The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and conclude at 1.15 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 each, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes each and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.

This morning, as we gather here in the Seanad, I am very mindful of the people in the Middle East who are under direct attack and threat. I am really concerned about the civilians - the men, women and children of all ages - who are living in fear for their lives. I am particularly concerned for our own Irish civilians. I acknowledge the messaging from the Minister for foreign affairs and the Department of foreign affairs. I acknowledge the support of our consulate and embassy staff in the region. They are all doing their utmost to ensure that Irish citizens are protected and, where possible, safely returned.

The reports on today's "Morning Ireland" resonated with me. You could hear people who had arrived this morning on the first two flights. The Emirates airline ran two flights from Dubai overnight. There was real fear, but also a real relief to be back at home. You could hear the uncertainty that those people had lived with for the five or six days. They raised issues about communication and miscommunication. It is important that we support our Department of foreign affairs, embassies and consulates and encourage all of the airlines to communicate.

Most importantly and getting to the crux of this issue, we continue to utterly condemn the oppression that has been taking place in Iran. The Iranian people deserve to live in a free, democratic, secular society. That is the least they deserve. We need to urge all countries to use the power of diplomacy. The men of war need to realise that they are not infallible. Human life is precious. We must aim to restore peace as soon as possible.

On more local issues this week, I draw the House's attention to the latest developments with regards to the Rotunda Hospital. The Rotunda Hospital is the world's oldest maternity hospital. It is in the heart of my area and where I gave birth to my own three children. The staff in the Rotunda are just tremendous people. The talent and energy they have and the care they give to the women and babies of not just our city, but our country, is immense. They had a terrible setback two weeks ago when An Coimisiún Pleanála overturned Dublin City Council's decision to grant planning permission for a critical care wing. I thank the Minister for Health and the Government more widely for working with the Rotunda to agree a plan to lodge a new planning application. The new planning application will not just deal with the critical care wing for premature babies but also for women, and the sexual trauma unit will be upgraded as well. This will strengthen the Rotunda. It will retain the Rotunda on the Parnell Square site. This is good for mothers, babies and families. I congratulate everyone and urge everyone to support the new application and not to lodge objections.

I want to talk about a place I visited last week. It is a new residential hub in Inchicore village called Richmond Place. We have 68 new neighbours in Inchicore in Richmond Place. It is a great facility. It is a pilot programme that has been in the making for years between the HSE and local government and it is funded by the Government as well. The Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, was out and we met all of the residents who have moved in there in the past couple of weeks. These are older people. Some of them had been living in houses and some had been living in flats and apartments around Inchicore, Ballyfermot, Drimnagh and all around the area. Some of those houses were damp council houses. They have now had the opportunity not just to get out of those less-than-comfortable positions, but meet new neighbours. You have 68 people living in this very secure environment. They all have their own front doors and two-bedroom apartments. I managed to get a nice, private tour away from all the humdrum of the cameras. It was really nice to see the pride in people when they had their own front door and to share that but also to have neighbours beside them, security on site, a panic button in the apartment and somebody in the Richmond Place location 24 hours a day from ALONE. They are very supported in where they are living.

All of these people qualify for the fuel allowance. When I hung around for a couple of hours chatting to them, I found out that they were really struggling with heating bills. A rate of €38 per week is paid, which was increased by €5 in the budget. Alternatively, it can be paid in two lump sums. It is paid to people who are 66 or over or to people who are under 66 and in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. There is a weekly income limit of €534 for over-66s. I ask that we think about extending the fuel allowance to 52 weeks of the year. At the moment, it is only for 30 weeks of the year and people are really struggling. There are 470,000 households in receipt of the fuel allowance. At the current rate, it would cost the State €17.9 million to extend it up to 52 weeks. Last week, it was reported that 320,000 people were actually in arrears on their electricity bills. Obviously, it is mostly the type of people whom I met last week who are falling into arrears. With the conflict in the Middle East, which was referenced by my colleague, there is now an additional uncertainty in energy markets and we are seeing a spike in energy prices already. This further highlights the need to add additional support from April for people whose electricity bills may not decrease as much as they typically would in the summer months. I ask that we look at that increase from 30 to 52 weeks of the year for the people who have already qualified for the fuel allowance.

Before I call the next speaker, I welcome the officials from the Department of Health. They are guests of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I hope they enjoy their day here in Leinster House today.

I was contacted by a lady named Vanessa. She has 12-old-year twins, John and Leah. John and Leah have dual diagnoses of autism and moderate intellectual disability, so they have quite complex needs. They both attend a special school. They are both non-verbal and they use an augmentative and alternative communication, AAC, device for communication. In recent months, they have both been trying hard to communicate - to talk - and they really need speech and language therapy. The last time a speech and language therapist saw them was a year and a half ago. They both had an individual appointment at the end of August 2022 and there has been nothing since.

