The Order of Business is No. 1, Air Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m. and to adjourn at 2.30 p.m. if not previously concluded; No. 2, statements on the nitrates derogation, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and to conclude at 4 p.m. if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, time may be shared, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, Mental Health Bill 2024 - Committee Stage (resumed), to be taken at 4.30 p.m. and to adjourn at 7 p.m. if not previously concluded; and No. 4, statements on artificial intelligence, to be taken at 7 p.m. and to conclude at 8.30 p.m. if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, time may be shared, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate

As the Leader knows, Lá Fhéile Bríde is almost upon us. I hope everybody has a good bank holiday weekend. It is important to remember the legacy of Brigid. She was somebody who showed great compassion and she supported unmarried mothers and supported farmers. She is the patron saint of the honeybee and of agriculture. There are celebrations right around the country but particularly in Louth and most certainly in Kildare. I encourage those who have the opportunity to go and remember this remarkable woman, who is the only female patron saint of our country.

This morning I went to a networking meeting for County Kildare Chamber of Commerce. It was great to see the new chief executive, Peter Mahon, along with the new president, Ruth Murphy, with a really dynamic group of different types of business. There was incredible vibrancy, ambition and enthusiasm among all the members in the room. There is a concern, however, about indigenous local businesses. In Kildare we have excellent services, boutiques, bookshops, gift shops, etc., and I know it is the same for all our towns right around the country. However, while people use their choice to buy online and not support local, it is really difficult for those businesses to survive, let alone thrive. While the Government certainly has a role, and I would like to see a debate with the Minister, Deputy Burke, about how we can support bricks-and-mortar businesses, which bring such life into the centres of our towns, it is also important to encourage everybody to shop local and to support our local businesses because they are the ones that employ our relations, our neighbours, our communities. They are the ones that support the draws and all the different types of charity events we have. I would like to see the Minister come in for a debate about that.

This morning we saw the national development plan reissued in terms of the priorities for schools. I spoke here last week about the replacement school that is so badly needed for Curragh Community College and I am glad to reconfirm that that is a priority on the list released this morning along with a replacement school for St. Anne's Special School in the Curragh, the PBS in Newbridge and the Cross and Passion school in Kilcullen, all providing incredible educational experiences. It is really important that these projects get to start as soon as possible. Also, when I had the Commencement matter with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, we spoke about the emergency works for Curragh Community College. I confirm that once that application is in, the Minister has said she will treat it with priority. It is not actually in yet. We are awaiting that from Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB.

I reiterate Senator O'Loughlin's welcoming of the national development plan sectoral plan for education of the Minister, Deputy Naughton, this morning. The plan published this morning outlines €7.55 billion in investment from 2026 to 2030. The big news for education this morning is that 105 projects are to progress to tender or construction phase between 2026 and 2027, totalling over €1.6 billion in investment, as part of the first tranche of the NDP roll-out. This will deliver 27,000 additional and modernised school places so it has to be strongly welcomed. The focus was on maximising additional capacity while prioritising project roll-out that met the most urgent need, particularly for support for special educational needs provision. It is a great day for education. It is a very welcome day.

Last Monday I was in Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe, in the company of Deputy Martin Daly, Deputy Kerrane and Councillor Alan Harney. We met with the board after they had been on Radio 1 last Friday talking about the urgent need for a decision and the need to meet the Minister about this. We had made substantial representations to the former Minister for education, Helen McEntee, and the current Minister, Hildegarde Naughton, and the message was well and truly heard in relation to Ballinasloe. I acknowledge that. Scoil an Chroí Naofa in Ballinasloe is a DEIS band 1 primary school with 32 staff and 300 pupils, catering for some of the most vulnerable children in our area facing extreme educational disadvantage. When we were talking about road safety yesterday, I mentioned a school that was on two sites and said students had to cross a busy road to get from one to the other. That is this very school in Ballinasloe, so it is great to see there is finally progress on this. I acknowledge former Senator Aisling Dolan, whose first Commencement matter, I believe, in 2021, was about progressing the school development project for Scoil an Chroí Naofa. In 2023 it finally got the final planning permission for that, and the work has started since then. We acknowledge the Minister for having listened.

A number of areas have benefited. Gurteen national school were here from Galway a few moments ago. Galway alone, since 2020, has benefited from €250-odd million invested in capital funding for school projects. It is great to see we are delivering this where it is most needed and maximising its use while ensuring that all students can reach their full potential with this investment.

