The Order of Business is No. 1, Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m.; No. 2, Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 1 and to adjourn at 3.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 3, Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Second Stage, to be taken at 3.30 p.m. and to adjourn at 4.30 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, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 4, statements to mark International Women’s Day, to be taken at 4.30 p.m. and to conclude at 6 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, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 5, statements on special needs assistants, to be taken at 6 p.m. and to conclude at 7.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to 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 not less than seven minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 57, motion 1, Private Members' Business, motion on the implementation of the accelerating infrastructure action plan, in the name of Fianna Fáil Senators, to be taken at 7.15 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

I welcome St. Michael's secondary school, Finglas, to the Seanad. I also welcome the grand-niece of Senator Michael McDowell who is here as well. I was very honoured to meet her earlier and I thank her for being here. Councillor Peter Feeney from Galway is most welcome, as is Amelie Gardiner from Salerno Secondary School, who is on transition year experience with Seán Kyne. There is no homework for the rest of the week for everybody; that includes Councillor Feeney.

I extend my welcome to all our guests who are here. I also wish to be associated with the Cathaoirleach's kind words in relation to former Senator Tony McKenna, who has left an enduring legacy in education and inclusion. I offer my very deepest sympathy to his family and the Fianna Fáil family in Tipperary.

Yesterday, I spoke about the horrific situation we saw over the last few days in the Middle East. It is good news that at least some flights are resuming today. Having been in touch with a number of people who were stranded, as I have no doubt many of us here have been, it is good to see an Emirates flight is leaving at 6 p.m. and that the Government has announced its intention to charter a flight. The hope is that there will be a number of flights, but we have to think of all those who are stranded and the difficult situation they are in. Twenty-five thousand people have registered at this stage, about 2,500 of whom need emergency support coming home. There is a huge impact in relation to what is happening.

There is also an impact in relation to price gouging. To see petrol going up at the pumps hour by hour, and heating oil doubling in price over the last five days, is shocking. I would like to see the Minister for enterprise coming to the House to discuss same because it needs to be made illegal. It is absolutely shocking. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, made an announcement of extra supports around fuel allowance this morning but we need to ensure this type of price-gouging is illegal.

I wish the Special Olympics Ireland team well. They are having their launch of the 2026 Ireland national games on Thursday, where athletes will qualify to go on for the world games and the European games. Special Olympics plays a vital role in promoting inclusion. The new CEO, Karen Coventry, is doing a wonderful job. The launch is on Thursday, as I said. The games will be on from 18 to 21 June and will bring 1,200 athletes together to compete across 12 sports. That is happening in Dublin. It will be supported by thousands of volunteers. I know everybody will join with me in wishing everybody well.

I will also mention the autism friendly town initiative launch in Newbridge this evening at 7.30 p.m. in Scoil Mhuire. Adam Harris, the CEO of AsIAm is coming. It is important we have these community initiatives. I give a big shout-out to Jennifer and Maria who are organising that. I look forward to joining them at some stage this evening.

This morning, it is all about improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare, which remains one of Fine Gael's central commitments under the programme for Government. We have been clear from the outset that supporting children, families and communities requires sustained investment in long-term planning. The latest updates from the Department of children and equality show that this work is progressing at speed.

Over the past three years, capacity in early learning and childcare has grown significantly. The annual early years sector profile shows a 25% increase in enrolments, which is a strong indicator that reforms are working. Yet, we also know that demand continues to outstrip supply in parts of this country, particularly for children aged one to three. Addressing that gap is essential. If we are to meet the ambitions set out in our programme for Government, then it has to happen. That is why I welcome this Government has now announced €135 million in capital investment for high-quality, accessible, State-led early learning and childcare facilities. This is a landmark initiative that will begin this year. This investment will allow the State to acquire or fit out buildings specifically for childcare provision ensuring that services are delivered where they are most needed, whether in growing urban centres or underserved rural communities, and to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to what we promised, namely, €200 per month.

A particular focus of these new facilities will be on places for one- to three-year-olds, which is the age group where shortages are most acute. The aim is to create a pathway where children can remain in the same high-level quality service until they start school. To ensure that investment is targeted effectively, the Department has developed a forward-planning model that maps local demand against existing capacity. This evidence-based approach will guide the selection of up to eight buildings for investment this year alone at a cost of €14 million, which has to be seriously welcomed. This initiative represents a major forward step in delivering on the Government's commitments to a childcare system that works, supports families and communities and gives every child the best possible start. It is a practical, ambitious and long-term investment in our future and our children's future, one that reflects the values and priorities set out clearly in the programme for Government.

