Before I call the Leader, from SIPTU in Dublin I welcome Ms Rhonda Donaghy and her colleague from the trade union movement in Austria Ms Martina Schlegel. I call the Leader to outline the Order of Business.

The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on driving test waiting times, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and conclude after one hour, if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed five minutes, the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and the contributions of all other Senators not to exceed two minutes, on which time may be shared, and the Minister to have not less than five minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 2, Private Members' business from Fianna Fáil, Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Bill 2024, Committee Stage, to be taken at 5.45 p.m. and to adjourn after two hours, if not previously concluded.

I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader.

PDFORRA is a great organisation. It was founded in 1990 and represents in excess of 6,500 members of the Defence Forces. I was fortunate enough to have known the founding member, Mr. John Lucey, who worked closely with Mr. Jim Brady from my area of Kildare. In recent days Mr. Mark Keane has stepped down after eight years as president. He is a fine person who served with great distinction and dignity. I wish him well and thank him for all the work he did. We have a new president now, Mr. Araon Kearney. There is also a female deputy, Ms Sandra Daly. The key priority for the outgoing and incoming presidents, along with Mr. Gerard Guinan, the excellent general secretary, is the pay and conditions of those who serve. Mr. Kearney mentioned equity for those who joined after 2013, long-service increments and the introduction of the rank of lance corporal, which was committed to by the Government. We need to see a clear roadmap. I would like the Minister for Defence to be asked to come to the House to have a debate on how best to support those who are members of PDFORRA.

Having said that, I give a shout out to the members of the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, ONE, the veterans. It is always a privilege to meet them when they hold their commemorations. They are doing some good ongoing work on supporting veterans, especially those who are homeless and those who need a place to gather. I am working on a project in Newbridge with Cormac Kirwan, the general secretary, that will provide both of those spaces. I am looking forward to that.

I wish to briefly mention that it has been ten years since the referendum on marriage equality. I was very much a part of that campaign ten years ago. Seeing that we are celebrating ten years of marriage equality this week, I came across a small poem written in 1325 by Hafez:

... men and women who are married

And men and men who are

Lovers,

And women and women

Who give each other

Light,

It is so important that we reflect on that. I remember, in particular, the strong personal stories that people were so courageous to share. We need to reflect on the situation ten years later. Sadly, homophobia is still an everyday reality. As a country, we rank 14th - lower than the middle - in terms of LGBTQ and human rights in Europe. We need to look again at banning conversion practices and completing the assisted human reproduction Act. It would be appropriate to have a debate with the Minister on true equality.