I remind the House that group leaders have three minutes and all other Senators have two minutes. That was the practice in previous Seanaid. Group leaders may raise multiple topics while other Senators are asked to stick to one. For the Civil Engagement Group, I call on Senator Higgins.

Many of us who were elected to this Seanad conducted our campaigns during the early stages of the pandemic and, indeed, during lockdown. As we now convene and start our work, many months later, the virus is still very much with us. While we may be very happy that the curve has been flattened in Ireland, there are many, including myself, who have concerns about the pace at which we have opened up certain aspects of business and about some of the decisions taken as to the speed at which we are attempting to return to normal business. We need to be very cautious and to keep the impact of these decisions under review.

I note that, as was mentioned by the previous speaker, we have an awful lot of very important work to do. The fact that this pandemic and crisis are under way means that we have more work to do and that we have to pay more attention to what we do. The work of the Seanad is extremely important in that regard. It is important that each of us hold to full and appropriate scrutiny all legislation and all issues relating to Covid.

In that regard, I notice that in the Order of Business, the Leader has suggested that we start the day with the Order of Business. This follows a proposal from last week's Order of Business that Commencement matter debates be discontinued. Commencement matter debates are the mechanism by which we, as Senators, can hold Ministers to account on specific issues of concern. I hope the Leader will assure the House that, if formal Commencement matter debates are not to take place for the next few weeks and if we are not to have the resource of parliamentary questions available to those in the other House, mechanisms will be put in place to assure us, as Senators and public representatives, that we will be able to get answers to crucial questions. During this four-month period, many of us have been writing about key issues of policy. For example, I have been writing about the availability of personal protection equipment for those in the community and voluntary sector, the provision of public sanitary facilities and the rotation schedules for hospital workers. All of these issues relate to Covid but, in some cases, it has been difficult to get responses.

Recognising that we are suspending Commencement matter debates for a brief time, perhaps the Leader might be able to assure us that there will be other mechanisms by which we can do our parliamentary work and address issues of great concern.

I agree with and echo the words of previous Senators, in particular on today's launch of the Covid-19 tracking app. It will be a vital tool in keeping people safe. One of the glaring issues about the Covid-19 crisis, and preceding crises, has been the merit in the assertion that we work best when we work collaboratively together, and when we take a united and joined-up approach.

Given its presence in the programme for Government, I ask for a debate on the shared island element as soon as possible. I will not reiterate the points that were justifiably and understandably made last week about Seanad appointments and certain absences from those appointments. However, we are where we are and I accept that we have to move on as a Chamber. The programme for Government, as outlined, allows us the opportunity to discuss what exactly a shared island - a shared Ireland - will mean for us and I do not think we should shy away from that. One of the great strengths of the Seanad as an institution is that it allows this Oireachtas to become nicely representative, to become reflective of people from right across all of our 32 counties and if we so choose, from beyond, including the very important and vital global diaspora. In that spirit, I also call on the Taoiseach in particular, in addition to the Minister of State with responsibility for local government - I forget the exact title - to provide for a discussion on the much-promised referendum on the extension of presidential election voting rights to citizens outside the State. To be fair to Ministers and their officials in the previous Government, a lot of work had gone into it, in terms of options papers and looking at best practice from other jurisdictions around the world. It is something a vast range of political parties state is their party policy. It is also something the Constitutional Convention in 2014 voted overwhelmingly in favour of, so I think it is now time for the Government to focus on setting a date. We need to now see that in the spirit of a shared island and of the new political and societal realities that we show citizens we value them by entrusting them with this important franchise.