I welcome both ambassadors to the Chamber. You are very welcome.

The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on bluetongue, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to conclude at 5.45 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed six minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, time can be shared and the Minister to be given no less than six minutes to reply to the debate; No. 2, statements on the national volunteering strategy, to be taken at 5.45 p.m. and conclude at 7 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed eight minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, time may be shared and the Minister to be given no less than seven minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 3, Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 7 p.m. and to adjourn at 9 p.m., if not previously concluded.

I add my voice to the Cathaoirleach's words of support for the people of Ukraine. It is always a pleasure to see and meet H.E. Larysa Gerasko. As the Cathaoirleach said, it is sad that we have to meet her so often and to think we have seen four long years of a war of aggression against a very fine, courageous and resilient people. I am thinking of all of those who are still living in Ukraine, those who have had to leave and, of course, all of those who have chosen to make Ireland their home.

Last week, we saw the Chinese New Year. We are now into the Year of the Horse, which is timely, particularly for County Kildare and all those areas that depend a lot on the horse industry. The Horse Racing Ireland statistics for what the horse means for the Irish economy showed that in 2022, there was €2.46 billion in direct and stimulated economic activity arising from breeding, training, racing, employment, sales and so on, and another €1 billion in relation to the sports horse. That is significant. One of the organisations that are important to the equine industry in Ireland is the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association, ITBA, which celebrates 100 years this year. It is an important organisation that represents the breeding industry. It does great work to ensure that Ireland has one of the best and most successful breeding industries in the world. Cathal Beale is the present chair. I pay tribute to the only two ladies that it has ever had, Eimear Haughey and Cathy Grassick, who have done excellent work. It is important that we acknowledge the 100 years. I have written to the Chair of the new Oireachtas racing committee to say that we should acknowledge that here in Leinster House.

I would also like to raise Ireland's eating disorders awareness week, which is this week. This serves as an important annual reminder of the prevalence of eating disorders, their harms, how they can be detected and how they can be prevented. It is estimated that approximately 1,757 new cases occur in Ireland every year in the ten-to-49 age group. A 2025 study showed that hospital admissions for eating disorders in under-18s had more than doubled in Ireland. They are stark statistics. The average age is between 12 and 25. I would like to see, at some point, a debate on eating disorders in this House, and how we detect, prevent and treat them.

I welcome the ambassadors.

Last week in the Seanad, Fine Gael tabled a motion on road safety. Many of us spoke on it, including me, and it of course had cross-party support. Little did I think that, four days later, a 16-year-old girl, Mia Lily Keogh O'Keeffe, would be tragically killed in my hometown of Navan. As the mother of two young girls, I simply cannot imagine what that family are going through. Mia Lily was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the Slane Road in Navan. It was a hit and run. Her dog, Bowie, was also killed. These deaths are absolutely devastating. Over the weekend, there were seven road deaths across the island of Ireland. Ireland has a road safety strategy aiming to halve road deaths by 2030, and has recently introduced lower speed limits on local and urban roads as part of this, but unless some very serious action is taken now with road safety education and Garda enforcement, we will see more deaths on our roads.

When it comes to education, Lithuania runs a year-long learn to drive programme for high schoolers in collaboration with police and paramedics. Japan utilises kids' driving parks, where children learn traffic rules and receive a licence after a practical course. In Poland and Hungary, kids practise in driving safety parks. In the Netherlands, road safety is a compulsory part of the primary curriculum, often integrated into world orientation subjects. A signature feature there is the national traffic test for seventh and eighth-graders, which includes both a theory exam and a practical cycling test on a preset route.

I commend the Road Safety Authority on helping schools to educate primary and secondary students, but I question whether this is done in every single school. Do our teenagers get real experience of driver and pedestrian safety? I see on the Road Safety Authority's website that it mentions that the junior cycle, which is for ages 12 to 16, on education and road safety was to commence in September 2025. I can only assume it has not because the website has not been updated since.

