I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 14 be taken ahead of No. 1.

I propose to introduce the Protection of Private Residences (Against Targeted Picketing) Bill 2021. Following on from Senator Ó Donnghaile, while we are talking about the right to protest, and it is a very important right in this country that we should protect and stand up for, with every right comes responsibilities. Sadly, while the majority of protests in this country are done in a responsible way, we have seen small fringe elements who have taken it into their own hands and decided to picket outside individual’s homes. It is not just politicians. We have seen journalists and the Chief Medical Officer being subjected to this kind of abuse. Frankly, I do not think it is acceptable. We need to give the powers to gardaí to be able to address this.

For every right, there are also responsibilities and there are competing sets of rights. Alongside the right to protest there is the right to privacy, which an individual has, and the right to a family home. It is often not just the person who is the subject or target of that protest who is affected. It is their family and it often involves children and, indeed, their neighbours. Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which is part of Irish law, very clearly respects that right to privacy. Under our Constitution, it has been held as one of the unenumerated rights. This very specific type of legislation was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 1988. It is important we now protect individuals’ private homes.

I am happy to introduce the Bill today. It will proceed as a Private Members’ Bill but I hope the Government will consider taking it on board.

I am privileged to be on the board of directors of the Cara organisation, which is based in Tralee but is a national organisation that promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities in physical activity. It has had remarkable success in recent years. I pay tribute to Niamh Daffy, the CEO, who was identified as one of the most influential women in sport in Ireland. It is a tribute to what she and the organisation have achieved, and I congratulate her on that.

I want to raise the fact the HPV vaccine has been shown to lead to a 90% reduction in cervical cancer. It is a tribute to Laura Brennan and a tribute to the people who have campaigned tirelessly for the HPV vaccine to be taken up in this country. It is wonderful that over 80% of young people now get the HPV vaccine, and we need to get that to 95%, 96% or even 100%, if possible. It is a proven and documented vaccine and a report in The Irish Times today shows how successful it is.

On a Commencement matter in the House three or four weeks ago, I raised with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, the issue that, for those who do not get the HPV vaccine for their children and decide a couple of years later it is a good idea to do so, there is a cost of between €400 and €600. That is another barrier to people getting the HPV vaccine. The Minister of State very kindly responded that this is going to be eliminated and that cost is not going to be a barrier for people taking the HPV vaccine at any stage.

That was six weeks ago. We still have not heard any detail on it. It is great when we table a Commencement matter in the House and get a positive answer but the follow-up is critical. I want the Leader to make contact with the Minister for Health to know exactly when we will have an announcement of the elimination of the cost of the HPV vaccine.

Today is the day the Government will announce the climate action plan. It is often said that an ounce of action is worth a ton of talk. Today we must all recognise the time for talking is over. Today is a day we must all take action. Climate change is real. It is dangerous and it is taking place at an unprecedented rate. This is indisputable. It is a fact that none of us can escape or deny and we must all accept it. If we want the best for our children and for their friends and future generations, we must all take action. We all want our children and their friends and future generations to live healthier, smarter and more sustainable lives than us. We must take action to enable them to do this.

Around the world, governments have wasted far too much time. This is why I say that today the talking must stop. We must take action. We as legislators must not just endorse the Government's action plan - we have to own it. We have to champion it and make it real for people. We have to make it real for home owners and enable them to retrofit their homes. We have to make it real for public servants. We have to ensure that all legislation and public policy and every publicly funded programme is climate proofed. We need to support everybody involved in the transportation industry, including bus drivers, taxi drivers and delivery people. We must help them to adapt to sustainable transport modes. We must help our farmers to grow and protect our environment.

I know the Leader knows this and the Government knows this. We have an opportunity to leave a legacy for future generations that will give them real hope for a healthier, cleaner and greener environment within which they can live and where there will be more opportunities for everyone. It is not just down to us in government. It is also down to those in opposition to stop the cynical negative prevarication and do the right thing. Supporting the climate action plan is not just the environmentally right thing, the economically right thing or socially right thing - it is the morally right thing to do not for us but for future generations. I want to use my time today to call on the Opposition and every elected member not just in this Chamber but in every chamber throughout the country to get behind the Government's climate action plan today and make it real and deliver on the promise and hope of a cleaner greener world for us all.

Does Senator Fitzpatrick second Senator Malcolm Byrne's proposal?

I do.