Vanessa has been constantly on to the children's disability network team, CDNT, to provide speech and language therapy. The team has told her it has only one therapist employed and it is trying to recruit more. Vanessa's question is, if the CDNT cannot provide that therapy now when required, should it or the HSE not be sourcing it from somewhere else? I would like to put the question to the Minister for disability.

We need to ensure that if a CDNT cannot meet the needs of the children, it should be outsourcing the service because this is something that is needed now. As the Deputy Leader can appreciate, when a child cannot communicate properly, that builds up frustration and can lead to other behaviours which can be damaging to the child or others. It is really important.

Every parent wants the best for their child. Vanessa is really struggling as she sees her children trying to talk but not getting the required help. She is not a speech and language therapist and neither are the teachers in the special school. Everybody is doing their best, but it is a point of urgency that she gets the required help. I ask that we have even a discussion with the Minister for disability on receiving help on this issue.

Yesterday evening, we saw very relieved faces in Dublin Airport and heard from people who had just got off an evacuation flight from Dubai. We heard how incredibly stressful and difficult it has been for people who have been trapped in the region over the last few days. The people in the region have now been told by the Irish Government that they are going to have to pay €800 per seat for an evacuation flight. This is ridiculous. It is scandalous. It stinks of a shakedown rather than any well thought-out evacuation plan. The Department is sending people a PayPal link, as if to say, "Clink this link, pay the money and out you go." While I recognise the Department has said children will not be included, plenty of families have adult children. A family of four could have to spend €3,200 to get out of a war zone. It is so incredibly cruel. It is incredibly out of touch. I cannot fathom how this was approved at any level in the Department. There are Irish citizens who are in a war zone and they need to be evacuated. They should not be asked to pay upfront costs. What if people do not have that money? Do they just stay there for the foreseeable future?

The Government has explicitly said it is targeting people who are in transit, first and foremost, as opposed to people who are residents. These people have already paid for expensive flights. Perhaps they were travelling somewhere in south-east Asia. They have already paid multiple thousands of pounds to go on that trip and now they are stuck. How will they have the money? Anyone who travelled during Covid and had to get home will know that airlines are not forthcoming when it comes to reimbursements. What kind of humanitarian response is this when our own citizens have to pay upfront to get out? To try to soften the news, the Minister stated that free bus services would be provided. So generous.

The Minister must review this urgently and ensure that all citizens are evacuated without having to pay upfront costs. Any repayment should be on a case-by-case basis but, critically, it should be done when the citizens are out of the war zone, not when they are in it.

On a similar vein, I have spoken to Irish citizens in Qatar. They received one email on Monday; that is it. The only communication was one email on Monday. I spoke to one person who used his own initiative. Off his own bat, he contacted EU member states' embassies in Qatar and the Austrians got him on a bus to Riyadh. He organised that himself, not through the Department. Why are our citizens having to take their own initiative to do this? Why is the Department not providing consular advice? Why are people in Qatar receiving one email on Monday and nothing else?

I was on the radio earlier. I heard other people talk about citizens in Qatar who have received one email. It is a total shambles. It is ridiculous. I cannot fathom that we are in this situation. We have EU partners. Why are we not working with them? Where are the evacuation plans? It should be across all of the countries in the region where people are vulnerable. It is utterly tone deaf how the Government has handled this situation. It beggars belief. I am calling on the House to ask the Minister to review what is being done urgently.

I want to put on the record today some good news for legislation that started here in the Seanad in 2018. There are two areas to which I have committed my time in politics. The first was, is and will continue to be drug decriminalisation and the other is spent convictions.

In Ireland, we introduced spent convictions legislation in a rushed way because we were lagging behind other European countries in ensuring that we have legislation. The commentary at the time around spent convictions was that we knew the regime we were implementing was not correct. As such, in 2018 I tabled legislation here in the Seanad that got support from all parties and none. The legislation has had the support from two previous Fine Gael justice Ministers to pass through the Seanad and it now has the support of a Fianna Fáil Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, to pass through to Committee Stage in the Dáil. We do not often see the trajectory of legislation that starts here in this House and how, when we allow space and time to work together, we can see its journey through both Houses. It is such a positive step forward and we hope to see the Bill continue and be signed into law.

In Ireland, a person can have only one conviction spent. Those who have more than one conviction will never have any of those convictions spent. In some instances, a person could get a number of convictions in one incident, never mind over the course of a few years, if their life is going a particular way, if they are young, if they have ended up in homelessness or for whatever reason that an accumulation of minor convictions has happened in their lives. If we have a rehabilitative system of justice in Ireland, that means punishment has to end when the person has served his or her sentence. If that person goes out into society and wants gain employment, study a certain degree or maybe get insurance to set up a business, these are all off bounds for that person as someone who has had a series of minor convictions in the past.