This cannot be in a few, a handful or some schools; it has to be in every single school in the country. We need to educate everybody about safety on our roads and about the impact when something goes wrong. That girl's family will never get over this and I imagine the family of the young man who knocked her down will never get over this either. No statistic can capture the human cost of these crashes. Each young life lost, like Mia Lily's, is a reminder that preventing road deaths is not just about data. It is about communities feeling safe to walk, cycle and to live without fear.

I congratulate my friend Kairi Künka, the Estonian ambassador, on national Estonia day. I would also like to mark another significant occasion today which is, as the Cathaoirleach mentioned, the fourth anniversary of the Russian illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. It was an act of aggression that has caused immense suffering, displacement, hurt and loss of life and it continues to affect the stability of Europe. I want to extend a huge welcome to Larysa Gerasko, the Ukrainian ambassador, to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. She has done an amazing job in Ireland representing her people. I also welcome visitors to the Public Gallery, many of whom are friends of mine. We have Max Reva who achieved the highest points in his leaving certificate and is now in Trinity College. We have many of my friends from Tiglin as well and other war veterans from Ukraine who have fought in battle there. When we see such resilience, we realise their presence here honours this House. This is not just a theoretical war. It is very real and many of them have lost homes and loved ones and are living in precarious circumstances. They are very welcome here. Ireland welcomes them and stands with them.

Four years on and the resilience of the Ukrainian has absolutely amazed me. It is extraordinary. Their courage in defending their sovereignty, their democracy and their right to live freely has inspired all of us. This House shows unwavering support at this critical time. Last year we welcomed the Ukrainian President and First Lady to this House. The President spoke not only about the military and humanitarian challenges facing Ukraine but also about the importance of international solidarity, democracy and the rule of law. The presence of the President really deepened the relationship between our two peoples.

I want to propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 58(1) on the Order Paper be taken before No. 1, without debate. The motion in question, which was tabled by me and supported by my colleagues in this House, states:

That Seanad Éireann ... reaffirms its support for Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of the Russian Federation’s illegal invasion and calls on the Government to do as much as possible to maximise Ireland’s role in renewing international efforts to secure a just and lasting peace based on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I thank colleagues from across the House for supporting this motion, which is a call for Ireland to continue playing a constructive role in securing a peace that is just, durable and grounded in respect for Ukraine's territorial integrity. When we remember Pierre Zakrzewski, the first person with a connection to Ireland to be tragically killed in Ukraine while working for Fox News, we realise that despite the hardship and loss, the spirit of Ukraine has not been broken. The ambassador, Larysa was on "Morning Ireland" this morning and she spoke about her parents having to climb up to the 31st floor, without any lifts, without water and without electricity. That is hardship but I believe that peace will come and when it does, the courageous people and those nations who refused to look away will be pleased to see such a peace. Slava Ukraini.

I also welcome the ambassador and our guests from Ukraine and offer them our ongoing solidarity as they continue to suffer aggression from Russia in the invasion of their country. We know all too well in this country the experience of an imperialist neighbouring aggressor and how that feels over many years, decades and, indeed, centuries.

I want to raise the issue of tariffs with the Leader, which obviously has come back into sharp focus with the ruling of the US Supreme Court last week that much of President Trump's planned tariff regime was, in fact, illegal. Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - it falls to the courts to impose the checks and balances between the Administration and the Congress that should be in place. However, we know that the Trump Administration has had a decades-long obsession with tariffs and the latest tariff announcement which has come has created even more chaos and confusion for businesses around the world. That comes on the back of the huge uncertainty that has been created since last year, further increasing the potential for a global slowdown and deterring businesses from investing.

The previous agreement reached by the EU and the United States was not a good deal. Now, it is obviously clear that it represented a premature surrender to Trump and it has left companies in Ireland and Europe exporting to the US at a disadvantage due to one-sided tariffs. I know that deal continues to progress through the European institutions and a vote at the trade committee has been postponed for the time being. Amidst all of that uncertainty, Ireland needs to redouble its own efforts to diversify and strengthen the domestic economy to reduce our reliance on the US, which is fast becoming a very unreliable trading partner. As the Government navigates its response, I urge both the Government here and the EU to ensure protection for the all-Ireland economy, because we have the added complications of a potentially different tariff regime on each part of the island and they must ensure we accord unique circumstances to our island and across Ireland to ensure that all-island economy is protected.

