I second Senator Gallagher's proposal to amend the Order of Business in respect of No. 11.

I want to touch on something Senator Feighan spoke about this morning. It was really nice to read the headlines of the national and UK newspapers this morning. For once, we can be reassured that Ireland has friends in the House of Lords. That has not just happened but has evolved as a relationship. I make particular reference to the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, BIPA, of which the Leas-Chathaoirleach and Senators Noone, Feighan and others are members. It has played a very active part in developing personal relationships. I have always believed that if one wins people's hearts, one wins their minds. Breaking bread and sharing hospitality and culture with others makes everyone open to receiving. Through dialogue and friendship we open doors. When we open doors, we open hearts and opportunities. That has been well illustrated.

The House of Lords voted yesterday to give MPs a veto on the Irish hard border question. The peers in the House of Lords have voted to empower their MPs to stop a Brexit deal that might restore a hard border across the island of Ireland. The Upper House supported an amendment to the EU withdrawal Bill that would bar the introduction of border checks and formation of physical infrastructure without the prior agreement of the Irish Government. That is very significant. The House of Lords in Britain is the nearest equivalent to the Upper House here in Ireland. By building those relationships, we have opened doors. This deal is not done yet. There is a lot of water yet to go under the bridge. I urge my colleagues to continue to build relationships and dialogue, to take up the phone, travel, meet and talk about our genuine concerns for the island of Ireland and, more importantly, for the unity of Europe, the European ideal and the principles that bind Europeans together for the common good.

I also wish to express my concern at the news emanating from Brussels yesterday that there is a proposed 5% cut to the CAP budget. We have to redouble our efforts to reverse this proposal. The Taoiseach has indicated that as a net contributor to the EU budget, he is prepared to allow Ireland to increase its contribution to the CAP and to require other member states to step up to the plate also. We cannot contemplate this 5% cut. Payments and supports under the Common Agricultural Policy are the difference between an income and no income for farmers. It is a very small income at that, with all the costs of running farms, feeding cattle, fertiliser and so on. The farmers would simply be lost without this payment and we will see people leaving farming if we do not get this right.

I welcome the announcement of the national flood management plan today, particularly the long-awaited announcement of a flood relief scheme for Ballina and Westport. I have intimate knowledge of the devastation that flooding in early 2014 brought to people along the banks of the River Moy in Ballina. Homes were destroyed, including those of a lot of older people living in Bachelors Walk, Arbuckle Row and Clare Street. Every time there is heavy rain and a high tide, they are in fear of being flooded again. I commend Mayo County Council and the fire service. They are always to the fore with pumps and sandbags, clearing channels and doing their utmost to prevent this. It has been identified as a significant flood risk area. We have gone through the processes of the flood report and a proposal for flood walls. It is very satisfying to hear today that this will proceed to detailed design, planning permission and ultimately construction and, best of all, that it is to be funded under the €1 billion promised for flood defences up to 2027. That is good news for Ballina.