I welcome these steps. I look forward to the roll-out of this infrastructure to secure, as promised, the €200 per month childcare cost to families who are in desperate need of some sort of benefits.

I will take a few moments to talk about an extraordinary service based in Amiens Street, Dublin - Safetynet Primary Care. It also has a homeless outreach team. The whole thing is led by a small team; Kristy, Nicola, Larry and Sinéad. Through its partnership with the likes of Tiglin and Simon, we are seeing something very powerful in action every night of the week, which is healthcare going to the most vulnerable in our society. The collaboration means that medical care, if it is combined with practical social support, including music, chiropody, bingo and everything altogether, ensures people who are experiencing homelessness can access joined-up services in just one location.

With us every day in the café on Pearse Street, we are seeing people struggling with addiction and people whose health has deteriorated because they simply cannot access mainstream services. For many of them, even walking into a GP looking for help, with the paperwork and all of that, is just not straightforward. Barriers to do with trust, language, in some cases, and simply the chaos of homelessness make that impossible, but Safetynet removes all those barriers. It brings doctors and nurses too. I know that with Tiglin, they pull up in a mobile ambulance outside with the doctors, nurses and medical support. It goes directly to the most vulnerable people where they feel safe. They are treated with dignity and compassion and without judgment.

I want to make sure that we can adapt these services to people living on the margins. We recognise that the service users we are dealing with are living in very unstable conditions or, as I mentioned, chaotic circumstances. Reducing barriers to medical care is what is making the difference.

It makes healthcare accessible to those most in need.

Last year alone, Safetynet delivered 6,000 patient consultations and medical interventions to homeless adults and children. These are some of the most marginalised people in Ireland. I see the impact every day through Tiglin. We see chronic illnesses finely managed and people being connected back into the healthcare system who would otherwise be on the margins. It is preventative healthcare at its very best.

I welcome the opportunity to show what wonderful services exist, including the likes of Safetynet, and more important, to ensure such services will continue to receive the support and be able to expand. When healthcare reaches those on the margins of society, it treats more than illness; it restores dignity and hope and increases the chance of recovery. This reflects exactly the type of society we need to build.

I, too, express my condolences to the family of Tony McKenna.

The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, is sounding more and more like Donald Trump every day. Two weeks ago, he threatened to withdraw funds from innocent clubs because of a small few. He also proposed legislation to ban flares even though flares are already illegal. Now he has claimed Israel is a legitimate UEFA team. This is a bizarre statement. The Israeli team does not conform with its own governing body’s rules and regulations. How is that normal? Welcoming Israel and its supporters to play Ireland is insane. I sincerely hope the match will not go ahead, but if it does, it is really important that Israeli supporters and the management team all be security-screened to ensure those of them who are known to have participated in genocide or committed war crimes will be held to account.

Four years ago, the Irish Government and the FAI confirmed that no Irish team would play Russia at any level, yet now they are happy to play Israel. If there were a nations league for hypocrisy, the Irish Government would win it hands down. Irish football is against the game taking place. It is not me who is saying that; it is Irish football. The FAI congress, which is made up of grassroots supporters and members, said the game should not be played. UEFA has ignored Irish football. Even more worryingly, David Courell, who is now the CEO, is ignoring the wishes of Irish football. David Courell, it is important to remind him and everybody else, is not Irish football; he is the CEO, and he must not act as a puppet for the Irish Government. I believe the Government is pressuring the FAI into playing Israel. Why else would the CEO ignore the grassroots and Irish football fans? Why is the Minister for sport ignoring Irish football?

I often hear people say sport and politics should not mix. That is absolute nonsense, as was evident when we saw Gianni Infantino presenting Donald Trump with a peace award and taking a place on the Board of Peace for Gaza, as if Palestinians have not suffered enough without a madman like Infantino being on the board, pretending to do something for Gaza that is only going to enrich him. It is absolutely sickening. Irish Sport for Palestine has submitted a complaint to the International Criminal Court accusing the presidents of FIFA and UEFA of aiding war crimes against humanity. We need to have the Minister for sport in here to explain and debate why he sees Israel as a normal country.

I will not be attending the debate on International Women's Day later, so I am going to use my time this morning to refer to it. Fifty-one per cent of the population in Ireland are women, so all things being equal, we should have equal representation in the Oireachtas. The population of Cork is 50% women, yet only one woman TD, my party leader, Deputy Holly Cairns, was elected in all of Cork’s constituencies. There are only four women TDs for all of Munster. Fourteen constituencies in Ireland have no women representing them. Ireland ranks 22nd out of the 27 European countries in terms of women elected to national parliaments. We rank 100th in the world.