I ask the Leader to facilitate the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come into the Chamber to discuss this important matter. This event last week has created further uncertainty and the response to it from the US Administration deepens that uncertainty. It is a very worrying time for business. In the first instance, we will want to know what our own Government here is doing to make sure we reduce our exposure to the damaging effects of tariffs and their disruption to world trade.

I thank and acknowledge the ambassadors in the Gallery here today. I extend my solidarity to the people of Ukraine for all they have endured because of this invasion and aggression from Russia. The Irish people stand with the people of Ukraine and, on behalf of the Irish Labour Party, I say we stand with them as well.

I raise the issue of housing today and in particular, the issue of renters and supports for renters. We saw a new daft.ie report this morning, which shows that rents have increased by 4.4 % over the past year. There has been a 34% increase in rents compared to pre-pandemic levels. That is coupled with the Threshold report from last week, which showed that 10% of renters in the Republic of Ireland feel they are trapped in the rental sector and are not there by choice. Their aspiration is to have a home of their own. Unfortunately, the average house price is now over eight times an individual's annual salary. It is hard for people to save when they are renting. I ask we have a full discussion and debate on supports for renters with the Minister for housing.

Over the weekend, we saw a front page story in the Irish Examiner about the new student accommodation strategy, which is yet to be published. However, we are hearing soundings there may be a provision in that for college course hours to be curtailed or academic co-ordinators will be asked to change timetables to fit around the housing issue. My understanding from speaking with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, is that might not be part of the final strategy now. We need clarity on that; clarity for students and clarity for families and those working in our colleges as to what the story is and a timeline for the publication of the student accommodation strategy. It would be fitting for this House to have a debate on that strategy as well. It will be long awaited, no matter when it is published.

Before moving on to the substance of what I want to speak about, I acknowledge what Senator Nelson Murray spoke about, particularly the death of young Mia Lily Keogh O'Keeffe. We could add also the names of Conor Quinn, John Guy, Laura Hoy-Henry, Kathleen Cunningham and Brian Frisby and Grace Elliott. At the weekend, we lost no fewer than seven lives on Irish roads on an all-Ireland basis. That is seven lives too many. We are past the point where we do not declare what is happening on our roads a national crisis at this stage. We are tinkering with it when we look at the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and how we deal with it. There is an onus on and opportunity for this House to move and say exactly what we have. We have a crisis on our roads. It is not being addressed. There is a role for local authorities, which are being completely left out of the equation. We need to call it out for what it is, however, and it is a national crisis. I extend my sympathy to all those families who will have empty chairs and empty lives for the rest of their lives.

I need to address the debacle that was the special needs assistant, SNA, situation. I commend the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, who it seemed were very much alone in coming out and trying to address it. We have now, thankfully, found €19 million to shore up the problem. We are very proud of SNAs in Fianna Fáil. We pioneered the concept and since 2020, we have had a 45% increase in the numbers. However, I am deeply troubled that this is the second major announcement the Department of education has botched. We saw earlier this year the capital plans for schools over the next two years, and large numbers of schools across the country that were expected to be included in it were omitted. I ask that the Minister for education comes in here and that we seek a review of that national plan that was announced. It was heavily influenced by mandarins within the Department of education and their ideas and what they wanted for education and was not influenced significantly by the Minister herself. It is indeed significant that we have had two Ministers for education within a ten-month period. It is a critical portfolio.

We also need to call for a review of that school building development plan.

I am sorry; I inadvertently missed Senator Flynn

Other Senators spoke about the tragedy over the weekend when we lost seven members of society due to car crashes. One young woman was knocked down and six more people were injured, including a child. In 2007, in my first time to ever be in a national newspaper, I was referred to as a smash crash girl; a young woman who had broken her two arms, two legs and two ankles in a really serious car crash in the year 2000. I know from first-hand experience after numerous operations, spending time in critical care and spending three years of my childhood in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children the impact an accident can have on a person's life. When I was coming into work here a few weeks ago, somebody tipped the back of my car. I said that it was okay; that is not an accident, it is only a tip. I blessed my face and said, "Thank God everyone is okay." I never went through insurance. I got my brother to fix it that evening. I know what it is like to be in a serious accident.

