I rise today to object to the Order of Business and to signal my opposition to the proposal in the motion providing for a guillotining of the Planning and Development Bill 2023. The Civil Engagement Group will also be proposing an amendment to this motion to remove the guillotine and, instead, provide that the Bill be adjourned on Wednesday.

It is important to say that when we look at the schedule, we can see that it is an extraordinary, not family-friendly and intensive one. For example, we have a 12-hour sitting scheduled for tomorrow. We must also remember that this is a rushed schedule on a Bill that is not emergency legislation and will have to be continued in the autumn anyway. As a legislator, I am uncomfortable with how I am being asked to perform my role in a way that is rushed and truncated. This is legislation that had three months of debate in the other House and will have three days of consideration on Committee Stage in this House.

Equally, many of the significant issues concerning this Bill will not get aired in the time available. Several weeks ago, all the Opposition leaders and Whips wrote to the Leader to ask that this legislation be adjourned rather than guillotined but the Government has not listened. It is also worth remembering the significant issues with this Bill in terms of Ireland's compliance with its international law obligations under the Aarhus Convention. These are not mere technical issues. These are issues in a context where we have been told by the Aarhus committee, which is charged with this responsibility, that the Bill is not compliant. We are being asked to pass legislation that is not compliant on Committee Stage with the idea being it might be fixed on Report Stage.

Again, this is a Government that put forward proposals that it believed fixed this legislation in the past but which did not fix it. This is why I am suggesting that the Government could stand to benefit from having a proper Committee Stage debate where the issues in this regard can be identified. Issues like those flagged and ignored in the Dáil could be flagged and remedied on Committee Stage and this could allow for the outcome of the process to be proper and appropriate legislation. This legislation is going to be one of the pillars of democracy in this State in respect of determining planning decisions and how they will be made in future.

As I said, we will be objecting to the Order of Business. We are proposing an amendment to the proposed Order of Business. We are also objecting to the provision in the motion for a guillotining of the Bill and we are proposing an amendment to the motion to remove this provision.

Go raibh maith agat.

In my remaining time, I wish to say that I will be haunted this summer by the children who are being starved, denied water and under bombardment in Gaza.

These are all conscious choices. It is unacceptable that, during the same summer, Ireland and Europe will continue a business as usual approach to Israel with the flow of dual-use materials - materials that can be used for military purposes - and investment and trade with illegal settlements on illegally occupied land while aggressive and violent further expansion of those settlements continues.

Well said.

When we say we should do everything we can, let us be clear that, going into the summer, Ireland is not doing everything we can. We cannot object to human rights abuses and call for a ceasefire and then take absolutely no action, continue with business as usual and make the unacceptable choice of allowing the flow of technologies used to kill, target and destroy lives. I urge the Government to start inspections this summer and block and suspend any licences for the export of dual-use goods. These actions need to be taken. We cannot wait until September.

I second the amendment proposed by Senator Higgins.

She has not proposed any so far. It will be after the Order of Business.

I apologise, that is my fault.

This is our last Order of Business. I wish everyone well for the summer and thank the Cathaoirleach, Martin, Bridget, all the staff and everyone who helps us to do our work on a daily basis. They provide an incredible service and on behalf of Sinn Féin, I am very grateful for that.

I will raise a few issues. First, I compliment Senator Higgins and am delighted to hear Senator O'Loughlin raise what is happening in Gaza and not for the first time. Every day, it gets worse. The slaughter, the genocide that is happening, is entirely unacceptable. I do not mean to bring rancour to the conversation, but this Government can and must do more. We must pass the occupied territories Bill and stop Shannon Airport being used in support of the genocide. I cited this last week to the Leader, Senator Kyne. There are 11 direct flights to Israel and 85 flights to the Middle East by the US military and we know they are supplying the weapons of death and destruction that are causing the genocide to happen on a daily basis. We can and must do more. It is not acceptable to ignore what is happening, especially through our civilian airport in Shannon.

The second issue I raise relates to the National Advocacy Service. Men and women are on strike. They were outside this building twice last week. They provide an essential service to some of the most vulnerable people in the State, representing them in the Workplace Relations Commission, in courts and in meetings with public services. They are on strike because the Government has refused to implement the Labour Court recommendation to give them a modicum of decency in their pay and conditions of business. That is entirely unacceptable. It is the fault of the Government that these people are on strike every day. For every day they are on strike, the 1,500 people who depend on their services each year are not able to access those services.

We are heading off on holiday this week, leaving this strike ongoing and these people incredibly vulnerable. The amount of money it would take to fix this dispute is minimal. There is no excuse for this, apart from an ideological objection by the Department of Social Protection. That needs to be overcome quickly. We should not have a situation where staff in our citizens advice centres will be on pickets throughout the summer. That is what will happen unless there is a Government intervention. That intervention needs to come today. I hold the Minister for Social Protection responsible. There seems to be some ideological blockage. She needs to get over herself, get this sorted out and implement the Labour Court recommendation. The message the Government is sending to employers is that it is okay to ignore the Labour Court. How can that possibly be acceptable?