I thank all the Senators for their contributions and their good wishes. I will certainly do my best on their behalf in the months ahead.

Senator Fitzpatrick kicked off this morning with the issue of public safety and the deployment of gardaí. Safe streets are hugely important to all our citizens and there is a huge demand in respect of Garda numbers. Recruitment is always an issue. I welcome the increase in Garda recruitment in recent times, including the increased number of reserve gardaí graduating from Templemore. There was a lacuna during the Covid-19 pandemic, unfortunately. A total of 746 trainees entered the training college in 2023, the highest intake in any year since 2018. There were changes to the age at which people can enter An Garda Síochána and that has also led to an increase in applications. I look forward to those recruits coming through. Certainly, visibility of gardaí is hugely important, whether that is in Dublin city or rural areas. The key is recruiting sufficient numbers of gardaí every year. Their deployment is a matter for the Garda Commissioner but we want to see our capital city being safe. I will request a debate with the Minister on that.

Senators Conway and Maria Byrne raised matters in University Hospital Limerick, UHL. Senator Conway commented that 100 people are on trolleys there today. The Minister made a commitment before the local elections about HIQA. I suggest that the Senator table a Commencement matter on that topic or I can write to the Minister for a response. A Commencement matter, if chosen by the Cathaoirleach, would provide detail from the Department of Health, if not the Minister himself. In the meantime, I will write to him to request he come to talk about UHL.

Senator Maria Byrne also spoke about the alternative to in-person treatment in Limerick and the exciting plans for a virtual ward. I am not sure of the exact details of that but telemedicine seems exciting and I look forward to hearing more about it. She also spoke about issues relating to Alzheimer's disease and asked that the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, come to the House to speak about specialist nurses for Alzheimer's disease.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the Planning and Development Bill 2023, of which we will take Second Stage in the House today. I am sure we will have plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks to debate those matters. It is an important, long-awaited and comprehensive Bill. Senator Boyhan also spoke about one-off rural housing guidelines. We have been waiting for some time - a number of years - for those. Perhaps the Minister will touch on that in his contribution today. Senator Boyhan also spoke about fast-tracking applications to An Bord Pleanála, which is part of this debate with respect to streamlining An Bord Pleanála. In recent years, we have seen a full cohort of inspectors in An Bord Pleanála to try to speed up decisions. Senator Boyhan commented that some 20,000 residential units are stuck in An Bord Pleanála and he is right that speeding up determinations is good for everyone concerned.

Senator Martin sought leave to introduce his Third-Party Funding Contracts (Certain Proceedings) Bill 2024. This is No. 10 on the Order Paper. He requested that it be taken before No. 1 and I support that request.

Senator Wall congratulated, as do I, Senator Seery Kearney on her Trojan work on the surrogacy Bill which was passed by the Seanad yesterday. I look forward to the President engaging on it in the coming weeks. He also spoke about the large-scale sport infrastructure fund. There are a lot of projects in his county, County Kildare. A project is being put forward and he listed a number of projects in Athy, Monasterevin, Newbridge and Kildare. He rightly spoke about houses being built without the back-up infrastructure. I acknowledge that. I have liaised in recent years on the community centres investment fund, which has seen dividends in a number of projects across the county announced earlier this year. However, more investment in sporting facilities is needed. He spoke about women's sport. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, announced today record investment of €4 million in the women in sport programme for 2024, which is an increase from €2.7 million last year. That is welcome but more is needed. The infrastructure can be quite costly and there is a need for an increase in specialist funding for it.

Senator Seery Kearney spoke about the use of counselling notes in criminal proceedings. It is hard to credit that is happening, that perpetrators would try to access and be successful in accessing those notes. Something needs to be done to ensure that is not possible. We will contact the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to ask what plans he might have. As this has been in the media, I am sure he is aware of it and that his Department is looking into what can be done to ensure it is not allowed.

I will interrupt to welcome the guests of Deputy O'Dowd. I thank them for being here. They are from County Louth, which had a great win against County Cork at the weekend.

