It is welcome that Norwegian Air International will operate two new flights out of Shannon Airport from 1 July to Boston and New York. Shannon Airport provides a fantastic service. I encourage people in Dublin and elsewhere who face chaotic volumes of traffic in getting to Dublin Airport to come down the duel carriageway to Shannon Airport as it is a far better experience.

I want to bring up the issue of Bus Éireann. When representatives of the National Transport Authority were before the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport yesterday, I put a number of questions to them. I am looking at the issue in the context of the Expressway route from Limerick to Dublin. Many people in Limerick city are working for Bus Éireann and fearful for their jobs. There is a lack of proper data to engage in proper due diligence on Expressway routes. The service mentioned does not qualify as a public service obligation, PSO, service, even though many towns are served along the route. Private operators and Bus Éireann operate from the same points. One serves Nenagh, Roscrea and Portlaoise, while the others will stop at one destination along the route. The price is roughly the same for both. However, a person who has a free travel pass cannot travel on the private bus service. There is anecdotal evidence that the great majority of those who travel on the Bus Éireann Expressway service have a free travel pass. The worry, therefore, is that there is not a level playing field. I have asked the Department of Social Protection, officials of which were before the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport yesterday, for empirical data for the numbers of travel passes used by OAPs, people who have carers and companion passes and others. The National Transport Authority does not request data from Bus Éireann for the numbers who use free travel passes on non-PSO routes. My worry is that if the Bus Éireann Expressway route goes, there will be a number of consequences, including a lack of competition and a loss of jobs. Ordinary people working for Bus Éireann and based in Limerick are extremely worried. We need to have proper empirical data in order that we can engage in proper due diligence to see what exactly the position is and provide for a level playing field.

I formally second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by my colleague, Senator Billy Lawless.

The annual report of Amnesty International which was published yesterday and widely covered in the media last night and this morning raises questions for and criticisms of Ireland, notably on housing rights, discrimination against Travellers and the Roma community, national security and deportation and refugees and asylum seekers. The resettlement and relocation of refugees were also mentioned. These have been singled out as the key issues in the report. Former Senator Colm O'Gorman is now head of Amnesty International Ireland. The report is meaty and covers important issues. I would appreciate it if the Leader asked the relevant Minister to come to the House for a debate and a discussion on the specific issues raised.

I welcome the proposed establishment of a committee on Brexit. My colleague was a little premature in congratulating the Chairman of the committee because it is ultimately a matter for the Seanad to approve its establishment. There is a proposal before us and it is open to anyone to put his or her name forward, but that is not to say I do not wish Senator Neale Richmond well. He is a former colleague of mine in Dún Laoghaire and I will be supporting him, but it is premature to congratulate anyone on the post as the decision has not yet been made by the Seanad. It is part of the proposal we will have to consider.

We owe congratulations to our Green Party colleague, Senator Grace O'Sullivan, who this very week received the most prestigious award of Green Leader of Ireland at a ceremony in Ballsbridge the other night. It is a great honour for her. It is great that a Member of Seanad Éireann should win this huge competition and was presented in a packed hotel with the award of Green Leader of Ireland in 2017. She is worthy of our congratulations and support.