue that my Bill seeks to address. The legislation addresses the claims by this Government that it does not have sufficient powers to inspect commercial operators transporting arms and munitions through the State. The Bill will introduce a random inspection and enforcement regime with penalties for flight operators who breach Ireland's rules on the transportation of munitions.

My Bill also responds to long held and growing public concerns about Ireland's complicity in actions linked to human rights abuses, particularly in relation to the use of Irish territory in the context of the cruel deportation flights carried out by ICE from the US last year, which we have recorded as landing in Shannon Airport between May 2025 and February this year. I do not believe the Government should be playing any part in these removals. We have seen reports of Palestinians being shackled on an aeroplane and deported to the West Bank, which, as we all know, is an occupied territory. Deporting people to an occupied territory is illegal under international law. It is horrifying that people are being shackled on aeroplanes that are landing and passing through Shannon Airport.

The Bill seeks to extend what qualifies as a State aircraft by including aircraft operating as custom flights, thus requiring custom flights to abide by human rights standards and seek exemptions before landing in Shannon. It is my expectation that the Irish Government would never provide an exemption for ICE-style deportations and would, therefore, stop these flights landing in Shannon.

This Bill is about oversight, accountability and ensuring that Ireland is not facilitating the movement of weapons or participation in actions that may undermine international law, human rights or the values that we claim to uphold. I hope my colleagues will support my proposal to amend the Order of Business.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

I am very happy to support Senator Stephenson's Bill. I was deeply disappointed when my arms embargo Bill was blocked in this House. It was, again, a Bill seeking to address the transit of arms. Senator Stephenson's Bill is taking a different approach, but an equally constructive one, to the wider issue of the transit of arms and other inappropriate uses of our airspace and airports.

The Bill is very constructive. I believe it addresses many of the reasons and rationales we heard from the Government in relation to my Bill. I hope we will see it progressing through the House. I am delighted to support and co-sign it.

I also propose another amendment to the Order of Business to introduce my own Bill. I formally propose that No. 12 be taken before No. 1. I am proposing a Bill which seeks to build on something we should be very proud of, namely, Ireland's record on disarmament. Ireland was the first country to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. That was done by Frank Aiken. Ireland played a key role in hosting the negotiations to ban cluster munitions. I was there myself. They are one of the most appalling weapons that specifically target and affect civilians in their impact. We also played a key role in the anti-personnel mine ban convention. This is Ireland's record in disarmament. It is something we should be proud of - in fact we should be standing over it at a time when we are seeing a slipping away in that regard. Very worryingly, countries are leaving the cluster bomb and landmine conventions.

This is our opportunity to move forward and look to the new and very serious threat posed by lethal autonomous weapon systems. These systems are defined as any weapons system with autonomy at its critical function, a weapon system that can select and attack targets without human intervention, often using AI. It separates the decision to take a human life from an individual or a command structure that can be held accountable and, instead, we have a situation where an algorithm, programme or piece of software can in fact have the ability to decide who lives or dies in the areas where they are operating.

This is a perversion of our humanity. It is vital that Ireland take a leading role in pushing for legally binding treaties, regulating and, where appropriate, banning these categories of weapons. In 2023, Ireland signed a UN General Assembly motion tabled by Austria calling for the co-operation of states on the regulation of these weapons and supporting their prohibition in situations where there is no guaranteed human control or compliance with international humanitarian law. The purpose of this Bill is to put that in place. It is for Ireland to give leadership, not just in pushing for a global treaty but also on a national level to bring in a prohibition of this specific category of weapons system.

It is important to note that areas like AI, defence and military action are not part of the EU law structures. For example, the AI Act explicitly carves out and does not address the use of these technologies in relation to defence or weaponry because that is a national level competence. That is why we need national level leadership. Ireland, by bringing a prohibition through, will be in a much stronger position to then drive the necessary international conversation.

When we think about these programmes and how they come in, we can look to some of the programmes we have seen. Some of them may technically meet the definition here. I have drawn on the International Red Cross. Others may not. There are programmes that automatically target people based on a family member coming home, for example, the "Where's Daddy" and "Lavender" programmes. They are designed to target children, by their nature. This is something on which Ireland can give leadership. The Government has stated that this is its position internationally. I hope it will support the Bill to prohibit lethal autonomous weapons. I give credit to Stephen Reid in my office, who has given leadership in this whole programme of developing this area of work.

Frances Black (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I belatedly congratulate our former colleague and former Leader, Deputy Seán Kyne, on his election. I also congratulate Deputy Daniel Ennis. I do not know Deputy Ennis personally. I have always found Deputy Kyne to be a good colleague, a good friend and a very fair and impartial Leader. I wish him every success in the Lower House.