What I cannot understand is that since the year 2000, people have to wear a safety belt and they get penalty points and we have drink-driving laws. We have dealt to a certain extent with all of that and with wearing safety belts and not having drunk drivers on our roads, etc. I would absolutely love real action on our roads to reduce speed and increase visibility. I have seen people out walking in all-black clothes. If I had any power in these Houses, the first thing I would do is ban people from walking and running in all black clothes. It is absolutely terrifying to be driving on country roads when people barely come up and then you notice it is a person and they could have been knocked down, and that is anybody. Now is the time for action. We can stand here and send our thoughts and condolences to everybody who has lost their lives in an accident and to their family members, but what we really need now is action. I would absolutely love a debate on what we can do, as legislators, to make our roads safe again and invest in campaigns that will make people safer, including cyclists.

I welcome Willie Swaine, Gavin Geraghty and Darren Byrne to the Gallery. They are guests of Senator Andrews.

I acknowledge the visitors to the House, and also the previous visitors, the ambassadors of Ukraine and Estonia. It is a day of celebration for the people of Estonia, their national day, but it is not the same for Ukraine for obvious reasons. The people of Ukraine have had to endure so much hardship since the illegal invasion by Russia four years ago today. On behalf of the Fine Gael side of the House, I send solidarity to all Ukrainian people who have lost their lives, lost loved ones and lost a future in their home country. Please God we will see an improvement in that situation.

I raise something I have raised in the House on two previous occasions in the past nine months. I raised it shortly after being elected and raised it more recently with the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. It relates to the maintenance of piers and harbours across the country. Sadly, last week, we had a fatality at a pier in Belderrig in County Mayo, a man in his 60s. Because of a lack of maintenance at the pier, which I have called for on a number of occasions, his vehicle lost control and slipped into the water. I acknowledge the efforts of the firemen in Crossmolina, Belmullet and Ballina who attended the scene, supported by the Grainne Uaile Sub Aqua Club. On my way here this morning, I stopped at Knock airport and met with an individual who was home for the funeral of that neighbour and loved one. There is a lack of maintenance of piers, whether it is lighting or power washing and cleaning. The gentlemen I spoke to this morning made a point about putting barriers in place at times of year when the pier is not being used actively. If you go into a filling station bathroom, a notice on the back of the door will say it was last cleaned by such-and-such on Tuesday. That basic standard should be applied to piers. There should be a standardised approach and a service level agreement with local authorities and contractors to put adequate lighting, proper safety barriers and a proper cleaning schedule in place, to ensure it is safe for pedestrians, tourists, fishermen and women, and anyone on the pier.

I call for an urgent debate. We need the Minister in the House. If the Minister is not satisfied with the local authorities, we need to summon the chief executives of the authorities, who are failing people in coastal communities.

I was wondering who the new Senators joining us on the left-hand side of the Chamber were. They are from St. Michael's Nursing Home in Caherconlish. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. They look very comfortable there. Some of them are in their wheelchairs but I think they would fit in. They are guests of Deputy Sheehan.

I too recognise the Estonian ambassador visiting here on Estonia day. She has been extremely supportive to me over her term in Ireland, facilitating a number of delegations to Estonia in order that we could put together a vision paper for cybersecurity, which we will launch in the next couple of weeks.

It has been four years since the incursion into mainland Ukraine started and 12 years and four days since the incursion into Crimea. We have to remember the Crimea incident was the start. Europe turned a blind eye to it and we are where we are today. There can be no peaceful solution in Ukraine without Ukraine and the Europeans. That is something we have to get across.

I want to turn to the loan of €90 billion. I hate to say this because some Sinn Féin people are very good friends of mine but Sinn Féin blocking that in a vote in the European Parliament is totally unacceptable.