Research from King's College shows that women leaders prioritise healthcare, welfare and education, benefiting the most vulnerable and making for more equal and caring societies. The research states women work harder to represent constituencies, enhancing trust in government. States with more female leaders are less prone to war and human rights abuses. Women bring collaborative, inclusive leadership to divisive political spaces. Women’s presence in politics increases perceptions of electoral integrity and women’s presence as candidates and officeholders changes a sense of who has the ability to rule.

I am aware that there are measures in place to attempt to improve Ireland’s total deficiency in relation to gender equality in politics, such as gender quotas and Government funding for organisations such as See Her Elected and Women for Election Ireland. I have been looking through some of the debates in the Chamber that we have had over the past year and, honestly, I am quite shocked. Topics have included the following: maternal healthcare; bereavement leave for pregnancy loss; the gendered impact of new rental legislation; mother and baby homes; sexual abuse images, whether AI-generated or simply shared without consent; the high level of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; the extremely low number of convictions for sexual assault; carers being women disproportionately; the childcare crisis; and the failing healthcare system for women suffering from conditions such as endometriosis, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and menopause. The list of crises in this country that affect women is endless. While we have many strategies, including the zero tolerance strategy to end domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, the women's health action plan and the national strategy for women and girls, this is simply not enough.

Without more women in politics, women's issues will continue to be treated as fringe issues. We make up half the population but so many basic services and rights for women are either missing or ineffective. Therefore, for this International Women's Day we need a complete overhaul of how we tackle gender inequality in Ireland and overcome the systemic barriers to women’s equal participation in policy-making and decision-making so we will not be here next year or the following years repeating the same conversations. Ní saoirse go saoirse na mban. That is my cúpla focal for the week.

I stand once again to call for a debate on buildings in Donegal with mica-affected blocks. Every single day, I send my little girl Lacey to a crèche that could fall down at absolutely any point. This is not the fault of the childcare providers in Donegal. There are over 25 childcare providers in Donegal whose buildings are impacted by defective blocks. I am aware that Deputy Charles Ward has done a lot of work advocating 100% redress, but we are forgetting about the community organisations that are also impacted by the defective-concrete crisis. For health and safety reasons, we would not be expected to come into this Chamber if it were impacted by defective blocks. Why are parents expected to send their children to early-education facilities when something could happen at any time?

I will email the Leader a video that The Irish Times produced two weeks ago on some of the conditions our children have to face every single day. I invite the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Deputy Foley, and the Minister for housing to Donegal. I am sure Senator Boyle would work with me to go around to the affected facilities to see the chronic conditions we have to send our children into every single day. Enough is enough. Many parents in Donegal fear for their children in childcare services. To cut a long story short, I am not looking for a debate only. I will send the Leader the article and video by The Irish Times, which I am sure will absolutely shock him. The Minister for children, Deputy Foley, should go to Donegal because what the eyes do not see the heart does not feel. The same applies to the Minister for housing. They need to come up with a solution to make childcare facilities safe for our children and the workers.

I want to speak about givinostat and the current status of efforts to have this medication made available to the boys in Ireland who are living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD.

I will outline the timeline and where the process now stands. On 11 June 2025, I stood alongside parents of families at a demonstration outside Leinster House and we held a briefing in the audiovisual room to raise awareness of DMD. What politicians learned that day is that DMD is the most common and one of the most severe genetic conditions diagnosed in early childhood. It almost always affects boys. Around one is every 3,500 baby boys worldwide is born with the condition. In Ireland, approximately 110 people are known to be living with DMD, the majority of whom are children. Children with DMD can struggle to walk, run, stand up and climb stairs. Many boys will need a wheelchair by around the age of 12. As the disease progresses, it affects the spine, the heart and the lungs. By their mid-teens, some boys develop serious heart disease and by their late teens or early 20s, many begin to experience breathing problems. Even with modern medical care, most people with DMD will die from heart or respiratory failure before or during their 30s.

For families, this is a devastating and relentless condition but there is hope. A medicine called givinostat is a game-changer. It halts the progression of DMD, giving the boys more time on their feet and a better quality of life. Yesterday, I was informed that the health technology assessment has been completed by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE, and that its recommendation is that givinostat should not be considered for reimbursement unless its cost-effectiveness can be improved. I will not lie; my heart dropped. I know this is worrying for families but it is not an unusual decision when it comes to medicines for rare and severe conditions.

