I thank the Leader for organising the events marking the 25th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Senator Norris and Máire Geoghegan-Quinn are rightly central to the events and it is a sign of the ongoing maturity of the nation as we grow, develop and evolve.

I wish to raise the situation on the Mexican-American border, where children are being separated from their parents and held in cages. Congressman Kennedy was in west Texas over the weekend and highlighted their plight. He spoke of his own great-grandmother who reminded her own children of a history in which "No Irish need apply", saying the story was our story. I also commend Ms Laura Bush, former First Lady, on her intervention in The Washington Post in an article condemning the practice of the US Government. I also commend the current First Lady on her words on the issue and the concerns she has expressed over how the children are being treated. In the ongoing situation, since April and May over 2,000 children have been separated from their parents.

As we all know, every country is entitled to protect its borders but it must do so in a humane way. Congressman Kennedy said humanity did not come with citizenship or a green card. We are a friend of the United States and when a friend fails, we must point out that they must do better, not just to protect their own citizens, which they are entitled to do, but others, whom they must treat with humanity and respect. We have circulated a motion to all Senators and we hope they sign it so that this Seanad passes a motion to condemn the current US practice on its own border.

I stand as an Irish citizen, an immigrant citizen and a naturalised United States citizen. I am also a father and a grandfather and someone who moved to the United States over 20 years ago to pursue the American dream. I feel compelled to speak out today against the inhumane separation of immigrant children from their parents at the United States-Mexico border. These families, seeking asylum in the United States, are often fleeing the most horrendous conditions in their home countries. They are the most vulnerable of immigrants and their only desire is to seek a better life for themselves and their children. The children have done nothing wrong.

We have been repeatedly told by experts, mental health groups and human rights organisations that this separation can have a lifelong impact on children and their parents and could be tantamount to Government-sanctioned child abuse. Over a six-week period, more than 2,000 children have been separated from their parents. I am not speaking about politics and this should not be about democrats or republicans, or left and right. These are children, human beings, and they are being locked in cages. Toddlers are being separated from their parents.

Despite what is being said, there is no law in the United States that requires this separation. I am deeply ashamed to say that these human rights abuses are taking place in the United States of America under the direction of the President, the Secretary for Homeland Security and the Attorney General. This is a policy of the current Administration, which could change it immediately should it choose to do so.

On many occasions we have castigated the Irish Government and authorities here as being barbaric in the context of the policy of separating children from their mothers in the past. However, here we are, in 2018, seeing the same happen again in a supposed First World country. These policies do not reflect the country I know and love. They do not reflect the core values of the American or the Irish-American people. I commend the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, on his strong statement condemning the actions of the Trump Administration. I stand with those United States Senators and Congressmen, Republican and Democrat, who have visited these prison cages. I urge the Government and this House to use whatever means are at their disposal to let those mothers, fathers and children know that every voice counts and that this country - and our people - stand firm with the values most Americans hold dear. Ireland, Irish citizens, Irish-American citizens and our Irish diaspora must stand united with politicians around the world. I ask them to join me and the United Nations in speaking out against this inhumane, horrendous policy.

I would like to add my voice to those of the two previous speakers. I would be happy to sign Fianna Fáil's motion on what is happening at the US-Mexican border, which is nothing short of evil when we see the pictures of those children being separated from their parents.

I welcome last week's report that CURA, the Catholic Church's crisis pregnancy agency run by the bishops, has closed its doors for the final time. The service had been open since 1977 and had allowed the Catholic ethos to determine the advice it gave to women, even when it was at odds with the best interests of women attending it. In such circumstances, its closure is to be welcomed. The decision was attributed to an RTÉ report on a declining demand for its services and a "new regulatory environment for counselling". It cannot be a coincidence that the closure came only a few short weeks after the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, moved to clamp down on rogue crisis pregnancy agencies through regulation and following extensive investigation and work by the Irish edition of The Times.

I raise the issue of CURA for another reason other than welcoming its closure. It relates to a number of correspondences I have received in which the correspondents make a fair point. It may have been considered already but I ask the Leader to inquire from his party whether consideration will be given to handing over to the State the records of the 160,000 women advised by this organisation. When we consider the Adoption (Tracing and Information) Bill, St. Patrick's Guild and everything else that has been happening in the past while, 160,000 women attended this rogue crisis agency and the data it has might be hugely important in the current climate in terms of forced illegal adoptions in this State. I recall that a part was carved out of the Data Protection Bill that waives all data protection laws when it is in the public interest, and seeking the data from CURA might be in the public interest in terms of illegal adoptions in Ireland. It is worth considering it at least, and I will look to the Leader for feedback on whether progress has been made on that.

I want to begin by agreeing entirely with my colleagues, Senators Lawless and Mark Daly, regarding the horrors currently happening in America. While I have always been critical of many aspects of American policy, I never thought I would see the day when children would be separated from their parents and kept in cages.

It is horrific and has echoes of the worst kind of 1930s politics. When one thinks of what is happening in Italy, Hungary, Austria and Poland with far-right parties coming to power with openly racist and bigoted agendas, it is important for all of us as democrats to unite around this issue. I commend the statement on it from the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. It was strong and clear as it had to be. We should go further in calling in the US ambassador, when available, to explain events.