Last week there was an interview on "The Anton Savage Show" between Anton and a professor of addiction studies in Trinity College, Dr. Jo-Hanna Ivers. She focused on the rapid rise of cocaine use in Ireland, which should be a serious concern to all of us. She mentioned that cocaine is no longer a fringe drug but is firmly moving into the mainstream in every family and community, in family homes and social settings. With that normalisation comes a very dangerous illusion that cocaine is somehow less harmful, less destructive and more acceptable. Through my own work with Tiglin, I have seen the real damage that cocaine addiction causes, not just to the person but also to the partners living in constant anxiety, the children growing up in instability and communities dealing with the consequences. I have spoken in this House before about drug-related intimidation and a lot of that is regarding cocaine debt.

One of the strongest messages Dr. Ivers gave was that addiction does not discriminate. Enforcement alone will not solve the problem. We cannot arrest all the people for a way out of addiction. We need a health-led, compassionate approach that recognises addiction as an illness, and a response that invests properly in prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery. There are wonderful organisations out there. Tiglin, the organisation I am involved in, has seen presentations for cocaine powder raise to 24.9% and for crack cocaine to 17%. We have a new initiative with the South Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, whereby a key worker goes out to provide a community-based approach and a support service for people affected by cocaine and crack cocaine use. That is a health-led example of what we can do in the community in partnership with local services across Dublin's south inner city. By working with the community, we can make a difference.

People can and do rebuild their lives. Many people in this House have attended presentations in the audiovisual room that show that when the supports are there, including housing, family supports and so on, people can believe in themselves and recovery is possible with joined-up services. They need a willingness from the Government to act early rather than waiting until we are already in crisis. It is a horrible scenario at the moment, which Dr. Ivers described, and it is a realistic one, but it can turn into a good news story with the proper supports and funding available.

I would like to raise the significance of a report produced by the Economic and Social Research Institute just last month. The report is the first to consider annual economic surveys and to assess economic trends across Ireland using comparable data and it is a very robust piece of work. There is much that can be learned from it and the significance for policy formation across the island should not be underestimated. It is the first time policymakers North and South will have access to a shared and consistent evidence base on economic outputs, labour markets, incomes, living standards and public finances. This is important because good decisions depend on good data and until now such data did not exist in a comparable form.

The findings are positive and they also highlight challenges and areas for future work and collaboration. Both economies record growth in economic output, with the North growing by 2.8% and the South by 3.2%. In an uncertain global environment of political instability, that points to a resilient all-Ireland economy and suggests that when we work together, it can translate into positive outcomes and results for our workers, our communities and the economy. For too long, the North has been viewed by some in this jurisdiction as a potential economic drain on the finances of this State. The report shows that this does not have to be the case. In the North, the economy minister, Caoimhe Archibald, is helping to turn the economy around, delivering for people in the here and now while also working for the constitutional change required to really turbo-charge the all-Ireland economy. Her good jobs Bill will focus on creating good and well-paid jobs and, importantly, will protect employment and workers' rights.

The ESRI annual survey provides a foundation for more informed debate, better policy-making and stronger co-operation. It is a resource we should all fully use. It is about co-ordination and planning across the island and good alignment, and importantly, it is also about better outcomes for our people and communities and an economy that works for those priorities. For the first time, we will have the ability to monitor trends in our shared economy and also track reactions to policy interventions. This is an exciting development for economists and has the potential to have a real impact on citizens' lives into the future. I commend it to the Seanad.

I welcome the announcement yesterday by my party colleague the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, on the improvements to the retrofitting schemes, in particular the decoupling of doors and windows. This makes it so much easier for somebody to get Government aid to upgrade their doors and windows, to upgrade their entire house or to do a deep retrofit on a phased basis. There was no support for doors or windows before unless they were doing the overall package, which was not feasible for everybody to do. This is a very welcome and successful scheme. It is possibly a victim of its own success. I would like the Minister to come in to go through his new proposals with us, but also to include in that discussion the waiting times within the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, when somebody decides to avail of these grants. I have been working for somebody, a very needy case, and I am still hearing back that the approximate wait time for a survey is 14 months and for the works to be completed is 24 to 26 months. The BER inspection can take two to three months after the completion of work. That is nigh on three years from beginning to end. While I accept and appreciate the reasoning behind it, decisions are based on the BER rating of the house as opposed to the health of the resident. In some cases it is vital that we would prioritise some of the work on some houses, in the interest of the health and well-being of the residents if they have certain illnesses or ailments affected by damp, cold and so on. Maybe we should be looking at that. Without pre-empting the debate, I ask the Cathaoirleach to ask the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to come here to go through his new proposals and to discuss the current performance and waiting times of the SEAI in those grants and retrofitting processes.

