I raise the issue of Catalonia to highlight that a representative of the Assemblea Nacional Catalana or ANC, a non-party political organisation, will visit the Oireachtas at noon tomorrow to meet representatives of all parties and provide an update on the current situation in Catalonia. I encourage Senators to attend the meeting. What we have witnessed since the successful outcome of the referendum on Catalonian independence has been the unmasking of an authoritarian Spanish state. From rejecting the democratic will of the Catalan people to the use of brutal violence to suppress their civil rights to locking up its political leaders, the Spanish state is now abusing its judicial institutions to prosecute innocent political leaders whom it perceives as a threat to its law and order. The judicial system is not a place for political conflicts to be resolved. Political differences are resolved through dialogue and the ballot box, which is precisely what the Catalan people did when they democratically voted for independence.

The continued repression of Catalan democracy is reprehensible and counterproductive. The arrest of Charles Puigdemont and the violent response of the Spanish police to the protests that followed have highlighted that the Spanish Government is firmly wedded to a policy of aggression. The dispute between the people of Catalonia and the Spanish state over independence will not be resolved by incarceration and violence. The mask has slipped when it comes to the Spanish state, and its institutionalised authoritarianism and anti-democratic nature have been exposed. This has also exposed the European Union's lack of empathy and a lack of desire for true human rights in the Union. The EU has a duty to move with urgency. It must show leadership in convincing the Spanish Government that dialogue and mediation are the only way to resolve this crisis. Sinn Féin believes Ireland may well have a positive role to play in this regard. For this reason, I call for a debate on the issue and ask that the Minister come to the House as a matter of urgency when we return after the break.

I echo the concern expressed by Senator Gavan regarding Catalonia. It is sad that Europe has political prisoners and political arrests of this nature are taking place.

Hear, hear.

We need to push for better peace-building, dialogue and mediation in Europe because we do not want to return to a Europe of hard borders and the divisions of the past.

I note the Leader's comment that the debate on the Data Protection Bill is to conclude after four hours. I will be disappointed if the Bill is guillotined, although I do not expect the debate to last for four hours. I acknowledge that the Minister for Justice and Equality has taken a constructive approach and adopted some of the measures for which Senators have pressed. He has been receiving proper and appropriate praise for taking on board the argument made by Senators, including by Senator Ó Donnghaile and me, on the importance of imposing fines on public bodies that are found to be in breach of data protection rules. In acknowledging the Minister's constructive engagement, I also express disappointment that what could be regarded as a guillotine may be used on such an important Bill.

Data protection is becoming a major story because it cuts across many areas of life. The penny seems to be dropping that the public services card is not being rolled out properly. I note the Road Safety Authority no longer requires applicants to produce a public services card when renewing driver licences. The driver theory test may also need to be examined in that regard. The Cambridge Analytica story which broke in recent weeks has shone a spotlight on data protection, specifically the arrangements in place in Ireland because we are a gateway to Europe in terms of the regulation in place in this area. I ask the Leader to review the proposal regarding the conclusion of the debate on the Data Protection Bill.

I will link that issue with last night's debate. As we face into the referendum on the eighth amendment, it is important that we all endeavour to learn from what we have been hearing regarding Cambridge Analytica, the inappropriate use of data and fake news. We must ensure we are never used to amplify fake news and misinformation and we must hold ourselves to the highest data protection standards.