The next step is for the NCPE report to be considered by the HSE when it makes its reimbursement decision in line with the Health Act. The process now moves into the HSE drugs decision system, where price negotiations can take place and where, more importantly, broader factors can still be considered. The broader factors include the severity of DMD, the lack of alternative treatments and the enormous impact of this condition on children, their families and the wider community. I ask that every possible effort is made to progress these negotiations urgently and to ensure that cost does not become the only factor in a decision about a life-limiting childhood condition. These boys and their families have waited long enough; they deserve urgency. Time is muscle and every day that passes, these boys deteriorate. They need access to medication, like children in other European countries with early access programmes and compassionate access, such as Belgium, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. I want the same for Ireland.

I wish to raise an issue concerning Irish Water on behalf of Councillor Michael Boyle and the people living in the Clogher, Leghowney and Copany area in County Donegal. The reservoir there was built in the 1970s to service around 80 houses. There are now 600 houses in the area using the reservoir. Residents often have endless trouble because of low pressure or outages. There have been no upgrades to the reservoir, the plant or the system. People are without water for long periods of time and householders are now using streams at the back of their houses to top up their water. Irish Water staff on the ground acknowledge the problem, are more than helpful and keep a bad system going as best they can.

We need a new reservoir, more capacity to supply a larger number of houses and a fully upgraded system. People have been calling for this for years but it has fallen on deaf ears so I am asking the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Irish Water to urgently sort out the problem and put a plan in place for the people of Clogher, Leghowney and Copany so they can have a good water system. It is 2026 and it is the least the people of Donegal deserve.

Dar le daoine áirithe le déanaí, ní haon Winston Churchill é an duine atá in 10 Sráid Downing. Más é sin an cás, is cinnte nach aon Franklin Delano Roosevelt é an duine sa Teach Bán.

Déanfaidh mé tagairt den ghéarchéim atá ag tarlú san Meánoirthear faoi láthair de dheasca na troda idir an Iaráin agus na Stáit Aontaithe agus an Iosrael. Mar is eol don Teach seo, tá soláthar gáis agus peitril ag laghdú go práinneach faoi láthair. Ní bhaineann sé le gás agus le peitreal amháin, áfach; chuala mé trácht le déanaí go bhfuil ganntanas leasú talún romhainn. Tá tancaeir sáinnithe i gCaolas Hormuz. Níl siad in ann dul níos faide ó dheas. Taobh thiar de na longa sin, tá loing lódáilte le leasú talún le teacht chun na hEorpa agus na hÉireann. Tá an ganntanas sin ag éirí práinneach. Mar is eol do na Seanadóirí go léir, tá an leasú talún de dhíth go géar ag feirmeoirí san earrach mar tá na feirmeoirí sin ag cur. Muna bhfuil an léasú talún go flúirseach againn sa tír seo, beidh an soláthar bia ag éirí gann níos déanaí sa samhradh agus san fhómhar. Iarraim ar an gCeannaire cuireadh a thabhairt don Aire talmhaíochta, an Teachta Heydon, teacht isteach chun an Tí seo le tuairisc chuimsitheach a thabhairt dúinn faoin ghéarchéim atá romhainn.

Since I came into this House, I have tried to do certain things behind closed doors and I found it quite effective. An issue has come up in the west of Ireland with regard to the ambulance service that is not being resolved. The front page of our local newspaper carries a story about a man in his mid-80s who had symptoms pointing towards a stroke or a bleed on the brain. He was in the doctor's surgery locally and had to wait nearly four hours for the ambulance to arrive after repeated attempts by the doctor and the doctor's staff. The doctor's staff insisted that he needed to go by ambulance to a hospital. I live in Roscommon, where most people are one hour from our nearest hospital, be it Castlebar, Sligo or Galway, so time is of the essence. The gentleman is now home and in recovery. It will be a long road. The family is very disturbed and hope no other family will have to go through what it had to go through. There is an older demographic in my part of the country - one of the oldest in the country. I would hate to think that there is some sort of algorithm that is sorting out patients based on who might be most likely to have a better outcome.

The health forum last week listened to ambulance figures for October and January. Between October and January, there were 24,712 calls to the National Ambulance Service, of which 390 were classified purple, which was life-threatening. The service is looking to get 75% of them addressed within 19 minutes. That is the target time. In October, 78% hit that target time; in November, 66% hit the target time; in December, 63% hit that target time; and in January, 61% hit that target time. It is a trend I do not want to see and one we need to address and it is a conversation we need to have in this House.