I highlight the fact that this is the Health and Safety Authority's farm safety partnership advisory committee's tractor safety week. It is very appropriate that we have it this week - the first fine week of the year. Rural Ireland is buzzing at the moment and the silage season has kicked in. It is important that we again highlight awareness of farm safety and the dangers that go with heavy machinery, as well as the increased and enhanced workload. It is very hard to appreciate it at a time when the weather is fine. This may only be a window. It may not be as fine next week. The cycle comes and goes. Farmers need to just stop and think that the work always gets done. It does not all have to be done today. I urge that we would create awareness on that.

In that regard, again this year, unfortunately, Farm Safety Week falls in the week of 20 July when these Houses will be in recess. That has happened in recent years, which has not afforded us the opportunity to have statements during Farm Safety Week. I have given the Acting Leader plenty of advance warning so that between now and the recess, we might have statements on farm safety. Perhaps we could also incorporate into the discussion with the Minister awareness of the prevalence of the diseases that are now evident in the agriculture sector. We heard a lot of talk about bluetongue over the winter months, including that it would not be a threat until temperatures went over 12°C. They are well over 12°C now, so we need to be conscious of that. I urge that people travelling to places like Cyprus and Greece, where foot-and-mouth disease is prevalent at the moment, be cognisant and conscious of that. If they come into contact with any dairy or meat products or farm animals, they should be conscious of that when they come home. The last thing we need is an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. As we are not sitting next week, I wish everybody who is taking State exams the best of luck.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I have been contacted by people with disabilities. The misuse of disability parking bays may seem small to some, but for some people it has a very real impact on their daily lives. Disability parking bays exist for a reason. They are there to ensure that people with disability and mobility challenges, older citizens and those with medical conditions can safely and independently access services, the workplace, shops and community facilities. Unfortunately, we continue to see incidents of the use of these spaces by people who have absolutely no entitlement to them. What is even more concerning is the cases where permits are misused or displayed unlawfully. Recently in my local area, a vehicle was parked in a disability space using somebody else's permit.I genuinely cannot understand why anyone would think this is acceptable. It is not an inconvenience for someone with genuine needs not to be able to access these places. This is causing widespread anger among people with disabilities. People have been ringing me in the past couple of days about this.

Ordinary people have to go to the shop or attend a doctor's appointment are finding there is somebody there who is not entitled to be there. I ask people to think carefully before they park and to leave disability bays for the people who are entitled to them. They are the people who really need them, who have bad mobility and need to walk a couple of hundred yards to a doctor's surgery or a shop. I ask people, when they are out today and all through the summer, to please stay out of disability parking bays.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I want to carefully address some of the public and media reactions following the tragic death of Yves Sakila because it raises serious concerns about consistency and fairness in how we discuss these issues. In recent days, footage emerged of African religious rituals being conducted outside Arnotts in response to Sakila's death, where the officiate tells the camera he is cursing death on all who enter the premises. That conduct has not been treated with the seriousness it warrants. In fact, it has been dismissed or trivialised. At the same time, we have laws in this country where a person praying quietly within 100 m of an abortion facility can face criminal sanctions. That is a contradiction that needs to be acknowledged. I have also heard from staff, of whom there are more than 300, and customers of Arnotts who are now worried about their safety. That concern should not be dismissed out of hand.

More broadly, I am troubled by the tone adopted by many in public discourse, including Members of this House, who referred to security guards involved as murderers. That is outrageous. It is jeopardisation of an ongoing investigation and if those men are found innocent, it will be defamation.

Meanwhile, we saw the murder of Alex Coughlan in the past week. In that case there were calls for restraint and, in fact, people were expressly urged not to share horrific footage. The question I ask is a simple one. Which standards are we applying? Either we speak freely or with caution. Both have pros and cons but we should be consistent and not switch for selective reasons based, dare I say, on the ethnicity of the victim and the accused. I and others have been accused of sowing hatred and division. I do not. Upholding double standards is what creates division. Pointing them out is about defending fairness, and fairness is the foundation of peace and harmony.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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We heard harrowing evidence at Longford Court last week as Garda Inspector Tom Quinn told how he feared for his life when a German shepherd was set upon him. He is a Garda of outstanding character, with an unblemished record, who has since endured an agonising eight years as a consequence of what happened that evening. Within minutes of the attack, which ultimately saw the garda produce and fire his service weapon in order to save his own life, a video went viral. It was widely shared on social media and caused Inspector Quinn's family genuine and serious distress. The video and subsequent media coverage was accompanied by horrible and vicious commentary. Inspector Quinn was the subject of threats and was forced to take his children from the family home for a number of weeks. That video is still available to be seen across multiple social media forums. His children recently told him that they have seen it for themselves. I would have expected that, at the very least, An Garda Síochána management would have pursued and ensured the removal of this video from all channels.