We cannot put murder and genocide in a hierarchy, with Gaza up here and Ukraine down there. Murder and genocide are the same, irrespective of where it happens. Ukraine deserves the money it needs to survive. The fact that Hungary has thrown its hat into the ring leaves Ukraine in a dire situation. I ask those who have been against providing moneys to Ukraine to survive to reappraise their position and perhaps show a more humanitarian approach to what those people are suffering. Suffering in war is something nobody should have to put up with.

On the rebuilding of Ukraine, we have had two distinguished professors in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery today. They talk about Kyiv now being a war city, with no lights other than from generators and no heat. Let us show a little humanitarian goodwill.

Is the Senator seconding the motion?

I second Senator McCarthy's motion.

I raise concerns today in relation to there being no vascular team in Letterkenny University Hospital. Renal patients from County Donegal have to travel to Galway to get a line in or an AV fistula established prior to commencing dialysis. Additionally, if a patient has complications with their line or fistula, they have to return to Galway to see the vascular team. This causes a lot of stress and travel and is really expensive for renal patients going up and down the road. Can I ask the Minister for Health to look into my concerns urgently? We need a vascular team in Letterkenny University Hospital.

On Monday, a renal patient from Donegal spoke on Highland Radio about the length of time he has been waiting to get an appointment in Galway to get an AV fistula established. Now, this man has been waiting maybe 15 months. It is far too long. I ask the Leader if he could please address this matter with the Minister to see if we could get something moving here in Letterkenny University Hospital. I thank the Leader.

Last week, Dublin City Council, approved housing body, AHB, and HAP tenants received letters from the council saying rents are being increased from 6 April. These increases are in spite of the council not providing the bare minimum in terms of services or facilities. Conditions for residents in flats are lamentable. Tenants in this city are too often living in tiny and overcrowded conditions, with constant dampness and mould and with so many maintenance issues not being addressed by the council. Now, they are going to be charged more money by the council, which admits it is not able to provide the basic services residents deserve and need.

Rents are already too high across the city and the cost-of-living crisis is out of control. It is disgraceful the council has made this decision, which is completely unfair to the thousands of tenants living in unacceptable conditions. Labour Party, Green Party, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Independent councillors all voted to increase the rent for the council's tenants, saying this additional revenue is needed to provide necessary maintenance work.

Now, nobody believes for one second that maintenance standards are going to improve under Dublin City Council. Essentially, what is being said is that the people already struggling the most in our society need to foot the bill for the State's failure to meet its own tenancy obligations and that the people living in some of the worst housing conditions in the State need to pay more for the privilege of living with constant leaks, damp, rats, sewage and every other maintenance issue under the sun.

There is no clear plan for how these increases will actually result in better maintenance of public housing and there have been no real commitments regarding how this money will result in a new single improved service. The Government should be funding Dublin City Council enough in order that it can properly maintain social housing and build new units, rather than pushing that burden onto those who are barely able to get by as it is. In the meantime, Dublin City Council needs to be transparent with what it is doing with this revenue. It should ensure, at the very least, that it is invested in the social housing that desperately needs it.

Last week, the Seanad debated the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, which I think is the most important legislation that has come before us so far.

Because of the Government's desire to guillotine it, we did not really have the opportunity to interrogate it fully. Rushed legislation is bad legislation. Yesterday on my local radio station, Ocean FM, Shona Sheridan, a young woman from Manorhamilton who is an HR master's student, was interviewed. She spoke about the plight of new graduates and said that those with high potential and high levels of knowledge were being run out of the country by unaffordable rents. This is a young woman who wants to stay in Ireland and wants to contribute to society and the economy but is finding it impossible to find accommodation she can afford to rent. Shona made it clear that the job opportunities are here, with multinationals and subsidiaries having their bases in Ireland, but entry-level positions will not pay the rent.

I bring this up because Shona highlighted and articulated so well what was found in the Irish Congress of Trade Unions survey, which was also released yesterday. It showed that more than half of workers in Ireland feel their level of pay does not reflect their efforts or their skills. This cannot be dismissed as working people complaining they are not paid enough. There is a real problem that wages simply are not high enough to allow people to pay the extortionate rent and mortgage rates in this country. Workers' value in the labour market has been undermined and watered down over the years. Without collective bargaining rights and increased trade union membership, this situation will continue. We need to see the value of young workers and all workers, and they need to be valued in their pay packets. We need the Government to enact the promised legislation on the directive on an adequate minimum wage. There is genuine poverty and hardship among a huge volume of workers. We are again educating our young people for the boat. If we continue to fail to address the most pressing issue we face, which is the housing shortage, then as the young woman who was on the radio yesterday said, she and her friends are being left with no alternative because there is no future for young people in this country. It is time we had a serious debate about young people and the role they play in our economy and in the country.