Today I see in correspondence that the Government is to purchase four new helicopters. For ten years or more I have been calling for enhanced services for the National Ambulance Service in Donegal. Before I came here, I was also lobbying Ministers for an air ambulance to enhance the National Ambulance Service in Donegal. I am asking for one of the helicopters to be based in Finner Camp in County Donegal. Geographically, Donegal is such a big county. If a helicopter comes from Athlone to Gleann Cholm Cille or Inishowen, the approximate flying time is 50 minutes. Finner Camp is geographically well placed to cover a large county like Donegal and nearby counties. We also have a cross-Border option there if needed. Time is crucial when people get a stroke or heart attack or if there is a serious car accident. This would enhance the National Ambulance Service. Rural communities like Donegal need a service like this.

I thank the Defence Forces and the Coast Guard for what they have done over the years, including many transfers from hospitals that have saved lives, from Letterkenny and Sligo to down here in Dublin and all over the country. It is a really crucial part of the puzzle for us in Donegal, with the county being so big. We have the base there in Finner Camp and it is time for the Government to look at Donegal as a special case for this. We are getting four helicopters, and why not deploy one in Donegal? It would be a game-changer for us up there.

It is not often we hear Senators complimenting previous colleagues here. It was so nice to hear Senator Scahill thank Aisling Dolan for the work she did here in the Seanad. I commend him on that.

Only last week, the Canadian Prime Minister made waves by declaring that the old rules-based world order is dead and is not coming back, saying that it was always partially false and that we should not mourn it. As a confirmed liberal who has been the target of Trump's anger, Carney's speech is sobering and should be read as a serious warning and wake-up call to us in Europe and Ireland.

Instead, we are seeing Ursula von der Leyen gleefully heralding a new trade agreement with India which will see the elimination of up to 90% of all tariffs between the EU and that nation. In other words, the EU keeps pushing a 20-year-old globalist trade agenda for a world which no longer exists, trying to trump hard power with trade deals. Worse still, our own Government seems content to go blindly along with this agenda instead of taking the path of hard-nosed realism and working to shore up our own economic independence and autonomy.

The risk of the race to the bottom created by this deal cannot be overstated. We are opening our customs union to a nation where the average salary of its 1.4 billion people is €350 a month. Likewise with the proposal to increase labour mobility with India. While I know many Indians in my own constituency and community who are hardworking, contributing men and women, economic sanity dictates we cannot throw our borders open to less developed nations of such scale without endangering domestic labour. It is the same with the Mercosur deal. There is no way our farmers can compete fairly with South America, where there are industrial ranches the size of County Laois. Yet, our Government stayed silent until the last minute instead of signalling opposition from day one, wasting both our own credibility and our real opportunity to stop the deal. We are at a pivotal moment in history, with many vital decisions before us in the coming months, and we must seriously switch on to defend our national interests.

This morning I want to speak about the village of Kilmessan in my home county of Meath. It certainly feels like Kilmessan is being left behind at the moment. In 1996, Kilmessan had a population of 230 people. I imagine the next census will show that it now has a population of well over 1,200 people. For the last nine years, in Kilmessan we have been very fortunate that a private landowner has allowed the community to put a playground on a site in the centre of the village. As is their right, they have now decided to sell it. There are zero community facilities in Kilmessan. I mean there is no community centre. There is nowhere for the choir to go. Many times they have had to practice in one of the local pubs. There is nowhere for children to do different types of exercise or classes and now our only community facility, the playground, is about to go. I believe it is about to go very soon because it will be sold. I am urgently asking the Minister for children and the Minister for rural community affairs to look at this as a matter of urgency. The 2007-13 county development plan mentioned making provision for appropriate community childcare and educational facilities, encouraging the provision of passive and active recreation spaces to serve the needs of the village, and encouraging the intensification of business and community uses in the village centre. The 2021-27 county development plan recommends the development of a permanent playground. We have been talking about this since 2007. We are now in 2026 and we do not have a permanent playground for the children of Kilmessan. My own children aged ten and 11 use it regularly. I urge the Leader to write to those Ministers and ask what can be done now. It cannot wait a month; it has to be done now for the people of Kilmessan.