I welcome the conclusion of the Bord Bia saga. In particular, I thank the IFA and all the farming organisations for the conclusion. I welcome the review that is taking place within the board. I congratulate all those involved in getting it to this stage. If it has done one thing, it is to strengthen our meat industry, food labelling and farmers' experience within the board. It highlights the concerns of the farming community. We now need to move on, strengthen the food we export and the labelling and get back to the trust the consumer and farmers have in Bord Bia.

We have crossed the Rubicon in that regard. I welcome the review and the outcome. I thank Larry Murrin for stepping aside and letting the review take place. What he has done must be acknowledged.

Before I finish, I would like to touch on another matter, namely price-gouging in the diesel sector. The price of diesel has risen by almost 12 cent over two days. This sends out a message that the people who are involved in the diesel sector are price-gouging. We can say it as it is. Somebody needs to call this out. We need the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste to have an open discussion with the people who are doing this in order to bring the price back down. There is no need for what is happening at the moment. They are taking advantage of consumers, which they should not do.

I want to follow on from Senator Kelleher's comments about the National Ambulance Service. His figures are absolutely correct. I am not going to go through them again. What is really stark is that I met with 80 newly qualified paramedics outside Leinster House yesterday who had to come and protest. They had a petition with them that has been signed by 10,000 people. They do not know if they are going to have jobs in the service they trained to work in. They are fully trained paramedics who have completed three years with the National Ambulance Service. They have met with every requirement that has been asked of them. They have studied, trained, worked on ambulances, responded to emergencies and supported patients and families across the country. They are fully qualified paramedics who are already doing the job.

Like those in every graduating class before them, they joined on the clear understanding that when they completed their studies, they would transition to permanent contracts. That is not the way it is happening, however, at a time when the National Ambulance Service is absolutely in crisis. Senator Kelleher talked about the purple calls. There are so many problems in our country. So many deaths could be prevented. We have to call it as it is. These are front-line workers who are putting everything on the line to save lives. When we hear sirens in our communities, we know the danger that lies ahead. These front-line workers are not getting the respect that they deserve. Just days before their three-year contracts were due to expire, they were informed that they now have to apply to compete for permanent posts, despite assurances as recently as December that permanent contracts were on the way. How is this happening? I call for an urgent debate in the House in order that we can discover what is going on with the National Ambulance Service and how we find ourselves in a situation whereby 80 newly qualified paramedics have to protest at the gates of these Houses because we do not have jobs for them. This is beyond shameful.

It is not often that I compliment the Government. In light of the current crisis in the Middle East, however, I have to hand it to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence for organising to get an aircraft to Oman to bring people home. I appreciate that people will have to travel for many hours to get to that aircraft and that it will be difficult for those who are unwell to have to take a six- or eight-hour bus journey to Oman in order to get home. There are some green shoots with respect to flights. Some flights are getting out of Abu Dhabi and places like that, but they are very few and far between. I should be in Cyprus at a defence conference this week, but that country's airspace has been closed.

Given Israel's incursions into Lebanon, I have had some questions this morning, particularly from my hometown and that of the Leader, about the safety of Irish troops in Lebanon. Israel has issued instructions to people to vacate their properties in parts of Lebanon.

Senator Craughwell should be allowed to speak, without interruption.

I need people to know that those involved are professional soldiers and that they will be looked after. If they need to be pulled out, they will be.

There is something fundamentally wrong when we ask farmers to reduce emissions but then tax them more heavily for choosing a cleaner fuel. Hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, is a low-carbon biofuel. It is made from waste and byproducts from the food industry and it is not intended for human consumption. It works in existing diesel engines and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%.

I spoke about EnergyCloud yesterday. It is incredibly frustrating when you have a really good, well-thought out project that has proved itself and then this issue arises. We are on track to miss our climate targets to 2030. In that context, the taxpayer will be picking up a bill of €28 billion in fees. We have a practical, ready-to-use solution for the agriculture sector, but there are no incentives to encourage farmers to use it. HVO is subject to a VAT rate of 23%, while agri-diesel or low-sulphur gas oil attract a rate of 13.5%. The higher rate is punitive and does nothing to incentivise farmers to use HVO. In fact, it actively pushes farmers back towards fossil fuels. When HVO is used off-road in agricultural machinery, the road transport fuel obligation scheme applies in an 80:20 rule, leaving a price gap of over 20 cent more per litre on the marked gas oil. In addition, HVO is already about 8 cent per litre more expensive to produce and hauliers supplying the agricultural sector cannot access the 7 cent diesel rebate scheme credit. If the Government wants to meet climate targets and avoid massive fines, it should be trying to implement practical measures. Cutting the VAT rate on HVO would be an easy way to support farmers who would make the switch if it was more viable financially to do so.

