I welcome the new Member, Senator Máiría Cahill, to the House.

I also welcome our new Member, Senator Máiría Cahill, and her family and daughter, Saorlaith, who are in the Gallery. The Order of Business is No. 1, Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012, Committee Stage, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to be adjourned not later than 8 p.m., if not previously concluded.

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I warmly welcome newly elected Senator Máiría Cahill to the Seanad. I congratulate her and her family on the honour of serving in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I look forward to working with her over the remainder of the Seanad term. I am sure she will be an excellent addition to this House and I assure her of our co-operation as far as is possible. It does not happen all the time, as Senator Bacik will confirm, but now and again it does. I offer our congratulations on her election.

Given the day that is in it, I do not propose to move any amendments or to discuss any particular political matters. All our thoughts are with the French people following the barbaric attack by the so-called Islamic State on innocent people in Paris, which killed over 130 people. All of us are absolutely disgusted by this act of terrorism. We condemn terrorism all over the world, wherever it happens. Hundreds of people are killed every day in Syria and Iraq by these thugs and we in Ireland will have to pay very close attention to this. These are our European colleagues, European citizens. An attack on Paris is an attack on Dublin and an attack on Cork, Galway and Belfast. Those involved attack the freedoms we in Europe enjoy and we should never relent. Europe, France, the United States and others in the coalition should never relent in tracking down these murderers and annihilating them. This is a threat to democracy and to our way of life. We have seen monstrous acts carried out by this group, not only on the people of Paris but also on people in Syria.

As a State, we sometimes have to look at what neutrality actually means. One cannot be neutral in the face of these murderers.

Whatever our Government and the intelligence services can do to assist in any small way should be done. Let us remember that more than 30 people with Irish passports and Irish citizens are fighting in Syria and Iraq for the so-called Islamic State. We have to look at how we deal with these citizens should they return to this country.

I believe that at an appropriate time, after the three days of national mourning in France are completed, the Minister for Justice and Equality should come to the House and advise us in regard to security in Ireland because anybody going to the theatre, going out for a bite to eat, for a drink or to a football match, such as last night when the thousands of people who were in the Aviva stadium in Lansdowne Road, could just as easily have been a target for these thugs. I congratulate our team on its qualification for the European championships, following its fantastic win, even though this is not the right day to mention that specifically. At the appropriate time I suggest the Leader invite the Minister for Justice and Equality to come to the House because Ireland cannot be neutral when dealing with terrorists like these. I want to ensure as much as possible that our intelligence services are sharing information with those in other states who are leading the fight against the so-called Islamic State.

Ba mhaith liom ar dtús fáilte mhór a chur roimh an Seanadóir Máiría Cahill chuig an Seanad. Táim lánchinnte go mbainfear tairbhe mhór as a saothar sa Teach seo. I welcome Senator Máiría Cahill to the House. It is a great tribute to her strength of mind and courage that she has arrived at this place, both literally and metaphorically. I am tempted to say she will need all that strength of mind and courage to survive here as well. I do but jest. I know that she is here to make a contribution and I have no doubt that although her time will be relatively short, in the first instance at least, she will make a significant contribution and that her bad and good experiences will inform a narrative that will be of particular interest and significance in this House. I hope she will become a member of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and will bring something significant to that committee also.

What happened in Paris was absolutely horrendous, as Senator Darragh O'Brien said. Paris is known as La Ville Lumière, the City of Light, but last Friday it became the city of darkness where the whole civilisation that we have built up since the Second World War of liberal democracy in Europe appeared to be threatened. As Senator Darragh O'Brien said, we must stand together for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe. I note he was not being adversarial today so that should be reciprocated. The universal becomes the local. In Paris last Friday, a young girl from my village of Blackrock, Katie Healy, and her boyfriend, David Nolan from Millstreet in Cork, were caught in the Bataclan theatre. David, through an heroic gesture in throwing himself over Katie to protect her, was shot but he probably saved both their lives. It shows that we are Paris, we are France, and we are Europe.

I join in the very warm welcome to Senator Máiría Cahill. I had no hesitation in supporting Senator Cahill, given her role on violence against children and women. To that end, I also welcome Maeve Lewis of One in Four and Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, who have joined us here today in the Gallery. I extend a very special welcome to Senator Cahill's family, especially to her daughter. It is lovely to see children in the Seanad, that is, actual children. I could not resist. Senator Cahill is very welcome and I look forward to working with her over the coming weeks on many issues of mutual concern.

On the horrific events on Friday evening, as the terror unfolded, it shook us all to the core. Indeed, it shook us out of our complacency, as did the attacks that took place in Beirut the day before, the attack on Russian civilians on the plane in Egypt and also the attacks that take place in Turkey, Iraq and Syria every single day. We need to wake up. I echo and support the call by Senator O'Brien to have a debate at an appropriate time in which we can come together and realise the importance of acting together. I was fortunate yesterday to join so many Irish people and French citizens at the French embassy for the one-minute silence in solidarity with Paris. I will echo in the Seanad Chamber the words of the French ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Jean-Pierre Thébault, "No to terror, yes to freedom, yes to life." I hope today in the Seanad that we can be as one. Nous sommes unis.