I want to raise, as we are going into year five of conflict in Ukraine, the courage and fortitude of the Ukrainian people. Since the invasion began, I have written about 40 in-depth analysis pieces for The Journal and other newspapers, giving very forensic accounts of how the Ukrainians have managed to stop Putin's special military operation. From Kharkiv to Kramatorsk to Sloviansk to Zaporizhzhia to Kyiv to Odesa to Lviv, what the Ukrainians have achieved has been extraordinary. It has benefited all of us here and the values we hold and freedoms we enjoy. I acknowledge this sacrifice because Moscow's and Putin's hold on Russia is held on the balance of fear. We know this because of Prigozhin's rush to Moscow not so long ago, which almost succeeded. Putin's leadership is quite brittle. It is based on fear, intimidation and brute force. On the Ukrainian side, their courage is held together not by the absence of fear but by love of their freedoms and their desire to remain free and to survive. To be honest, how the same group of people who have been in combat for four years can continue is extraordinary. To shorten the war and bring it to a conclusion, there should be no appeasement of Vladimir Putin. He is a war criminal. If the Trump Administration thinks it can get a deal by appeasing him, they are wrong. It will prolong the war. We need to end this war and have a just and final peace. We have to end the killing.

Any right-thinking person would have to stand with Ukraine at this hour of great urgency and I express my solidarity.

I want to hark back to something a couple of colleagues mentioned earlier, which is the issue of road safety. I am very definite in the opinion that what we need most in this country in relation to road safety, as I said during the debate last week, is a dramatic change in driver behaviour. The attitude that pervades on Irish roads seems to be "it does not apply to me".

From speed limits to using mobile phones to allowing children to drive unaccompanied as learner drivers, all these things are seen as, "It does not apply to me. What harm would it do the odd time." That really comes back to the whole business of enforcement. As I mentioned last week, there should be average speed cameras, an increase in the strict application of penalty points, and an increase in the minimum number points from three to six. As I said on that occasion, over a third of those who get penalty points reoffend. That tells its own tale, which is that the penalty points regime is not strict enough. It should be the case that if you get six points, and then another six points, at that stage you are out. If these things were enforced, if we financed An Garda Síochána to increase the number of unmarked cars and average speed cameras, and if the courts imposed penalty points at a greater and stricter level, we would succeed in moderating the generally atrocious driver behaviour we all see. Everybody in this House and abroad sees that road behaviour in Ireland is at a very poor level.

Last week, members of Childminding Ireland spoke to us in the audiovisual room. A number of childminders told us that they have made up their minds to leave childminding in the next few months, or are very strongly considering doing so. They said that many of their colleagues are also thinking of doing this. The reason for this is the proposed regulations that the Minister, Deputy Foley, is considering bringing forward. I urge the Minister to sit down and talk to childminders and the organisations that represent them before doing anything more. We already have 40,000 children under the age of three waiting for childminding or crèche places, and we are going to exacerbate that figure. All of those who spoke to us are members of Childminding Ireland, which means they are all insured, are registered with Tusla, have undertaken safeguarding training and are Garda vetted. I think that is more than sufficient to give parents peace of mind around who is taking care of their children. If these new regulations are introduced, it will mean they cannot take the children to the park across the road without risk-assessing the park, or take the children to a movie without a risk assessment first being carried out.

One childminder, who delivers the ECCE scheme in her home, said that she will no longer be able to offer AIM support to children with additional needs because you have to work alone under these new regulations, which means she will not be able to employ someone like an SNA to assist her in that situation. This will exclude children with additional needs from receiving this care in the home. It is the choice of many parents to have their children cared for in someone else's home. They want the homely atmosphere and the freedom of the childminder being able to bring their children to different activities, with their permission of course. They do not need a risk assessment.