Is cuimhin liom go maith agus mé ag fás aníos sna hochtódaí agus sna nóchadaí a bheith ag féachaint ar an Carroll’s Irish Open sa ghailf nó an Benson & Hedges Irish Masters sa snúcar. Ag an am sin, bhí urraíocht forleathan in imeachtaí spóirt ós na comhlachtaí móra tabac. Cén fáth go raibh an urraíocht sin chomh láidir is a bhí? Go simplí, ós rud é gur éirigh leis na feachtais urraíochta sin na milliúin punt sa bhreis a thuilleamh dos na comhlachtaí tabac agus daoine ag caitheamh toitíní áirithe. Diaidh ar ndiaidh, tháinig athruithe ar na rialacha agus ar na dlíthe a bhaineann le cúrsaí urraíochta sa spóirt. Shocraíomar, agus shocraigh tíortha agus rialtais eile ar fud an domhain, stop a chur leis an urraíocht tabac sa spóirt. Níl aon amhras agam ach gurb í seo ceann de na cúiseanna go bhfuil líon na ndaoine atá ag caitheamh tabac sa tír seo tar éis titim le blianta anuas agus is maith an rud é sin dúinn go léir.

The reason I say all of this is to put into context the similar challenge we face today in relation to the advertising and promotion of alcohol brands in sport and at sports events. I refer specifically to the advertising of 0% alcohol products by well-known and widely recognised alcohol companies. Those companies deliberately use virtually identical branding for non-alcoholic products as they do for the equivalent alcohol products. This strategy enables these companies to exploit inadequacies in the current legislation and effectively circumvent it to boost alcohol sales, particularly among younger people.

Alcohol, when consumed to excess, does enormous damage to individuals and families, particularly when a pattern of consumption is established at an early age. Alcohol Action Ireland recently published a new report, Drinking it in: How alcohol sports advertising influences child and youth consumption behaviour, which informs us that during recent high-profile televised rugby matches in Ireland, alcohol references are occurring at a rate of up to one every eight seconds. The report also finds that children do not distinguish between advertisements for 0% products and alcohol products, seeing them all as alcohol references. We need to legislate effectively to close the current loophole and to enforce stricter and more effective laws in the area of alcohol advertising in sport for the benefit of all, particularly the young people of the country.

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Health of a new public health Bill to deal with vaping and vaping products. I believe it was brought as a memo to Cabinet yesterday. We have been very slow as country in dealing with what I now consider to be the scourge of vaping, certainly with regard to access to these pouches and other ancillary products by those aged under 18. I welcome the proposed legislation that will deal with all of these ancillary products that are an offshoot of tobacco and vaping. In Australia, vaping is illegal and people cannot get a vape unless they have a prescription from a GP that states it is required in order to give up smoking. This has dealt with the vaping problem that Australia faced. I had discussions on this issue with Bill Shorten, the then minister for disabilities in Australia, when he was here a couple of years ago.

I have been saying for a long time that we need to look at making vaping illegal and having a requirement for people to have a prescription to purchase vaping products. I know this is punitive and may not happen but we need to escalate our legislation to deal with, for example, vaping shops on our high streets and vaping advertisements. We got rid of smoking advertisements at the point of sale and we need to do the same with vaping. There is a lot we can do before we ban it to reduce it. If we do not do so, we are not doing a service to our young people. I welcome the legislation but I sincerely hope that, when it goes through the Houses, we can add more to it, such as on the advertising of vapes. No more than what Senator Kelleher alluded to in terms of legislation being abused by zero-alcohol products, I am afraid the high streets in most of our towns are really taking a downward spiral with all of these vape shops.

I want to raise serious concerns today after watching "Prime Time" last night, on which a student in UCD was interviewed anonymously. This student was assaulted. Later, images surfaced of this assault and of her in a very vulnerable, unconscious, assaulted state. These images were circulated over long periods of time to fellow students in WhatsApp groups and to staff in the university also. This morning, I have written to the chair of the Oireachtas further and higher education committee suggesting that UCD come before it to outline what policies are in place for dignity and respect and its handling of these cases. It was brought up with the Garda but, unfortunately, the perpetrator has not been identified.

