The Order of Business is No. 1, Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 5.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, and business will be interrupted at 2.45 p.m. for a sos of 30 minutes; and No. 2, Gradam an Uachtaráin Bill 2023 – Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be taken at 6 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

With great pleasure, I welcome the students from St. Pius X primary school in Terenure. They are part of the student council and on a stepping stone to a political career in some cases. I thank the girls for all their work in the school. They are doing a power of great work. I thank them for their volunteerism. As a token of our appreciation to their teachers, I offer them homework off for the rest of the week. In fairness, the teachers do great work but I know the student council is making a huge difference in the school, so the girls can take a bow and I thank them.

The Cathaoirleach is becoming very popular with all of the young people in the schools. I do not know about the teachers-----

He has gone a bit mad. It used to be one night off homework. Now it is-----

There are no interruptions. Senator Murphy, please.

It is always good to see young people from the schools. I have a school in from my own region, in Dangan, Kilmore, County Roscommon, today. The ushers of this House do a wonderful job with all our schools, giving fantastic tours with enthusiasm. They are lovely people who go out of their way to help everybody. I know all the schools feel the same because they tell me. I say “Well done” to them and all of their colleagues for the way they treat all of the people coming in and the schools. I appreciate the way they do it.

I will digress a bit and perhaps people will understand. Yesterday was a sad day. As somebody who was involved in the radio business for 20 years and the music business, I was saddened by the passing of Christy Dignam. I followed Christy Dignam’s life very closely all along. I met him once or twice. His music was fascinating and his way with words was outstanding. Christy Dignam was a caring person. He fought hard to survive in this world when he was struck down with cancer. If one listens to his interviews, he did not want to leave his wife, daughter and immediate friends. He fought so hard to survive and, sadly for him, it has come to an end. However, he left a wonderful legacy. I ask everybody, even the younger people, to at some time, at this stage of their life or when they get older, to look up Christy Dignam and his music and look at the words. There is one song in particular that will be as popular in 200 years’ time as it is today, namely, “Crazy World”. That song will be used over and over again. It will be used because it is a crazy world now and probably will be into the future as well. We lost a lovely human being who was very open about the ups and downs of his life. We all have our ups and downs in life. His drug addiction was a huge issue for him but he managed to take himself out of it. He spoke openly about it and tried to talk to people who had the addiction to try to help them along the road. We lost a wonderful human being and wonderful musician. We lost a man who had a wonderful way with words and, most of all, a man who cared for his community and his people. I met some people who work in the House who were neighbours of his. He was fondly got with all of his neighbours. He was an ordinary person. He was a man who had beliefs. He believed there was something else beyond this world. He was a man who brought happiness not alone to many Irish people but to people across the world. I wish Christy a fond farewell. May he rest in peace. And yes, Christy, it will always be a crazy world.

The song Senator Murphy spoke about is one that I always remember because it says “I have fallen down so many times”. I wish to be associated with the Senator’s remarks to the family and to Aslan on the death of Christy Dignam. He was a fabulous musician.

To our girls in the Gallery, thank you very much indeed.