There is also the possibility of rates being imposed on childminders, and their names and addresses being put up on the Tusla website. None of these measures are necessary. If the system is not broken, do not fix it.

I agree with Senator Cosgrove that it was unfortunate and quite disrespectful to the Seanad to see the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 guillotined in such a short manner last week, without even having the opportunity for some amendments to be spoken to, given the significance it has for so many. It is a practice we should be pushing back on collectively as a House.

It is unfortunate that a previous speaker tried to take what is a collective motion on the Order Paper today and make it about the €90 billion question. I was there for that debate, which did not centre on the amount of money or on whether it would be spent, but on how it would be spent - on the question of €60 billion for military expenditure versus €30 billion for very important humanitarian rebuilding, which is vital work. There is so much that can be done. I have just stepped out of the foreign affairs committee which, as we speak, is discussing peace building and the importance of giving resources to peace building.

That is why today's motion, which focuses on the question of a just and lasting peace, and the work of that, is very positive. I regret it was not possible to add the phrase "of international law", which I looked for. I think it was too late to have that added. Referencing that is crucial though because that is where Ireland comes in. We heard today about international law and its crucial role in peace. Take the International Criminal Court. The EU could be doing so much more to back that court, which has issued warrants for Putin and others. More could be done to back those who are trying to document the many crimes Russia is committing and ensure they are fully documented so there is justice in a meaningful way at a later point. There is also the huge humanitarian, medical and rebuilding work. There is a huge amount that can and must be supported and some of us simply have concerns in relation to the military aspects of that. For example, I had questions about cluster munitions and was hoping for their exclusion, but that is a different piece. I am very glad to have cosigned that motion. In looking at peace and the voice Ireland can bring to supporting peace in Ukraine and internationally. One of the things we should do is be champions for international law, be that the ICJ, the International Criminal Court or the UN Charter itself.

I wish the Leader all the very best in his latest endeavour. I join everyone on the common theme of today being the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Little did we think back then that it would be prolonged for four years. We certainly hoped Ukraine would prevail because of the almost universal international support, but the war has ground on. In spite of initial successes, it is very much an entrenched war. I echo what others have said about this needing to stop and how there must be no capitulation in any form to Vladimir Putin. We need to be as steadfast as we were on day one and as Europe was on day one. That needs to continue. I welcome the very strong comments made by the President of European Parliament Roberta Metsola in the Parliament today.

There are a lot of Ukrainian people who have, at this stage, set up home in Ireland and who are wondering about their future because we have a situation where they still only have temporary permission to remain. It has been a protracted period and we should bear in mind a child of four or five years of age who started school in 2022 has been attending four years and somebody who started secondary school is almost at their leaving certificate. We need to engage with our European colleagues and if that is not possible, we need to consider making decisions ourselves about temporary protection so those who have established very definite roots here have a pathway to remain, irrespective of what happens. It would not be the worst thing in the world to have a debate on the situation in Ukraine here with the appropriate Minister as a reminder of the absolute determination of Government policy to support Ukraine, but also to give us an opportunity to do a deeper dive than we are doing under the Order of Business into the present situation.

I call the Leader to respond to the Order of Business.

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh. I thank all Senators for their contributions. We started with Senator O'Loughlin, who welcomed the ambassador from Ukraine, condemned the ongoing invasion and acknowledged the four-year anniversary. She was joined by Senators Murphy, McCarthy, Craughwell, Clonan, Higgins and Conway in raising the matter of Ukraine. Senator McCarthy talked about the resilience of the Ukrainian people and asked that No. 58, motion No. 1, be taken before No. 1 and I am happy to support that.

The motion proposes:

That Seanad Éireann:

- reaffirms its support for Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of the Russian Federation’s illegal invasion and calls on the Government to do as much as possible to maximise Ireland’s role in renewing international efforts to secure a just and lasting peace based on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Senator O’Loughlin raised the Chinese New Year and the fact it is the Year of the Horse. She also raised the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Horse Racing Ireland statistics on the importance of horse racing and training, the sport horse and the whole industry to the Irish economy. I acknowledge that. She also called for a debate on eating disorders as it is eating disorder awareness week, in the context of the doubling in the number of admissions to hospitals for eating disorders in 2025, particularly among those aged between 12 and 25.