In the aftermath, the assistant commissioner for the western region visited Inspector Quinn and gave certain assurances that he had acted properly and the organisation would protect him. Sadly, Inspector Quinn's experience has been quite the opposite. He was very critical of the former Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, for failing to make contact with him and refusing to sign his promotion warrant in December 2018. It was as if Harris had formed a decision that the then-Sergeant Quinn was in the wrong. Even after he was cleared by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, of any wrongdoing, his calls to human resources about his promotion went unanswered. When he was eventually and rightly promoted in August 2019, he sought to have that promotion backdated as it was having an adverse effect on his pay, pension and future promotion opportunities. Having unsuccessfully tried to resolve the issue through all channels, he had no option but to take the matter to the High Court. That court subsequently said that, given GSOC's findings, not backdating the promotion would wrongly penalise the inspector over what amounted to false accusations against him.

This officer was failed by An Garda Síochána management and at the very least deserves an apology from An Garda Síochána. The inspector has been on a panel for promotion to superintendent. However, prior to his High Court action the panel was cut short of where he was placed, and he has since applied twice for promotion but has not been selected. I take heart from his comments that he does not think the current Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, would have allowed the situation to be handled so badly.

We need to have confidence and a genuine belief in the absolute integrity and commitment of An Garda Síochána. Equally, serving members must feel that they have the absolute support, backing and loyalty of management. In this regard, I fear Inspector Quinn was shamelessly failed. The public genuinely needs to see this acknowledged and, as I said, An Garda Síochána needs to make an apology to Inspector Quinn.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before I call Senator Duffy, I welcome his guest, Ailbhe Munnelly. She is a niece of Councillor Jarlath Munnelly from County Mayo. Ailbhe is very welcome. I take it she is from County Mayo as well. I hope she enjoys her visit.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Ailbhe and thank her for being here to support me in an internship role.

I welcome confirmation by the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Deputy O'Brien, that his Department will now undertake an integrated strategy on the use of surplus renewable energy. It is an issue I have raised many times in committee and on the floor of Seanad Éireann, specifically focusing on dispatch down when turbines are being turned off because of oversupply to the grid. The Minister's confirmation today is very welcome. I have called for this on numerous occasions. Energy Cloud is a great example of using surplus renewable energy. It tops up for free hot water tanks for vulnerable households who are at risk of fuel poverty. There is a great opportunity here.

Some €500 million of wasted energy is lost every year. To create a scheme to broaden Energy Cloud's role to households around the country, specifically those most at risk of fuel poverty is excellent. Building on top of that, there needs to be support through grant aid for battery storage at a residential level. I have raised this plenty of times but I reiterate that call today, given the Minister has confirmed there will be a strategy on surplus renewable energy.

Battery storage supports for residential households, targeting those most vulnerable and most at risk of fuel poverty first, and working upwards, can have a transformational benefit for the quality of life of citizens across the country. I welcome consideration of that. Perhaps we could have a debate with the Minister on this in order that we have constructive contributions. We could take a step forward both in terms of decarbonising and putting money back in people's pockets and making energy bills much more affordable for homeowners.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I support Senator Stephenson's Bill. It is beyond disappointing the way the Government looks at the other way in relation to the transportation of munitions through Irish airspace. We have to change that policy.

I express my condolences to the family of Alex Coughlan, a young man from Blanchardstown who had his life brutally taken. My thoughts are with his family and friends. Alex will be remembered as a caring and selfless man whose kindness touched so many people. I commend An Garda Síochána on arresting two suspects so quickly, and I hope Alex and his loved ones receive the justice they deserve. It is deeply worrying that across this city, crime and violence are all too common. Intimidation by organised crime or unorganised but dangerous groups of young people is the reality in many of Dublin's communities.The people who killed Alex Coughlan must be brought to justice and must face the consequences of their absolutely brutal assault. It seems it was carried out by two 16-year-olds who stole a wallet while recording the assault. Killers like them must be held to account. Right across the city, whether in Ringsend, Blanchardstown, Pearse Street or elsewhere, people feel unsafe. Garda numbers in the south inner-city have, in effect, been stagnant for the past decade, despite rapid population growth. That is reflected on the streets. People in communities around City Quay are constantly worried about their safety. Life in that part of the city has become very challenging. The Garda does not have the resources it needs. It is really important to get more gardaí on the streets to make them safer. I ask that the Minister come to the Chamber to set out a plan for making the streets safer.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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As the good weather arrives, people naturally rush to our beaches, lakes and coastline to enjoy the sunshine. Too often, however, many go into the water without fully understanding the real dangers that can exist beneath the surface. Calm waters can change in moments. Strong rip currents like we have in north Kerry, cold water shock, hidden tides and sudden water changes can turn a day out into a tragedy within minutes. Sadly, there has been an incident recently that has devastated a family and shaken a community. I send my sympathies to the family of Abbie Carmody-Pepper on her recent passing.