Senator Craughwell asked that I contact the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence regarding whether it is appropriate for the Secretary General of the Department of Defence to be an ex officio member of an external oversight body. I will ask the office to contact the Tánaiste on this matter. It is quite a specific matter that could be raised by way of an amendment to the Bill or as a Commencement matter. The Senator feels strongly about it and will have the opportunity in the coming weeks to raise it on Committee Stage of the defence Bill that is going through the Houses.

Senator Murphy correctly condemned the barrage of abuse and threats to the Taoiseach and his family. It is the same for any member of the public in public life or any politician. I join in his condemnation, not only on behalf of the Taoiseach, but also for his neighbours and people in the locality.

A bomb threat is a bomb threat. It will not just affect the Taoiseach's house. It will affect the neighbouring houses. The picketing and threatening behaviour in the protests affects more than just the Taoiseach and his family and we condemn it.

The Senator also spoke about old Garda homes and mentioned Strokestown and Taghmaconnell. Obviously, it makes sense that any vacant properties are put back into use. I suggest that the Senator puts down a Commencement matter for debate with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who is responsible for the OPW. I will mention it to the Minister of State. I am sure I will see him around the Houses. I know that from time to time, old Garda stations are sold at auction but it would make sense if the OPW was to invest and provide those for rental to members of An Garda Síochána. It is important for those properties to be brought back into use, so I will raise it with the Minister of State but I suggest putting down a Commencement matter for debate.

Senator Mullen welcomed Mattie Kilroy to the House as a guest of Deputy O'Dowd. We wish Mattie and Kathleen well. Senator Mullen also raised the issue of children accessing pornography and age verification for pornography. This is a real-life issue because so many children have access to smartphones at a very young age and you can effectively find anything you want using a smartphone and Google. Of course, there are advantages as it opens up a whole world of learning but there are negatives and downsides, so I look forward to the Senator's Bill. It is a worldwide issue. There may be issues relating to where companies are listed but he certainly raises a very valid point.

Senator Dolan mentioned the ETB day in Buswells Hotel yesterday. I know Councillor Michael "Moegie" Maher, president of Education and Training Boards Ireland, was there and spoke as did many of the directors of the ETBs, who do great work up and down the country providing education from national school to secondary school to further education and lifelong learning, which is becoming more and more important. We will try to have a debate on this matter and invite the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to the House to discuss the role of ETBs. That would be important.

Senator Currie spoke about the top up of €2,000 for teachers and quite rightly spoke about the demand for housing among teachers, gardaí and nurses. That list is not exhaustive. You could go to a range of front-line people, be they in our local authorities, the fire brigade, the ambulance service and Civil Defence, who have a demand for housing. The legality of that might be a question for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage or the Minister of State. I am sure the Senator can raise this matter during the debate on the relevant sections of the Planning and Development Bill. The Government has been ramping up supply, which is vital, for the past number of years under Housing for All to provide additional housing units, be they cost rental, social and affordable or for purchase. Increasing supply is the most important thing we can do. I suggest Senator Currie raise this with the Minister during the debate on the Planning and Development Bill.

Senator Ward raised the very important issue of Gaeloideachas agus an obair atá á déanamh trasna na tíre ar son na Gaeilge agus an oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil feachtas i mBaile Átha Cliath 2, 4, 6 agus 8 agus go bhfuil muintir na háite ag lorg Gaelscoileanna sna ceantair sin. Is ábhar fíorthábhachtach é agus tá ar an Roinn níos mó a dhéanamh chun na Gaelcholáistí sin a bhunú. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an t-éileamh ann agus b'fhéidir go mbeimid in ann é seo a phlé trí Ní i dTosach Suíonna nó rud éigin mar sin i rith na míosa seo chugainn. Is ábhar fíorthábhachtach é agus molaim agus tréaslaím leis an Seanadóir as é a ardú anseo inniu agus an obair atá á déanamh in earnáil an Ghaeloideachais. Gabhaim buíochas.

Senator Martin has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 10 be taken before No. 1." The amendment has been seconded by Senator O'Hara. The Deputy Leader has indicated that he is prepared to accept this amendment.