The clock is currently not working. I apologise for that. I will have to guide speakers with a gentle ring of the bell.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, specifically that No. 11 be taken before No. 1 in order to put the Maternity Protection (Child Bereavement) (Amendment) Bill 2026 on the Order Paper. This Bill seeks to amend the Maternity Protection Act 1994 to allow a mother to pause her maternity leave in the event in the death of a child, giving her the flexibility over how and when she takes the leave for such a traumatic loss. While current legislation allows maternity leave to be postponed in cases of serious illness, this Bill extends the same compassion and commonsense to the cases of child bereavement. The Bill does not create additional leave, but allows existing entitlements to be taken at a more appropriate time, recognising that grief does not run on a timetable. I hope colleagues across this House will support the Bill and allow it to proceed.

Today I want to highlight the desperate need for improved ambulance services and resources in County Mayo and, in particular, the Erris region. It is something I highlighted about this time last year. At the time there were some notable improvements after it was highlighted but sadly over recent months there have been numerous instances that have been well highlighted nationally in relation to tragedies that have occurred in Belmullet and the Erris region. Sadly, lives were lost, and no ambulance was able to meet a patient who was gravely ill. The Erris area is a sparsely populated region, with a vibrant town centre like Belmullet, that needs to be treated as if it is twice the size in terms of population because of its geography and isolated nature. When I was meeting with groups in Belmullet on Saturday, the talk of the town was about the worry, fear and anxiety due to the under-resourcing of ambulance services. When I was in the post office in Barnatra, I met a lady wearing a back brace who had to wait over two hours for an ambulance to reach her. I also spoke with a retained firefighter, Leonard Shevlin, who had come on the scene of an accident. Thankfully a former Member of this House, Dr. Keith Swanick in Belmullet, was able to use his contacts to help to save a victim of a road traffic collision that had occurred. If it was not for that intervention, that life would have been lost because of the complexity of the injuries. I apologise; I thought I had another minute left.

The clock is not working. The Senator has another minute.

I call for immediate interventions. I welcome the fact that another ambulance is going to be allocated for Castlebar. We need that to be expedited and delivered for the people of Erris immediately. I acknowledge all those who have advocated for it. We need to do more to ensure a region like Erris, which is sparsely populated and rural, does not feel detached and undersupported in terms of these critical health services. I ask that those services be expedited and delivered for the people of the region.

The tenant in situ scheme, which was introduced to prevent homelessness, is not fit for purpose in its current form, particularly from Kerry County Council's point of view. The fundamental flaw is that while funding is provided to purchase properties, there is no adequate funding to carry out the works required after purchase. Any remedial works to address dampness or poor insulation, outdoor electrics, heating systems or general compliance must be paid for out of a council's existing maintenance budget. Herein lies the problem. The maintenance budget is already stretched to breaking point in Kerry County Council, with over 4,500 properties on its portfolio of housing stock. It is struggling to maintain its own housing stock, which is ageing, costly to run and in urgent need of upgrades. Kerry County Council simply does not have spare capacity to resolve the additional properties that are required through investment after purchase. It cannot do them up. This leaves the council with an impossible choice to either refuse the tenant in situ purchases and risk families falling into homelessness, or to accept properties that we cannot afford to bring up to standard, placing further strain on services and creating long-term liabilities.

This is not a sustainable housing policy. It does not prevent homelessness; it merely shifts the financial burden on to local authorities without providing the resources to meet it. If the tenant in situ scheme is to work, it must include ring-fenced funding for post-purchase works and upgrades, reflecting the real conditions of these homes. Without that, the scheme will continue to fail councils, existing tenants and the very households it claims to protect. Under the current rules, Kerry County Council is not availing of the tenant in situ scheme, so it is pointless having it. Why are they getting tenants out of the house so they can purchase it and do it up when they are already there? This thing is not making a lot of sense. I call on the Minister for housing to come to the House to debate this matter.

I second the amendment.

Katie Taylor is one of Ireland's greatest ever athletes and she is a huge source of inspiration for people, especially young women across the country. Katie Taylor is an Irish sporting icon. She has often said that fighting at Croke Park and ending her career in front of her home fans is one of her ultimate dreams, so it is hugely disappointing that the Government will not back and invest in making her dream a reality. It is the least she deserves. This is despite the fact that the Government invested millions of euro in hosting an NFL game at Croke Park last year and many millions more in the US college football series every year since 2022, not to mention the huge investments that went into the UEFA Europa League final in 2024 and the upcoming Ryder Cup in Limerick next year.