In Kerry, we are proud to have 15 blue flag beaches and two blue flag marinas, which attract thousands of visitors whenever the weather improves. However, with that popularity comes responsibility. The good weather can come either in the bathing season or outside it. We are currently outside the official bathing season, which normally runs from 1 June to 15 September, with many of our beaches being left without lifeguard protection. This week alone, heat records have been broken twice and beaches across the county have been packed with people despite there being no lifeguard on duty to protect the public in many locations. We saw the danger of that clearly only last Monday at the beautiful Banna beach in north Kerry, with an incident that, fortunately, had a positive outcome. We may not be so lucky the next time.

We cannot continue waiting for calendar dates while temperatures soar and crowds gather at our beaches and coastline. Water safety services must respond to real conditions, not just at certain times of the year. I call on all coastal local authorities across the country to provide lifeguard cover whenever extreme warm weather brings large numbers to the beaches. Public safety must come first and we cannot just stick to a calendar. We need a contingency plan whereby if there is good weather outside of their fixed-term agreements, lifeguards will be provided to cover the beaches.

There is also the issue of awareness. We need a strong water safety campaign reminding people to respect the water, never swim alone, supervise children closely and understand that even experienced swimmers can get into difficulty. Good weather should bring enjoyment, not heartbreak. Coastal local authorities must act now to raise awareness, including through all social media platforms, that people need to think before they act and be aware of dangers and risks to public safety.

Frances Black (Independent)
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I want to put on record my disappointment yesterday with the Government's announcement on the occupied territories Bill. What has been proposed is a partial ban. It is a ban on the importation of physical goods from the illegal Israeli settlements, that is, the dates and olives grown on stolen Palestinian farmland. It is welcome as far as it goes but it deliberately excludes trade in services. The technology companies, tourism platforms and digital and IT firms that sustain those settlements are being let off the hook entirely. It is a significantly and deeply disappointing walk-back that will fundamentally undermine the impact of the legislation.

In the West Bank right now, Palestinian families are being driven off their land at gunpoint and their homes and farms are being seized. Communities are being forcibly displaced. Médecins sans Frontières recently documented the case of a family of six who were shot while simply driving home. Only two sons survived. Their brothers were five and seven years old. Western governments have rightly condemned such actions as illegal, yet we continue to trade with the very settlements sustaining them. That is what the occupied territories Bill is meant to address. The Government's argument that including services is not legally implementable is misleading, and one example puts that beyond doubt. Last year, Spain passed legislation banning trade in certain services with Israeli settlements. Spain is bound by exactly the same EU rules as Ireland is but it did it and it is working. Tourism platforms, digital companies, Airbnb providers and others can no longer provide support to those settlements. That was implemented in a matter of weeks. If Spain can do it, why can Ireland not do the same?

When the Bill reaches the floor of the Dáil in the coming weeks, I will work on amendments with colleagues and, I hope, Opposition Members. I ask my colleagues here to support those amendments because they are absolutely vital. My position on this has been the same since 2018 and it is not going to change now. I urge people to support the occupied territories Bill in its entirety. In 2014, when Russia occupied part of Ukraine, Ireland rightly implemented a ban on both goods and services. That ban has been in place and working for 12 years. All we are asking is that the same standard be applied in this case. If Irish businesses can be required by law to stop providing services to Russian companies tearing up Ukraine, why can they not be asked to do the same in respect of Israeli companies tearing apart and destroying the West Bank?

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I refer to the lack of roads funding provided to Wexford County Council in the aftermath of Storm Chandra. We are now 120 days on from the storm, which occurred on 27 January. Unfortunately, despite a request for an emergency budget of €22 million, Wexford County Council has not received any funding to date. I am seeking answers in this regard. The council has identified 157 roads in the county as damaged to the point of being in an immediate and dangerous state of disrepair as a result of the storm. It is the largest number of roads so affected in any county. The council does not have the resources out of its ordinary roads budget to address this issue.