Senator Nelson Murray, joined by Senators Flaherty and Joe Conway, raised the shocking tragedies on our roads over the weekend in which seven people died across the island. She mentioned Mia Lily Keogh O’Keeffe who was killed in a hit-and-run incident in her town. She highlighted a number of areas or initiatives that could be brought forward. Fine Gael had a Private Members’ debate on this matter last week. As the Senator said, little did we know that there would be such tragedy subsequent to that debate. It is something that certainly needs to be kept on the agenda going forward.

Senator Harmon raised housing supports for renters and the fact that rents are increasing. She called for a debate regarding winter supports and the student accommodation strategy. I will request a debate with the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, on those matters.

Senator Flaherty called for a debate on SNAs. He acknowledged the work across the Government, including that of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, to change the stance on this. The letters, as we know, were sent out by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. The Minister and the Minister of State have confirmed there will be no reduction in the number of special needs assistants for the next school year. After a meeting of Government leaders last night, it was agreed that all schools reviewed by the NCSE and allocated additional resources will receive them in the coming year. I will request a debate with the Minister and the Minister of State on this matter as soon as possible.

Senator Flynn also raised the issue of road safety. She highlighted people wearing black clothes – I see it too - when they are walking, cycling or on scooters. I acknowledge that.

Senator Duffy raised his concerns about a recent tragedy at a harbour in Mayo. He called for the proper maintenance of piers and harbours. There is a scheme under the fisheries investment fund for local authorities to apply to the Department of the marine for funding for safety measures at piers. The Senator might be able to check with the local authority whether there was a maintenance programme for the pier in question. He is right to stress the importance of routine cleaning and maintenance of piers and slipways. He also spoke about the service level agreement between local authorities and contractors for this type of work.

Senator Boyle called for a vascular team to be established in Letterkenny because renal patients awaiting dialysis have to go to Galway for simple initiatives, such as putting in lines and so forth. I ask the Senator to put down a Commencement matter with the Minister to get a more direct response from the Department of Health on the plans it has for the provision of dialysis and renal teams in Letterkenny.

Senator Andrews spoke about Dublin City Council, AHBs, HAP tenants and the ongoing maintenance concerns he has with regard to particular flat complexes. He might submit a question to the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, about the liaison he and the Department have had with Dublin City Council on these issues.

Senators Cosgrove and Higgins raised the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026. I have to disagree with them on how we dealt with the Bill last week. I do not believe progress was being made. There was filibustering on three amendments, which only called for reports. We spent three hours talking about them. We only managed a vote on one amendment. We could have made a lot more progress and we could have had better use of time.

Senator Cosgrove also spoke about wages not being high enough for people to pay rent. I know that the pressures people are under are intense. The new legislation will provide security of tenure to residents and so forth. I will call for a large debate on housing with the Minister, Deputy Browne, to discuss these matters.

Senator Joe Conway also raised the issue of road safety and called for a change in driver behaviour. I know he made suggestions or recommendations last week during the debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney. All of these things are in the mix in terms of what initiatives can be taken.

Senator Tully raised the issue of childminding and pointed out that childminders were in the audiovisual room last week. She talked about regulations being considered by the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the possibility of rates and other issues she felt were not necessary. She may wish to put down a Commencement debate on the matter but I will request a debate on the whole issue of childcare with the Minister, Deputy Foley, as well.

Senator Higgins has again raised Ukraine and the need for the championing of international law and the UN Charter. Senator Martin Conway also called for a debate in relation to Ukraine. I will request a debate with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. I think she is due in over the next couple of weeks anyway for a debate on foreign affairs, and she will be in the House tomorrow on defence matters.

I thank all Senators for their contributions this morning.

I thank the Leader for outlining the Order of Business. Senator Aubrey McCarthy has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 58 (1) be taken before No. 1." Is that agreed? Agreed.