Katie Taylor defending her title in Croke Park would be a sporting moment on a comparable scale to any of these events, but the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport seems to have no interest in pushing and pursuing this fight. It is not good enough to say that this is solely a matter for the GAA when there is a clear precedent of the State involving itself in sporting events that seem to be in the national interest. The GAA, clearly, does not have any philosophical objections to hosting a fight like this. It comes down to money and will, and the Government does not have the will. A sum of €10 million was spent on bringing the NFL to Croke Park and €58 million was spent directly on the Ryder Cup in Adare, yet the Government does not lift a finger for a female sporting icon who represents a working-class sport. It is well within the Government's authority to help to make this fight happen and ensure it happens. I urge the Minister for sport to reverse this decision and engage directly with Katie Taylor, her team and the GAA to deliver a potentially defining sporting event in Dublin. It is the least that Katie Taylor deserves.

Hear, hear.

Katie Taylor is an icon for sport and for women. The Government should, at the very least, make a serious effort to deliver a big fight in Croke Park that the Irish people want.

Hear, hear.

This morning it has been reported in the media that the Government is considering issuing a State apology, to be given by the Taoiseach, to the victims of industrial and reformatory schools. The Leader will recall that we had much debate on this matter in this House. He will recall that I proposed a number of amendments and one of them was that this group would receive the enhanced medical card. He will also recall and fully know the response by the Government and the Government Senators which meant my amendment was voted down.

I am not at liberty to discuss the final detail of the agreement and the package that has been entered into. It is also for the Taoiseach to announce and not for me to announce but I am fully aware and happy to know about the agreement. I think we will need to have another opportunity to revisit the issue and discuss how we lost our way in relation to taking political leadership and championing the cause of the people who spent many weeks before Christmas on hunger strike outside our Parliament. Clearly, the hunger strike has been effective and that will be demonstrated in the public apology that the Taoiseach will issue to the Dáil. The Government has agreed a package of additional supports to be provided to the survivors of abuse of institutional schools. They include areas around health, education, housing and, indeed, other issues, which, again, the Taoiseach will set out to the Dáil.

I believe it is important that when we are asked to champion and advocate for people, we need to seriously consider the response. The groupthink that informed the opposing of and objections to the very genuine asks of these people, who were not treated very well by the State, was disappointing. The Taoiseach has indicated that he will give his formal response soon. He has indicated that he is still in ongoing discussions with the Attorney General, Rossa Fanning. I look forward to that but will guard my welcome until I hear the Taoiseach's speech and read the text of the public apology. It is a welcome move and I thank all involved. I thank Bertie Ahern, the former leader of Fianna Fáil and former Taoiseach, for his role in the early stages of working through a potential pathway for a solution. I thank the Government for at least, at this late stage, giving a commitment to make a public apology, which is long overdue.

Before I call the next speaker, I welcome the guests of Deputy William Aird from the Holy Family Senior School in Portlaoise. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. Thanks for coming. I am sure the Deputy has told his guests that we, in the Seanad, do not allow students to be given any homework for the rest of the week after their visit to Seanad Éireann.

Let us see how they get on in the Dáil. Anois, an Seanadóir Tully.

I wish to raise capacity issues concerning the 109 bus service from Cavan to Dublin. I have raised it here before and in the Dáil. I have also raised it with the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Bus Éireann, as have passengers who use the service and bus drivers who drive for the service. I refer to issues around capacity, especially at rush hour in the evening when these buses leave Dublin. There are a number of other issues but capacity is the main one. Following communications, nothing has changed. We continually hear from the NTA that it is monitoring the situation. I contend that the time for monitoring is long past as capacity issues have gone on for years. In particular, I have been contacted by one young man, Benjamin, who is a student in DCU and is on the autistic spectrum. When Benjamin stands at a bus stop on a Friday evening to get the bus home, more often than not the bus drives past and he either has to wait an hour or sometimes longer. Often that situation leads to such heightened anxiety that he goes back to his accommodation and does not wait for the bus, which means he either has to stay in Dublin for the weekend or somebody has to come to collect him.

Following advice from the Leader, I submitted a Commencement matter on this issue but the Department of Transport refused to take it. I thank the Seanad staff here and the staff of the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, because they tried to secure a meeting for me with Bus Éireann, which eventually responded just before Christmas to say that it would meet me in January. I responded to Bus Éireann and told it my availability but I have heard nothing back and have contacted it again. I have also made representations to the NTA, which continues to tell me it is monitoring the situation. At this stage nothing is moving forward and nobody seems to be willing to do anything about the matter. I do not mind submitting another Commencement matter if I can get an assurance from the Department of Transport that a Minister will take this matter and maybe secure that meeting so that we can actually find solutions to the problems with the bus service.