This is a very serious issue and I want to highlight that it is prevalent not only on college campuses, but in wider society in general. When I was equality officer in the then Union of Students in Ireland, USI, many moons ago, we did a survey in 2013 that showed that one in five women students experienced an unwanted sexual experience. This was further highlighted in research by the Higher Education Authority, HEA, in 2021, which found that 42% of students stated they had received unwanted sexual images and text messages during their time as students. Central Statistics Office, CSO, data from 2022 shows that one in five young adults experienced sexual harassment, with women twice as likely to experience it as men. We know that women in Ireland are four times more likely to experience unwanted and inappropriate physical contact. This is very serious. A lot of good work is being done on this by colleges throughout the country, and this needs to be highlighted, but we really need to have a discussion in the House about what is happening on our campuses throughout the country to deal with this.

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí go léir as ucht a gcuid tuairimí agus moltaí ar maidin. Senator O'Loughlin, supported by Senator Craughwell, raised the situation in the Middle East regarding the charter flights and acknowledged the work of the Government, including the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on this. I certainly hope it will be the first of many such charter flights to bring vulnerable people out of possible harm's way.

Senator O'Loughlin also raised the issue of price gouging at the pumps, as did Senator Brady and others. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, has been contacted by the Minister, Deputy Burke, and by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. We can all see with our own eyes what is happening. We have heard from consumers and it is important to call out what I called yesterday war profiteering and price gouging. Loyal customers paid their bills over the winter period for kerosene and are now being hit with unjustifiable increases. The CCPC is looking into this.

Senator O'Loughlin acknowledged Special Olympics Ireland, the thousands of volunteers and the launch this Thursday of the games, which will take place from 18 to 21 June in Dublin. She also wished Newbridge well in its autism-friendly town initiative and there is a meeting there tonight.

Senator Kennelly acknowledged the investment in terms of access to childcare places, particularly for children aged one to three years, in the early learning sector, the building blocks programme and the initial roll-out of investment to eight buildings. It is important to acknowledge that there are situations where there are no places or a lack of places in certain communities. There is a need for this public investment. I welcome it.

Senator McCarthy raised an initiative between Tiglin and the Simon Community with Safetynet Primary Care. It is a wonderful initiative with regard to assisting those who are homeless or living on the margins and delivering medical interventions. I welcome the important work that he has highlighted today.

Senator Andrews requested a debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, in the House regarding the Israeli football match and called for visitors and guests to be security screened at the game if it goes ahead. He declared that he wished it not to go ahead. He acknowledged the views of the FAI and congress. As I understand it, this is a UEFA-organised tournament and it has sanctioned it. I do not believe there is any evidence of the FAI being pressurised by the Government. I have not seen it. However, this is something Senator Andrews could raise in a Commencement debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan.

Senator Stephenson, due to her unavailability later on for statements on International Women's Day, listed a number of statistics and issues of concern regarding women's rights and women's healthcare. I look forward to the debate later on. There is always more that can be done and I know legislation was passed by the former Minister, Phil Hogan, on gender quotas linked to financial penalties on parties as a way to encourage, or perhaps should I say "force", parties to put more women on Dáil election tickets. We have seen some results of this. Of course there is a need to try to elect more women in local politics in particular. I suppose there is an issue there, in that we have a lot of incumbents and until such time as those incumbents retire at local level, there is not always an opportunity for women to get elected. All parties are trying to encourage more women, and rightly so, in this regard.

Senator Flynn raised the issue of 100% redress and how it was forgetting the necessity to support our crèches and childcare facilities. She stated that there were 25 buildings in Donegal that did not have remediation plans. I am not sure whether they are all privately or publicly owned, and maybe they may be a mixture. I will request a debate on the issue. Perhaps Senator Flynn may wish to table a Commencement debate with the Minister, Deputy Foley, on it. She is the Minister involved in childcare and may be able to put pressure on the Minister, Deputy Browne, to develop a scheme for childcare facilities in Donegal and elsewhere.

Senator Costello raised the issue of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD, and the fact that proposals were now with the HSE drugs decision-making entity in terms of progressing the availability of a drug that could impact and assist those - mainly boys - who are suffering with DMD.

I look forward to engaging with that debate. The Senator may wish to table a Commencement matter in order to receive an update on the progress on that, or any timelines.

Senator Boyle called for a debate with Irish Water on a reservoir in a locality where there are up to 600 homes and the reservoir was not built for that. He may wish to put down a Commencement matter with the Minister for housing. It may or may not be accepted under the rules but I know he will continue to engage with Irish Water on the ground. There were similar situations previously whereby we were able to build a new reservoir beside the existing one and double the capacity. By the sounds of it more than that would be needed and there would have to be a significantly larger reservoir built. I am sure Senator Boyle will continue his advocacy with Uisce Éireann on that issue.

