I join other Senators in expressing condolences to the people of Berlin on the appalling attack last night in which we know at least 12 people were killed and approximately 50 injured. On behalf of the Labour Party, I offer our sympathy. I hope, as others said, it will not feed into a rise in support for the far right, particularly the Alternative für Deutschland party. It is good to hear the careful language used by most German politicians in responding to the attack. I condemn the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, in Ankara yesterday. I also condemn the attack on the mosque in Zürich, about which we are reading today. Some very disturbing things are happening.

I have asked the Leader a number of times for a debate on the situation in Syria. I note, as others will, that in recent days we have seen the welcome evacuation of thousands of civilians, including the seven year old girl, Bana, who has been tweeting from there and many of us have been following her. She has been giving us an insider's account of what it is like to be under siege in Aleppo. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the issue in the new year. I hope we will see a cessation of hostilities in the meantime.

I welcome the appointment by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, of Ms Una Mullally as chairperson of the group to oversee the national LGBT youth strategy, on which I hope we might have a debate in the House in the new year. It is a very welcome appointment by the Minister and Ms Mullally is a very worthy chairperson.

I welcome the announcement that the Cabinet will today approve the content of the new reformed and consolidated domestic violence Bill which has been long promised. Colleagues will know that we have debated many times the issue of domestic violence and how best to respond to it. The justice committee produced a very comprehensive report on domestic violence and the Cathaoirleach will recall being on the committee. I hope we will have a debate on the new Bill in early course in the House. There will be very important changes, including for the first time the criminalisation of forced marriage and new powers for the court to hear evidence from children likely to be affected by the granting of barring or protection orders. We will see very welcome reforms. Senator John Dolan spoke about ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on which I support him. The domestic violence Bill will enable us to ratify the Istanbul Convention, another convention which we are long overdue in ratifying.

I wish the Cathaoirleach, the staff of the Seanad Office, the Clerk of the Seanad and everyone in the House a happy Christmas and new year.

I join others in expressing our heartfelt sympathy to the people of Germany on the awful catastrophe that happened in Berlin. I do so as our party's spokesperson on foreign affairs and we do so as a civilised people who believe in democratic and Christian values.

It is an horrific crime and one prays that it will not feed into extremism and cause a further cleavage in German society. It is particularly sad in the light of the fact that Chancellor Merkel has given world leadership on the refugee issue. The Government should do three things in response. It is important to be slightly prescriptive in discussing this awful atrocity. First, we should encourage international investment in areas of deprivation, particularly multi-racial areas with high levels of unemployment and alienation. That must be a strategy at a worldwide level, not just at a European level, and is one that we should be advocating and pioneering. Second, international security co-operation must be stepped up and kept at the highest level because nowhere is immune to these attacks, Ireland included. No matter what discomfort there may be at airports or other locations, we must ensure co-operation on security. Third, given Ireland's tradition and history, the Government is well placed to give moral leadership internationally in calling for peace initiatives that do not have embedded within them the potential for future conflict. The Government must be proactive in its response. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, to come to the House in the new year to discuss all of these issues, in addition to the debate called for by Senator Ivana Bacik.

I also join colleagues in condemning the events in Zürich and the killing of the Russian ambassador in Ankara, another horrific crime. It is sad that we are discussing such matters.

On a more up-beat note, I join colleagues in wishing staff and Members the best for the season.