There is a guide being circulated by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, that educates gender-questioning students on their rights within school. It would be one thing to focus on the need for respect and tolerance, but this guide offers very troubling and contradictory information. It tells schools that teachers have a legal requirement to use students' preferred pronouns. Only after a statement from the Department of education did schools, teachers and parents learn that there is no legal requirement for this. Questions must be asked. First, why has a guide that is factually incorrect been circulated by the ICCL? Second, why did the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, which is a publicly funded body, provide €18,000 for a misleading publication? The guide was produced so people can know their rights but it has no basis in Irish law. I do not think the taxpayer would consider this money was well spent. Not only were parents and teachers given advice that was false, but the guide is completely inflammatory. It advises gender-questioning students that if they are unhappy with how their school processes a complaint, they should take things further and go to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. To me, that is outrageous. Teachers have legitimate concerns regarding gender-questioning students and they could find themselves referred to the WRC if they will not use preferred pronouns. NGOs like Transgender Equality Network Ireland, TENI, ShoutOut and Belong To are not elected bodies, but they shape policy and public debate. They are being backed by huge amounts of taxpayers' money. The level of misinformation they put out is shocking and often goes totally unchecked. Many teachers are simply not comfortable using anything other than a student's given name and biological pronouns. No publicly funded guide should lead teachers to believe that they will be referred to the WRC for acknowledging biological reality.

Hear, hear.

I welcome yesterday's announcement of a landmark free trade agreement between the European Union and the Republic of India, which is one of the most significant trade milestones in decades.

It paves the way for dramatically expanded economic co-operation between the EU and India. This is a combined market of more than 2 billion consumers and nearly 25% of global GDP. This is a major win for the European Union, for Ireland and for businesses and workers across our economies. The deal delivers real opportunities for Irish exporters, investors and workers. Over 93% of tariffs will be abolished on goods, which could double EU exports to India. Irish and EU industries, including the agrifood, spirits, machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive and technology sectors, will gain preferential access to India's rapidly expanding market. This includes reduced tariffs on products such as Irish whiskey and wines. Most importantly, this agreement does not come at the expense of food standards and sensitive sectors such as beef and poultry are excluded, which is to be welcomed. The deal also improves conditions for trade in service and investment supporting Ireland's strong export sectors, such as professional services, fintech and ICT. By facilitating increased trade and investment flows the agreement will support jobs across Irish and European economies and offer new opportunities for workers in high value industries. In a rapidly shifting global economy, it is vital that the EU diversifies its trading relationships and deepens economic ties with key global partners while protecting national industry, which is what this deal serves to do. The deal helps safeguard European competitiveness and reinforces our role as a driver of rules-based global trade. I believe that this agreement will help create a more resilient and prosperous future, and it will indeed create the world's largest free trade area.

I welcome the announcement this week that the Holocaust is to be taught in our secondary schools to junior certificate and leaving certificate students. In welcoming the announcement, I am somewhat concerned that history has been somewhat downgraded in the educational curriculum and that is a pity. Two weeks ago I visited Auschwitz in Poland and as I walked through the Auschwitz camp and was led through what happened there and later that day went through Belsen, I could not help but think about how man's inhumanity to man is re-establishing itself in the Middle East and to see the horrendous treatment of the Palestinian people by Netanyahu and his thugs. It is extremely important that we separate out the Jewish religion from the Israeli Government and its actions and what has gone on in Palestine. I could not, in my heart, find a difference between what happened in Auschwitz and Belsen and what is happening in Palestine today. Okay, they are not being put into gas chambers and they are not being housed for years in horrible situations. One of the things I learned in Belsen was that the best job in the camp was cleaning excrement off the floors because the person doing it was left alone inside in the building and did not have to suffer the guards all day and they were somewhat warm in a situation like that. Then we look at what is happening in Palestine and we see tiny children scrambling through rubble with absolutely no hope whatsoever. Maybe Netanyahu should go to visit Auschwitz and maybe he should realise for himself what man's inhumanity to man actually looks like, because it is horrible and it is absolutely unacceptable that in this day and age, the world leaders are sitting on their hands and allowing it to happen. In light of the fact that yesterday was Holocaust memorial day, I think there is another type of holocaust going on in the world as we speak. I know my colleagues have spoken out quite a lot about it and I know some of them have travelled out there or at least have tried to travel out there and that is to be respected. At the end of the day it is the people in real power who are allowing this to happen. I will leave it at that.

