I will be accepting the motion as put forward by Senator Craughwell and seconded by Senator Wilson.

I welcome also H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko, the Ukrainian ambassador, to the Gallery. It is always great to see the ambassador. I thank the ambassador for her consistent attendance in these Houses and engagement with Members across both Houses. It is welcome.

Senator Malcolm Byrne kicked off this morning. The Senator spoke about the motion as put forward by Senator Craughwell, and Senator Wilson in full support. Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke also about the European Parliament declaring Russia a terrorist state. The Senator also spoke about climate and the significant weather events that we are now seeing on a much more regular basis and stated that he wants to have a debate in this House to talk about not only the issues around climate change but also the solutions that we might have.

Senator Kyne spoke this morning around Inland Fisheries Ireland. The Senator raised particular issues with the review that was conducted of the board as opposed to the organisation, the lengthy time it took for the report to be published and the seemingly convoluted way in which it was finally published. The Senator stated that he will continue to raise issues around that and is not satisfied that the report dealt with the matter correctly.

Senator Craughwell put forward a motion to this House on the famine in Ukraine in the early 1930s, the fact that it was a genocide and that thousands of people lost their lives - the Senator stated that at one stage it was 25,000 per day. It was a huge loss of life. I concur with the remarks of both Senator Craughwell and Senator Wilson in remembering that atrocity and acknowledging that it happened. As the 90th anniversary of that atrocity approaches, we all continue to stand with Ukraine, not only on that issue but also on the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Ukraine will always have a friend in Ireland. I thank both Senators for giving the House the opportunity to pass the said motion.

The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, spoke this morning about shopping and the black Friday sales that many citizens right across the country will participate in. The Senator had an important message. The Senator stated that for every €1 one spends locally it multiplies to €2.50. I thought that was €1 to €5. In any event, the message is that if one spends it locally, it boosts and benefits one's local economy and that if one purchases online, often the money goes straight out of the country and is of zero benefit to anything in one's locality or one's own place. The Senator is urging Members to shop local, to consider it being green Friday as opposed to black Friday, to reuse, to get pre-loved new-to-you and second-hand items and to maintain a circular economy as opposed to use and discard. It is an important message in advance of the sales that are currently ongoing, but tomorrow being the big day.

Senator Gavan spoke this morning around the Raise the Roof protest. Clearly, I disagree with many of the Senator's comments around the housing debate. There is a lack of acknowledgement by the Senator and others in the Sinn Féin Party of the difficulties the current Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has had to deal with. No previous Minister has had to deal with a global pandemic and a war in Europe, which has disrupted supply chains. While, of course, there are challenges and housing is the key issue for all of us here, the Senator has to acknowledge that there are major obstacles that no Minister, no matter what party he or she is in, would have been able to breeze through. Those particular challenges are so significant and severe. There is a housing crisis in many countries. It is not only here. We are not alone in dealing with those incredible once-in-a-generation challenges that the Minister is having to deal with. It is important to say that the numbers are going in the right direction. There are challenges but the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is doing a very good job in extremely challenging circumstance. It is also important to point out, as the Minister has on several occasions, that there are members of local authorities in the Senator's party who are consistently objecting to delivery of housing in their communities. The Senator cannot have it both ways. The Senator should get behind the programme of building houses and delivering houses and stop objecting because it lacks credibility when he criticises the Minister in question.

You will find Fianna Fáil rejecting them.

The Deputy Leader, without interruption.

I thank the Cathaoirleach.

It is important to visit those facts.

It is interesting whenever I respond to questions raised and give my views that I am interrupted when I do so. I did not interrupt any Member in this House when he or she was making his or her contributions because I have my opportunity to reply at this juncture. That is the way that the House works.

The Deputy Leader, without interruption.

Heckling will not stop me saying my piece.

I challenge as well the response to Senator Malcolm Byrne, who raised the record and the facts in relation to Sinn Féin and Russia. Last week, Senator Gavan put on the record of this House a challenge to two members of Government who were doing their job on trade missions and he linked that to human rights abuses in Qatar. I disagreed with that connection. Today, however, the Senator is not facilitating other Members doing what looks to be something quite similar. The Senator cannot have it both ways. The Senator is entitled to make his remarks, as is any other Senator in this House, on that issue.

I take on board the comments that Senator Gavan made on the book by Ms Sally Hayden which, I think, we would all agree, is a fine publication and a good worthwhile read. I congratulate Ms Hayden on the book. Many Members in this House would concur with the Senator's remarks on the challenges and obstacles being put in the way of migrants trying to access Europe. The many lives being lost at sea is appalling and is an atrocity. We would all condemn that. One thing the Senator and I agree on this morning is on that issue. I concur with the Senator's remarks in that regard.

Senator Wilson seconded the motion this morning on Ukraine. I have dealt with that matter. I commend the Senator on circulating the motion to the House and for giving the House an opportunity to show its support for Ukraine on that issue.