D'ardaigh an Seanadóir Joe Conway an ghéarchéim sa Mheánoirthear agus cogadh na Stát Aontaithe agus Iosrael in aghaidh na hIaráine. Luaigh sé freisin na fadhbanna le hiompar ola tríd an Hormuz Strait agus an ceantar sin agus na himpleachtaí a bheidh aige sin ar thalmhaíocht agus bia. D'iarr an Seanadóir orm díospóireacht a eagrú leis an Aire talmhaíochta. Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall é sin a eagrú.

Senator Scahill, supported by Senator McCormack, raised the National Ambulance Service. This is a vital issue. Representatives of the service attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health during the previous term and I was present. We have seen some progress. The western part of the country has the slowest response times because we are the most scattered but we are absolutely no less deserving of care and assistance than any other part of the country. I know in the past there was investment in new bases in the west, in Tuam and Mulranny for example, to try to assist. We have seen new bases in Galway. I do not have the figures for County Roscommon but clearly there is an issue. To see the level of achievement of the 19-minute target reduce over the winter period is worrying. I will request a debate with the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on this issue. We have seen investment.

Senator McCormack raised the issue of paramedics. I met with the paramedics yesterday and I know they have always had full-time jobs, as I understand it. I will request a debate on this matter as well. I know there are roles available to the class of 2026 where retirements and promotions have taken place or new service development but they always had certainty and now with the change it seems they are being treated the same as everyone else in the HSE rather than having a distinctive promotion or guarantee of a permanent job. I will request a debate with the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on the National Ambulance Service. I thank the Senators for raising this important issue.

Senator Craughwell welcomed the flight being chartered. He also stated that the troops in Lebanon are professionals and are safe and that if they were in danger they would be removed from harm's way.

Senator Sarah O’Reilly has raised the issue of the VAT rate charged on HVO. Perhaps she could table a Commencement matter. The Minister for Finance is in charge of VAT but the Minister for Transport would have the input as to whether the reduced VAT rate can be accessed. She may wish to put down a Commencement debate with either Minister to see if we could make progress on that in advance of the next Finance Bill.

D'ardaigh an Seanadóir Kelleher an stair maidir le tabac agus an obair reachtaíochta a rinne iar-Rialtais chun an dlí maidir leis a athrú. Tá a fhios ag chuile dhuine an ról atá ag tabac i ndrochshláinte agus fadhbanna sláinte sa tír seo. D'ardaigh an Seanadóir freisin ceist maidir le alcohol sponsorship agus deochanna 0.0. It is a real issue. We know that drinks advertising is banned but if the brand name and 0.0 is put on the drink, that is a way of getting around it. It is quite evident for all to see but is within the law and a change would be needed. If drinks companies are not changing there will have to be a tightening of the law on this.

Senator Martin Conway raised a public health issue regarding vaping and welcomed a memo to Cabinet yesterday from the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I hope to see progress on that issue. I do not have the details of how much work was done in terms of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the health committee on this. Both he and I are former members of that committee but I am not sure what additional work was done on that issue over the past year and what proposals are contained in the memo. I look forward to the Bill being published and debated in these Houses. I am sure the Senator will be raising his concerns on Second Stage regarding what additionality could be included in that Bill.

Senator Harmon mentioned the "Prime Time" programme that was aired last night. I did not see it but I read about it the day before. There was an anonymous interview and images of a girl in a vulnerable state being circulated. It has become so easy now for images to go viral and it is not good enough. The Senator has written to the Chair of the further and higher education committee regarding policies we can put in place. There has been legislation in relation to revenge porn and things like that. I am not sure of the specifics of this case but where someone is clearly identifiable and in a state where she has been assaulted or in other cases where a person might be in a state of undress or something like that, the legislation needs to be strengthened.

Cuirim fáilte roimh na cuairteoirí atá sa Ghailearaí anois, a guest of an Seanadóir Aubrey McCarthy, Declan Muddiman, tá fáilte romhat; agus guests of an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Christopher O'Sullivan, students from Summercove National School, Kinsale, County Cork. They will be delighted to hear about the rule of the Seanad, even if it is a guest of a Minister of State from the other House, we still have a rule of no homework for the rest of the week for all visitors to Seanad Éireann.

Anois, cuirfidh mé an cheist. For the benefit of the students, because it is Seachtain na Gaeilge, I will attempt to ask in Irish an aontaítear an tOrd Gnó, the Order of Business. For those with Donegal Irish, I am sure that was indecipherable.