I want to draw attention very briefly to the protest outside today which is a very grassroots gathering of people who are in asylum. Often we see very NGO-organised advocacy and what strikes me about the people outside today is that they are all asylum seekers who are in various situations. A lot of them are very fearful about what their future holds. If they are facing deportation many of them are worried that they will be conscripted. Many of them do not want to fight in other people's wars because they may be on bordering countries. They are also drawing a huge amount of attention to the continued use of direct provision in Ireland. We had the White Paper on direct provision in 2021. I am not sure how far that has moved or what is being done so that we can afford people who live here dignity and respect in how they live together and how we live side by side with people who are seeking asylum in Ireland. I am hoping that we can have a debate or statements and an update from the Minister on the White Paper in regards to ending direct provision in Ireland.

Before I call on the Leader I welcome the visitors from Ratoath College, County Meath, who are guests of Deputy Gillian Toole. They also have no homework for the rest of the week, just like the previous school.

I thank all the Senators for their contributions this afternoon. I will start with Senator O'Loughlin, who quite rightly acknowledged the role of St. Brigid, the only female patron saint, and wished everyone well for St. Brigid's Day. She acknowledged the previous Government's announcing of a new bank holiday and the choosing of St. Brigid's Day as an additional national holiday, and her and others' role in that.

She also talked about the network meeting with representatives of the Kildare Chamber of Commerce, Peter Mahon and Ruth Murphy, about indigenous businesses and those on our main streets and high streets and side streets. She is quite right that we need to support those businesses, but also of course that those businesses need to embrace the online world. It is important that there is that balance and they do not ignore the fact that there are people who prefer to buy online. It is important that when they do, that they can buy online from Irish companies as well. There is a dual issue there but I will request a debate with the Minister on that.

Senator O'Loughlin also welcomed the inclusion of the Curragh Community College, St. Anne's Special School, the PBS and the Cross and Passion school, Kilcullen, in relation to the announcements regarding the national development plan for education today. I wish all the principals, boards of management, teachers' associations and parents' associations well in progressing those projects.

Senator Scahill also welcomed the NDP announcements on the 105 projects and 27,000 additional modernised school places. He also called out in particular Scoil an Chroí Naofa, a DEIS school in Ballinasloe, which is dealing with extreme disadvantage. He commended former Senator Aisling Dolan, Councillor Alan Harney, Councillor Marie-Thérèse Duffy and others in relation to the progression of this hugely important project, I know the planning permission was received in 2023 and I wish to acknowledge the Senator's own work on progressing that project.

Senator McCarthy talked about an interview on radio with Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers, an expert in addiction studies. She talked about the rapid rise in cocaine use and the damage that can be done. She spoke about the need and importance of health-led approaches and the need for people to be able to rebuild their lives. I would like to acknowledge the work of Tiglin, Cuan Mhuire, the Rutland Centre and others that are involved in helping those who are addicted to drugs to rehabilitate themselves. I will request a debate on this matter as well. A lot of good and necessary work is being done to assist those who have issues.

Senator Murphy raised the ESRI report on the North and South and the growth rates in the North and South and disputes the view that the North would be a drain on finances in a united Ireland, so he has commended the report. Economic growth on both parts of the island benefits both. There is that whole cross-Border trade. We have a soft Border and cross-Border trade is hugely important. A strong Northern Ireland is of benefit to the Republic and vice versa. It was good to see that both communities are growing and how that growth and progress is made and impacts on people's lives has to be acknowledged.

Senator Paul Daly raised the decision by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to decouple doors and windows from the retrofitting scheme to allow people to avail of those.

I acknowledge the lengths of time surveys and decisions on BER assessments can take. The Senator quite rightly talked about the importance of the residents of those homes, particularly those who have health issues. I will request a debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on that matter.

Senator Boyle welcomed the deployment of four new helicopters for air ambulance cover. He called for one of them to be based in Finner Camp, which has a central location in Donegal. This will enhance the work of the National Ambulance Service. There is also a cross-Border element to that. The Senator may wish to table a Commencement debate on that matter to get a more direct response. I think what he mentioned makes sense. Donegal is a huge county geographically and has areas where population is sparse, as well as urban areas. It would be of huge benefit. The Senator may wish to table a debate on that matter.

Senators Keogan and Lynch both raised the issue of trade deals, the Indian deal announced yesterday and the Mercosur deal. Senator Keogan talked about the importance of the national interest. In general, free trade and trade deals are to the benefit of both communities. However, as Senator Lynch said, it is very important that food standards are protected. They have been under the Indian deal but there are concerns in that regard with respect to the Mercosur deal. That is the reason the Government decided to vote against that deal. There were concerns among consumers about Brazilian beef, which is not farmed to the same standards as this country's beef, and about antibiotics and hormones entering the food chain, irrespective of how small the quantities were. That is the reason the Irish Government made that decision. Any trade deal has to be in the national interest before it is agreed and signed by Government.