Senator Lombard asked for an update on the human tissue Bill. I suggest that the Senator raise a Commencement matter on that particular issue as it is quite a specific question. I note the Senator's comments that he wants the Bill dealt with before the end of term. To be honest, I am not sure it is due before the House before the end of term. We have a packed schedule and many Ministers are looking to get Bills passed. Obviously, we have the Finance Bill and the Social Welfare Bill as well. We will have a busy number of weeks as we head towards the Christmas break. The Senator raised a particular issue around the Road Safety Authority and testing centres and in particular, on the test centre in Skibbereen. I suggest the Senator might raise a Commencement matter on that particular issue in relation to that test centre.

Senator McGreehan asked for a debate on the UK Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, which I have requested with the House Leader.

Senator Maria Byrne welcomed the two new routes to Europe from Shannon Airport, as did Senator Conway. I congratulate Shannon Airport on expanding its services yet again. Senator Maria Byrne also raised again the issues and ongoing challenges at University Hospital Limerick, UHL.

Senator Davitt raised the issue of rail services, in particular, highlighting Mullingar as being a significantly-sized town from which there should be a second line to service commuters and the population of the area. The Senator also requested a debate with the Minister for Justice on how the Garda deals with victims of burglary. We will request that debate. It will most likely be in the new term, as we have only recently had the Minister for Justice in on a number of occasions.

Senator Carrigy spoke about the train service as well, and wanting that extended to Longford. The calls were across the board here to extend the trains to other areas as well. Senator Dolan also spoke about the train service to Ballinasloe. I concur with the remarks of both Senators in terms of regional connectivity, that all lines and roads lead to Dublin and that is fine as it is the capital city, but we need to start connecting the regions as well. Obviously, I have been a strong proponent of the western rail corridor and a line from Galway to Mayo, connecting up the region and providing a good service. There is no reason the train should not stop in Ballinasloe. Why would it not? That service should be provided. If we are looking to get people out of their cars and into public transport, we have to provide an alternative option to the car, which simply is not there for most of the country.

Senator Carrigy also spoke about the assessment of needs issue and referenced Senator Malcolm Byrne's comments from yesterday around what appears to be an increase in litigation and, as was put by Senator Byrne, the lawyering up of HSE officials in dealing with parents who are rightly demanding services for children with disabilities.

Senator Seery Kearney welcomed the Cherry Orchard implementation board that was announced by the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne. The Senator welcomed and thanked both them for setting up the board and spoke about the need for additional services in that community across all areas in terms of services.

Senator Fitzpatrick asked again for a debate on public transport in Dublin city, specifically around the National Transport Authority, NTA, and public transport plans for the area. The Senator criticised the significant fee being attached to contributing to the planning process for citizens. It is €100, if one wants to make a submission. It seems like quite a high fee for somebody to make a submission for their local community. It is an amount that might be beyond the means of many citizens.

Senator Conway spoke about Shannon Airport but also gift vouchers, and raised particular concerns about how they operate among different retailers.

Senator McGahon raised the advanced training centre in Dundalk. The Senator asked for a debate on regional balance and the potential to roll out similar training centres across all regions. We will request that debate with the Minister, Deputy Harris.

Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile raised the Irish centres and asked for a statement on that. I have put that request in to the Leader's office for a debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Brophy, on the diaspora, development aid and the extension of voting rights. We will get that, most likely, in the new year. We will not get a chance to do it before the end of the term.

Senator Boylan made a very important contribution in the context of highlighting that tomorrow is International Day for the Eradication of Violence against Women. The Senator put some very stark statistics on the record in terms of the increase in the number of women coming forward and the number of files going to the Director of Public Prosecutions. There has been much debate in this House, and in the Lower House as well, particularly in the past couple of years, around violence against women. There is a huge amount of work happening in the Department of Justice in respect of this matter, and funding being put behind a plan to try to reduce and, hopefully, at some point eradicate violence against women. The numbers are quite shocking. The Senator rightly pointed out that we had some very high-profile cases that the entire country would have been aware of. Some 242 women have lost their lives since we started counting in this regard. It is important to remember and acknowledge all of those lives lost and not just focus on the cases that made the headlines. Every life lost is a life that should not have been lost.

Senator Dolan spoke on the issue with trains in Ballinasloe. I think I have dealt with that matter. We will request a debate on rail services in the new year. There has been a request for a debate from other Members as well around the all-island strategic rail review and the plan for rail services across the country, with a particular focus on regional rail and bus services as well. I take on board the Senators point. I would have often used the service operated by Citylink and GoBus from Galway to Dublin. That is operational there. In some ways, the private sector has filled the gap.

The coach operator does not accept the travel pass.

Of course. Yes. It has been kind of a lazy response from the Department in that it is quite convenient that there is a private operator servicing most of the needs of the area. It probably gets it off the hook to a certain extent. However, it is not providing the service that Bus Éireann could and should provide. There needs to be a service. There are black spots across the country where there just is not adequate public service. It is not even close. If we are to meet our climate targets, we need to get public transport up and running across the regions as well, not just in our cities. I thank the Senator for raising the issue.

Senator Craughwell has moved an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 122, motion 5, be taken before No. 1." Senator Wilson seconded the amendment. Is the amendment agreed? Agreed.