We have been waiting 120 days and we are still waiting. The real impact of this is being felt by the Wexford economy, with farmers unable to access some fields, milk lorries unable to enter parlours, hauliers unable to bring goods to businesses and families where a member's carer cannot access the home because they are unable to get up the road. I spoke the other day to a man who told me that the carer who comes to his grandmother has to get out of the car and walk 600 m up the road to get into the house and 600 m back down the road after leaving the house at the end of the shift. That man is terrified about what could happen if an ambulance needs to be called and cannot get up the road. This is the type of experience being lived through by people in Wexford. I ask that the Minister for Transport come to the Chamber and explain when the emergency money and the catch-up money committed to the programme for Government will be released and when there will be certainty for Wexford County Council. The summer will be over soon, the winter will come quickly and then we will back into another storm cycle.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Deputy Sheehan to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. He is accompanied by Dr. Clodagh Toomey of the University of Limerick, Stacey Grealish and Karen Kelleher, who have made a presentation on osteoarthritis in the audiovisual room. They are very welcome to the Seanad.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I welcome the visitors in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. I have just come from their briefing. As someone with osteoarthritis in both knees, I welcome their fantastic programme, which I intend to raise for discussion in the House by way of a Commencement matter.

I, too, am very disappointed that services are not included in the occupied territories Bill. I commend Senator Black again on all the work she has done on the legislation. I urge people to take on board the amendments she intends to put forward. If Spain can do it, we can do it. As Leas-Chathaoirleach of the foreign affairs committee, the Acting Leader knows a lot of deliberation took place on the legislation. Yesterday's announcement was disappointing. I urge people to read Senator Black's amendments and work with her on them.I also want to mention some startling figures that my former colleague, Councillor Declan Bree, raised at this month's meeting of Sligo County Council. According to figures that were released on foot of a motion tabled by Councillor Bree, €7.5 million was paid to private landlords through the housing assistance payment, HAP; the rental accommodation scheme, RAS; and long-term social housing payments in 2025. At the same time, there is a waiting list of 65 homes in Sligo County Council's tenant in situscheme. A budget of just €2.5 million has been allocated for that. The local authority wants to buy these homes, the tenants who are in them want to live in them, and we know that the local authorities want to build up their own housing stock, but those figures show that €7.5 million is going directly into the hands of private providers - private landlords - and will stay in their remit, while just €2.5 million has been allocated to buy some of the houses that people are living in. There seems to be an upside-down approach to the housing policies within councils. The councils are being funded to continue giving money to private providers, even though the plan is to gradually phase that out. In the meantime, can the tenant in situ scheme be massively ramped up? There are landlords who want to sell to the councils. The tenants who are in those houses at the moment want to stay in them. They have built their whole lives around them and the local schools, facilities and communities. Yet there does not seem to be a correlation between that. At least then we would be increasing the social housing stock.

Noel O'Donovan (Fine Gael)
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I have raised in the House a number of times the issue of infrastructure development in our towns and villages across the country, primarily for me in west Cork. Thankfully, we are seeing houses being built in many of our towns. We are seeing hundreds of homes being built in the towns of Bandon and Clonakilty. While we are coming to terms with the infrastructure around that in terms of wastewater and water facilities and services, there is a need to audit the towns for amenities and social infrastructure as well. We talk a lot about that, but we actually have to get down to basics and go and do it. I believe there is a role for local authorities in assessing the towns in town planning. They all have planning policy units that can go in and assess all the clubs and social services. Last week, I met representatives of the family resource centre in Bandon, which is a town that is coming close to 10,000 people. They see the social infrastructure that is missing in the town and the implications this will have for the town going forward. I am calling for the Department of housing to get involved with the local authorities and ask them to create an initiative for the interactive assessment of these towns. Once towns can be assessed, we can create a plan. It is well said in west Cork that Bandon, Clonakilty and Skibbereen need plans. Those plans can be interactive, visual ones for all the various Departments so that when they come along to support towns, be it with healthcare or childcare facilities, the needs have been assessed, are visible and are clearly seen. At least we, as politicians, and our communities that we serve, can see a plan for these towns. We need to get serious and actually deliver an interactive audit and plan. If it is a case of looking at European best practice, let us see how other countries do it. I would like there to be a policy. I would like there to be a debate in this House on some stage, which I might call for.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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The Government's housing policy has become increasingly skewed towards large developers while ordinary families who are trying to build a home are left carrying the cost. People who want to build a modest home beside their parents or on a family field are being hit with a wall of costs before a single block is laid. Connection charges can run into the thousands. A standard water connection from Uisce Éireann costs €2,000. Wastewater charges are up to €4,000, or more. ESB connections are a huge cost, if you can get a connection. The most recent development contribution fees I have seen have been between €9,000 and €10,000. That is before a block is even laid. Last year, the Government pointed to the massive increase in commencement notices as an indication that there would be a significant increase in supply. In 2024, commencement notices surged to more than 69,000 but this spike was an artificial inflation. Ordinary home builders were essentially overlooked while the Government introduced a reduced 9% VAT rate for apartment construction. Nothing comparable was introduced for young families who are trying to build a home on their own land. Now the Department of Finance has acknowledged that these measures have reduced the accuracy of statistics and artificially inflated the numbers. In other words, the dramatic headlines will not reflect the number of homes that will actually be delivered. Waivers and tax reliefs should help the young couples who are trying to build their first homes, rather than large investment funds or institutional developers. Has the Government looked at reducing VAT on construction materials? We have estimated that this could reduce the cost of building a home by up to €50,000. Young people, particularly in rural areas, need more supports. We should be removing barriers to families who are trying to build their own homes. We should be looking at providing serviced sites on the periphery of towns, where possible.

Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)
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This morning, I rise to speak about the domestic production and use of hydrotreated vegetable oil, commonly known as HVO. We all understand the challenges we face in achieving our 2030 climate goals. I really believe we are missing out by not utilising HVO to its full extent. HVO is a fuel that can be used without any engine modifications. It reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90% over its entire life cycle. As of 1 January this year, the mandatory share of renewable fuels in the transport sector has risen to 32%. We are mandating the use of these fuels yet we are almost entirely dependent on imports from abroad. Basically, I believe we are exporting the economic opportunities of the green transition. We only need to look to our European partners to see what is possible and what can be done. Austrian postal services have fully converted their national truck fleet to run on HVO. This replaces around 6 million litres of diesel each year with fuel made from waste oils and residues. It is expected to reduce emissions by several thousand tonnes of CO2 annually. In Ireland, we have the raw materials - animal fats and used vegetable oils - and we have the expert knowledge at places like the Whitegate refinery. However, we lack clear capital investment signals and excise parity that would allow our domestic HVO industry to grow. Our farmers can use HVO as an alternative to green diesel. It is an area in which my colleague, Councillor John Reilly in Louth, has done a lot of work. He has consistently called for the increased use of HVO and a reduction of VAT on HVO. At the moment, farmers who use HVO are paying 23% VAT, as opposed to 13.5% VAT on green diesel, and we need to rectify this. If we are serious about energy transition and energy security, we cannot just be consumers of other countries' innovations. We need to make our own efforts to demonstrate that we are serious about this. Something like further use of HVO is a simple solution and these are the kinds of solutions we need to look at and implement.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I would like to be associated with the comments of my colleague from Longford, Senator Flaherty, on the brutal treatment of Thomas Quinn, a local garda in our area. I will leave it there because Senator Flaherty covered it well.

I would like to speak about mental health this week. The issue of mental health certainly hit our areas of Drumlish and the wider area of Newtown Forbes in the past number of weeks. It has hit a student population who are devastated at the loss of a number of their friends. I hope that as we come up to exams, parents will be cognisant that there is a sight of pressure on kids who are going into these exams and that not every child can be a doctor or a barrister. They will always find a way in life. I ask parents to try not to put pressure on their kids when they are sitting exams because they are under enough pressure themselves. I wish all students the very best in their exams. I hope parents realise they are under enough pressure with the exams and do not put any more pressure on them at home.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I call on the Acting Leader to respond.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I thank the 20 Senators who made contributions to the Order of Business. Senator Clifford-Lee spoke about St. Peter's GAA club in her area. She mentioned that three football clubs that have come together and are working together to try to increase and improve facilities for many kids in that area. It is good to see that that has happened because there is limited funding available across the whole country to fund sports facilities for sports clubs.We often see sports clubs going separately looking for funding. It is often to the detriment of the full area. To see three clubs come together to try to look for funding is critically important. It is good that the Senator has raised it. I think the Minister is on record as saying that local authorities can step up as well and play their role. It is good to see the clubs are working with the local authority on a car park, because it always seems to be a big issue in urban and rural areas. The team is a third space. When we talk about communities, we talk about home and work, but amenities and facilities are critically important, particularly for kids.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the survivors of institutions. Senator Harmon raised the matter yesterday too. Senator Boyhan talked about the sad stories of people who lost contact or had broken links between brothers and sisters while in institutions. There is a good opportunity, considering that recommendations have been brought forward, which we have debated previously in this House,, as Senator Harmon said yesterday, for us to have a debate on it. When we talk about redress, we are talking about justice too. It is important that this be recognised.

Senator Scahill spoke about more parking being needed in hospitals. That can be seen that right across the country. Roscommon is at a critical stage and there is nothing worse than people going to hospital, having appointments, or an emergency, and not being able to find parking. It happened to my father last week in Clonmel. We had to drop him simply because parking is difficult to find. It is frustrating as a public representative. Councillor Valerie Duffy is working hard at this but when people are just fobbed off and told that some sort of master plan is happening at some point, but with no detail or information, and they are expected to go back to their constituents and tell them that something can be done, it is very frustrating. I acknowledge, as the Senator did, Kathleen and all on the Tidy Towns committee and the work they do. We see that across the country. People often do it when they are supposedly retired, yet seem to work harder than ever before.