I want to raise the disturbing issue of the McKesson Corporation and LloydsPharmacy. The McKesson Corporation is the largest pharmaceutical corporation in the world with annual revenues of $195.8 billion. LloydsPharmacy benefits enormously from the State and it is only too willing to accept contracts from State bodies such as the HSE. It gets millions of euro in taxpayers’ money but it refuses to recognise the rights of workers who have had to go on strike on this matter. The company has refused to recognise a simple Labour Court recommendation that it should talk to its workers and their legitimate representatives. What the company actually did was set up its own workers’ representative body and fund it to the tune of €10,000. What kind of independent body is that?

We have one of the richest companies in the world flagrantly ignoring workers’ rights and leaving workers with no choice but to go on strike last week and again for two further days in the coming week. The Seanad must unite around this issue. I will be proposing a motion without debate in the coming week if this matter has not been resolved. I expect all parties to support this motion which will simply call on the company to recognise and work with the Mandate trade union. It is a disgrace that in 2018 we have corporations availing of taxpayers’ money to the tune of millions of euro while ignoring the State's industrial relations machinery and the Labour Court. It is appalling.

I support Mandate and I expect all parties to support the trade union in this dispute. Members will have received correspondence from Brian Forbes of Mandate. I urge Members to read this and act on it.

I join with others in noting the 25th anniversary of the historic legislation which decriminalised homosexuality in 1993. I commend my colleague, Senator Nash, who has led the way on this by putting forward Private Members’ legislation on it, as well as working with the Leader and the Government in drafting a motion to be taken in the Seanad this evening acknowledging the anniversary and offering a sincere apology to individuals convicted of same-sex sexual activity which is now legal. It is an important motion and a similar one will be taken in the Dáil this evening. It started with Senator Nash but has been accepted as a Government motion. I commend the Leader for his leadership on this issue.

It is unfortunate, however, that an amendment has been put down by Sinn Féin Senators, as well as one to the Dáil motion. This motion reflects a genuine cross-party desire to see an apology and an exoneration offered to those who were convicted of offences which were historically decriminalised in 1993. These amendments deal with other matters and, in some respects, use language which is not appropriate to the spirit of exoneration and apology in which the motions were carefully drafted. I suggest we might move on a cross-party basis, without dividing the House, in agreeing the motion once we have debated it this evening. I look forward to that debate and I thank the Leader for facilitating it.

As we are debating this motion this evening, we should remember the tragic killing of Declan Flynn in Fairview Park in 1982. I am grateful to my colleague, Séamus Dooley, for reminding me of that. That was an appalling low for LGBTI communities in Ireland.

I join with colleagues in expressing condemnation of the current US practice of separating children from parents on the Mexican border and detaining them in cages. It is extremely disturbing and shocking to see such brutal treatment of children and of their parents, as well as a defence of this being offered by the current US Administration. Senator Lawless spoke eloquently in expressing his condemnation. I join with him in that condemnation on behalf of the Labour Party Senators.

I think we will all support the motion put forward by Senator Mark Daly on the issue. I commend the Tánaiste on his strong words, which we all support.

The issue of teaching principals has been raised in the Seanad previously. It has also been raised by a number of my constituents who are graduates of Trinity. They have talked about the need for teaching principals to have at least one administration day per week so they have the support commensurate with the immense workload of teaching principals. In Northern Ireland, stronger support is given to teaching principals. It is an important issue. I ask that we have the Minister for Education and Skills in here to deal with it and other education issues at some point in the near future.

The House is due to take Second Stage of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill tomorrow. When will the Government's Committee Stage amendments for that Bill be ready? When will we have sight of them? Without the expected Government amendments to clear up what became a dog's dinner rather than caviar and oysters, we do not know what will be the shape of the Bill the Government is proposing. It is very difficult to engage in Second Stage debate on a Bill that is in the process of being quite comprehensively amended and, in particular, when we have not seen the Government amendments. The Labour Party will have its own amendments. I ask the Leader that we have sight of the amendments in advance of Second Stage.

I would like to be associated with Senator Nash's motion - I look forward to contributing on it later - on those who were treated so poorly by our State prior to 1993.

I was not going to address the following issue because I am always very reluctant to interfere in the affairs of other nations. I grew up in a country that admires America. I have admired much about its ethos, its willingness to fight for smaller nations and its willingness to place its men and women in danger for the freedom of others. We find ourselves with an American President who is prepared to separate children from their parents, a policy which harks back to much darker times. I agree with Senator Mark Daly when he says that friends must speak out. We are very close to the United State of America. This is an immoral, totally wrong practice that is utterly unnecessary. I call on the American President, not that he will listen much to me, to come to his senses and realise what he is doing. He is morally bankrupting the American people and their authority in the world and their standing internationally. If he does not see that, then he needs someone to advise him very strongly of his blind spot. I think of all those great Americans over the centuries who fought for freedom and human rights. They must be turning in their graves.

The major issue today is one which concerns businesses in particular. I refer to insurance. There are several things for which the Alliance for Insurance Reform has asked. The alliance represents the small and medium-sized enterprises that are the backbone of the nation and our economy. The setting up of a Garda insurance fraud unit funded by the insurance industry was well advanced and now there are question marks hanging over it. I am calling on the Minister to come in and explain why this will not be done. It wants sections 25 and 26 of the Civil Liability Act to be linked so exaggerated and misleading claims are automatically forwarded to the gardaí for further investigation. When the Judiciary exceeds the book of quantum, an explanation should be given for why an award that would not normally be given was given. If those three things can be done, we would go a long way to addressing what has become a minor industry of people making fraudulent claims with absolutely no incentive not to do it again the next day. I hope the Leader will be able to prevail upon the relevant Minister to come in and address the House on the issue because it is a matter of huge concern.