Senator Nelson Murray mentioned the village of Kilmessan and concerns about the possible loss of its playground as the result of the land, which is privately owned, being sold. The Senator called for a debate with the Minister for children. I do not know if there is a town plan for that community, how the land is zoned or whether there are other lands that could be purchased for the community. I know there are grants available for playgrounds under LEADER and other schemes. I am not sure whether the CLÁR scheme applies to that area. There are sources of funding available. There is a fund for community centres where land is owned or purchased by the community. Perhaps the Senator could engage with Meath County Council, as I am sure she has, and with the Minister to see what progress can be made in that town.

Senator Nicole Ryan proposed that No. 11 be taken before No. 1 on the Order of Business. No. 11 is the introduction of a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Maternity Protection Act 1994 to provide for postponement of maternity leave in the event of the death of a child of a relevant employee, and to provide for related matters. I support the amendment and wish the Senator well in progressing the Bill.

Senator Duffy raised the issue of the ambulance service in Belmullet. I ask him to put down a Commencement debate. I know two new bases were built in the west, in Tuam and in Mulranny, County Mayo. That was probably a decade ago. If there is need for additional expansion in Belmullet, the Senator might put down a Commencement debate. He is right that it is a sparsely populated community but it is important that response times in the area are adequate. I wish the Senator well in progressing that.

Senator Kennelly is right about the tenant in situ scheme. It is a good scheme but there certainly have been issues in relation to how it operates. I have come across situations where a decision has been made and the county council has agreed to purchase a house but it takes three or four months for the council to assess whether the house has planning permission and whether the standard of building is up to scratch and the council then suddenly decides three or four months later not to progress the purchase because of structural issues, issues with planning or whatever else. That person will have waited four months hoping and assuming that the tenant in situ scheme application would be successful and is then left a couple of months away from eviction. There are real issues with that. I will request a debate with the Minister, Deputy Browne, in relation to this issue.

Senator Andrews spoke about Katie Taylor, who he called a sporting icon, a description I agree with, and rightly talked about Government investment in a wide variety of sporting events. No decision has been made on supporting a Katie Taylor fight in Croke Park. I am not familiar with the issue. The Senator may wish to put down a Commencement debate on the matter. The former Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Michael Ring, was a huge support of boxing, as is Councillor Gerry Coyle in Belmullet. I am not exactly sure whether an application or request has been made or whether the Minister has not engaged. The Senator might put down a Commencement debate but I will raise the matter with the Minister as well.

Senator Boyhan thanked the Government for the possible issuing of a State apology to the victims of abuse in State-run institutions. I will have to leave that to the Taoiseach. I am not familiar with any package that has been agreed. I will wait for the Taoiseach to make an announcement on that. A number of people have raised this matter in this House and in the other House. Those who were on hunger strike will also have had an impact on the delivery of any package of supports.

Senator Tully again raised the issue of the 109 bus. I acknowledge that she has put down a Commencement debate at my suggestion but that this has been refused by the Department as it is not considered to be within the remit of the Minister. Bus Éireann is to facilitate a meeting but that has not taken place yet. I will raise the matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and ask him to engage with the Senator. State agencies should at least meet with Oireachtas Members on request with regard to local issues. I will request that meeting be expedited.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised the matter of the ICCL guidance being circulated to schools. Senator Mullen also raised this issue last week or the week before. The only bodies that can give guidance like that to schools are the Department of education and the boards of management. It is certainly not right if information that is not factually correct is being circulated or given to any parent. I will ask the Minister for education to have a look at that.

Senator Craughwell quite rightly spoke about the Holocaust. Yesterday was Holocaust memorial day. The Taoiseach spoke at the memorial here in Dublin and said the Holocaust is to be taught in schools. We all accept the horrors of the Holocaust during the Second World War but that does not excuse a repeat of a holocaust like that or a genocide such as we are seeing in Palestine. The Senator quite rightly again talked about the treatment of Palestinians and the need to separate the Jewish religion from the actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Senator Ruane called for a debate on the ending of direct provision. There is legislation due before the Houses soon. There may be an opportunity there but I will request a debate. Our Senators proposed a Private Member's motion and there were statements at the start of the last term but I will request an update from the Minister for migration on that area.

Senator Nicole Ryan has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 11 be taken before No. 1." Senator Andrews seconded the motion and the Leader has indicated that he is prepared to accept the amendment.