Senator Collins spoke about the Bloom Festival, which has been so successful for the past ten years or more. She raised a key point, which is that when we have a festival like this, which is being sponsored heavily by Bord Bia, we have to make sure that most of the products there are Irish products, or if they are not, it should be clearer than it normally is. She spoke about merino wool, which is a popular type of wool for clothing. Much of that is imported. We have labelling issues, whether in wool or in food products, that have been highlighted in these Houses a number of times. It needs to be improved.

Senators Stephenson and Higgins spoke about taking Nos. 12 and 13 before No. 1. I have no problem with that at all. We had a debate with the Minister, Deputy McEntee, about international relations and development, and we discussed many of the issues that the Senators raised. There is no problem with doing what the Senators requested to change the Order of Business.

Senator Paul Daly congratulated Deputy Seán Kyne and then spoke about farm safety, which was raised by a number of Members yesterday. It is a good opportunity to have statements on farm safety, considering it is a week when we are off. Any of us who live in rural Ireland at the moment are seeing more tractors on the road. All it takes is one accident, whether on the road or on the farm, to have a massive impact on a family. As we always say, a family home on a farm is a workplace too, and something can happen very easily. We always need to be conscious of that and do as much as we can to raise awareness regarding the safety of family farmers.

Senator Boyle raised an issue that can be frustrating for people with disabilities. When they are going to the local shop in their town, a supermarket, or anywhere else, all of the disability bays have been taken up. I do not understand how people who are not entitled to take these parking spots can take them. Even now, there are parking spots for people who have young families, which are bigger for a reason, to let mothers and fathers take young kids out, and they are just randomly taken by people. That is a smaller issue but there is a reason there are parking bays for people with disabilities close to facilities, which is ease of access that the Senator or I do not need. We should always be aware of that. A 60-second walk is not that stressful and there is loads of parking in this places where we see parking bays.

Senator Keogan spoke about the sad passing of that gentleman outside Arnotts. I am not doubting what she said but we have to remember that someone died here and it is a very sad situation. There is an investigation, which is being carried out at the moment. It is not for me or the House to talk about it. I am not aware that anyone in these Houses called security guards murderers. If they did, no one knows the full story. Let the process happen. A person died and there are grieving people. Regarding the issues the Senator referred to, my view is that we should focus on the person who died first and see what happens. It is not for me to comment on that, with an investigation happening.

Senator Flaherty spoke about a garda in Longford. I do not know the details of it. I am not doubting what the Senator aid. I know Senator Brady raised it too. It is an internal matter for An Garda Síochána. We have a new Commissioner. It seems like the person the Senator is speaking to has more confidence in the new Commissioner. Mr. Justin Kelly has hit the ground running and is doing a good job. I hope that things like HR matters are dealt with. I appreciate that the Senator raised it and wants to support a constituent, but a HR issue in An Garda Síochána is not something I can comment too much on.

Senator Duffy raised the new strategy for renewable energy. He has raised battery storage numerous times and how much energy is being wasted by not having battery energy storage and energy clouds around the country. Since this strategy has been announced, it is a good opportunity to have a debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I will request that on the Senator's behalf.

Senator Andrews spoke of the very sad passing of Alex Coughlan. It is good to see that two suspects have been arrested but let us see how the process plays out. It is not for me to speak about that, but on the wider issue, as the Senator said, people feel unsafe when things like this happen. They want to see more gardaí on the street. That is why the Government has invested in more gardaí and why we expect to have more gardaí at the end of this year than ever before. That needs to be seen on the ground in the Senator's constituency and across the country. We need more investment in it. It is a good opportunity to have the Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, who is always good to have visiting the Chamber, attend to discuss that. I will try to have that happen.

Senator Kennelly spoke about Kerry, beaches and safety concerns. Given the week that is in it, it is a timely opportunity to raise that. Kerry is a popular place to go when the sun is out, with 15 blue flag beaches. There is a responsibility on people and an onus on local authorities to make sure that popular beaches like Banna Beach in Kerry have lifeguards on-site in case something happens. Many people there are not massively experienced swimmers, including young children, and it is important that someone is there to oversee everyone's safety during the summer spell.

Senator Black raised the occupied territories Bill. I understand her disappointment. She raised the Bill and where it was going to go only a week or two ago. I said it was very close to coming to Cabinet and would be coming through the Houses. It was brought to Cabinet yesterday and will be published at the end of this week. I was on the foreign affairs committee, as the Senator knows. We did an awful lot of work on it. We had views in the committee. We did that work before the Attorney General had given his advice. I understand the Senator's concerns. I know there will be amendments. I have no doubt that we will make sure that this House has ample time to discuss that Bill when it comes through. As the Senator knows, a lot has been done by this Government in support of Palestine, recognising the ambassador and the State of Palestine and supporting South Africa in the court case. I have not seen the Bill yet. When it comes to the House, it will go some way to following through on that judgment.That is important. It has always been the Senator's goal. We will try to do that and come to a consensus.

Senator Byrne spoke about the lack of roads funding. This seems to be a continuous issue every year. Wexford has been hit by a number of storms. It is not fair that local authorities have to use their own money in 2026 to spend on something that happened very early on, and they are waiting for money from the Department. When it is promised, that funding needs to be given to the local authorities as quickly as possible. We are quite good at giving it to businesses as quickly as possible to get up and running but there is no good in that if the roads are not being improved following storms, and if the councils have to use their own funding on the promise of getting funding, but not knowing when they are going to get it. That is not sustainable. It has happened in Roscommon and other counties. It is incredibly frustrating. We will raise the issue of emergency funding with the Minister for Transport.

Senator Cosgrove spoke on the issue of services and the occupied territories Bill. We will have a debate on that. The Senator spoke about Spain banning services, as did Senator Black. It is a bit more technical than that, as we know. I hear what the Senator is saying. We will have an opportunity to discuss it further, and I suspect that many amendments will be tabled.

With regard to Sligo County Council, those figures can be very frustrating, and they are very different in other councils. It seems that, across the country, there is a different priority in the different schemes that are available, whether it is the tenant in situ scheme or the CPO of properties. It is very different across the country, which can be frustrating. It is important to highlight that Sligo should be using more money. It needs to ramp up the tenant in situ scheme, which can be beneficial to people living in homes. A lot of money is spent on private landlords but that is also housing genuine people who need housing. It is capital funding that is needed for the tenant in situ scheme to buy a property. If there are homes to be bought, the council should be doing that.

Senator O'Donovan spoke about infrastructure development. This aligns with what Senator Clifford-Lee said about the third space. When we talk about towns, whether Bandon or Clonakilty, we want more homes, and to get more homes, we need infrastructure, whether it is wastewater, water or roads. We need to create an environment on top of that for families and young people. It is a good opportunity for local authorities to assess a town and ask how it can develop this into a wider, long-term plan for where we want to see Bandon in ten or 15 years and what funding is needed for that. I will talk to the Minister with responsibility for rural affairs. That Department was set up ten years ago to invest in rural Ireland, to encourage people to live in rural Ireland and to make changes in order to create jobs in rural Ireland. However, we need amenities and a quality of life. People do not just go to somewhere because there is a good job. They go because there are good schools, good facilities and good road infrastructure. It is all about the quality of life. We can have a good discussion about that.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised the issue of building homes. This touches on the point made by Senator O'Donovan. As someone from rural Ireland, I know exactly what the Senator means about the challenges with connections, whether for the ESB or wastewater. People spend a lot of money before they have a block in the ground. We have seen an increase in the numbers this year. I know the Senator is talking about inflation for apartments but apartments are homes too. They may not be in rural areas in Tipperary or Cavan but they are still homes. There are a lot of supports, whether it is the first-time buyer’s grant, the first home scheme or others. I will see if we can have a debate on that.

Senator Lynch spoke about hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO. One of the biggest problems in agriculture is that people are being asked to move from green diesel but there is no alternative. Here is a possible alternative. There are simple things we could to with VAT, but certainly with capital investment. As the Senator said, and as I and other colleagues know, Councillor John Reilly has been raising this for a long time to try to prioritise HVO. We will see if the Minister is available to discuss that. It could also be tabled as a Commencement matter.

Senator Brady spoke about mental health and young people. It is a good week to talk about it. We are in recess next week. More than 60,000 kids around the country will sit the State exams. It is an incredibly stressful time for them and their parents. We can all have good exams and bad exams but life still goes on and we can still succeed. However, for a child who is 16, 17 or 18, it can be incredibly stressful. People need to be mindful of that. These are just exams at the end of the day. It does not have to be a situation where someone gets depressed and does something unthinkable. We will not be here next week but I wish everyone well in their State exams next week. They can look forward to the summer after their exams.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before I deal with the Order of Business, I welcome our visitors from Wicklow Educate Together National School, who are the guests of Senator Pat Casey. We also have the guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Brophy, with us. As is customary in the House, there should be no homework for the rest of the week for those from Educate Together. Enjoy your visit today.

Senator Stephenson has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 13 be taken before No. 1." This was seconded by Senator Higgins. The Acting Leader has indicated he is prepared to accept this amendment. Is the amendment agreed to? Agreed.

Senator Higgins has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 12 be taken before No. 1." The amendment was seconded by Senator Black. The Acting Leader has indicated he is prepared to accept this amendment. Is the amendment agreed to? Agreed.