The Bill will pass Second Stage tonight with the support of the Department of justice and the Minister and we will continue our conversation as to what it will look like on Committee Stage. At present, the Bill removes the cap on the number of convictions and it is actually about the distance the person has from offending, the fact that he or she is no longer offending, and kind of changing the mindset on that a little.

It also looks at the cut-off point at 18 years of age. Currently, people have their records quashed at age 18 for crimes preceding that age, but we all know that nobody just becomes a responsible adult at 18. Our youth work legislation and strategies look at a young person right up to the age of 23 or 24. Therefore, the legislation looks at what other protections we can put in place for 18- to 24-year-olds who want to re-engage in and contribute to society in a different way.

I just wanted to give the House some positive and good news on the Bill's journey from 2018 until now. We are nearly there now. I am delighted that the Bill will pass Second Stage in the Dáil this evening.

Contrary to what Senator Stephenson brought up this morning, I compliment the Department of foreign affairs, our embassies abroad and the consular crisis office on the exceptional work they have been doing. Like so many Members in this House, I have been inundated with calls since Saturday night. On the response that we are getting from the staff on the ground, I have had situations where I have raised it directly with a team and ten minutes later, I have got a call back stating that they have spoken to that team. Since Monday, thankfully, when we wake up in the morning we are starting to get text messages stating, "I have landed in Ireland", or, "I have landed in London".

We often highlight the bad things and the negative things. There are solutions happening on the ground. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, must be commended. Her whole Department must be commended on the transparency, the quick response and the humility that the staff are showing. It would be inconsiderate of us in this House not to acknowledge the great work they are doing at this unfortunate time.

Ba mhaith liom Seachtain na Gaeilge a phlé. Muna bhfuil Gaeilge líofa agat nó nach bhfuil ach cúpla focail, tá sé an-tábhachtach í a úsáid. It would be great if all Members of both Houses made some bit of an effort, even if it is "Go raibh maith agat" or whatever. It is very important. It is our national language.

When we were younger, it was probably not taught in a very nice way and turned a lot of adults off but it is a language we should be very proud of, and I think most people are. I ask everyone to bain úsáid aisti. Whether you have cúpla focal or Gaeilge líofa, bain úsáid as agus bain taitneamh as.

Every year, Greyhound Racing Ireland is allowed to get away with murder - literally, the murder of greyhounds. Huge numbers are dying or being injured on tracks. Greyhound Racing Ireland is handed millions of euro in taxpayers' money, with no accountability, transparency or business plan and with countless signs that it does not have any interest in spending taxpayers' money wisely or sustainably. It does not appear to have any interest in ensuring that greyhounds are treated humanely. There are significant concerns about abuse in the industry, particularly with regard to breeding practices. It is becoming increasingly clear that Greyhound Racing Ireland's business model is nonsensical, with its transparency register completely failing to serve its purpose. Extensive research outlines that the stated figures underpinning Greyhound Racing Ireland's public image are only half-truths, if not pure fabrications, including the number of living greyhounds in the industry, the number of deaths, the economic importance of the industry and its commercial ability to sustain itself without complete reliance on the public purse.

The reality is that this is an industry built on deceit and abuse - deceit of the taxpayer and abuse of animals. To that end, we need to apply real scrutiny to the guarantee of State funding for that organisation and undertake a review of how it spent the money in the past. It is absurd to think that every year, we do not expect a single shred of transparency or accountability from Greyhound Racing Ireland before handing it millions of euro. This lack of fiscal responsibility would not be tolerated in any other area. There was rightful uproar over the wasteful spending on the bike shed but when it comes to Greyhound Racing Ireland, the State is happy to pour money into a black hole. If Greyhound Racing Ireland sincerely believes it deserves State funding, it needs to prove to the Oireachtas that it will use that funding efficiently and transparently, and without animal cruelty.

There was a hearing in the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, yesterday. I will choose my words carefully. The hearing was reported. During the hearing, allegations were made against a Member of this House. The Member was not named. The person making the allegation was asked if the matter had been reported to An Garda Síochána and that person said that the matter had been reported to it. The person was then asked if An Garda Síochána had followed up with charges. There are no charges. The allegation was a wild allegation made during a WRC hearing. It called a Member of this House into disrepute without naming the person in question.

There has been wild speculation on social media as to who the person may or may not be. I believe the media have as much of a role to play as politics and the Judiciary have in holding things to account. To report something like that without any concrete evidence or follow-up from An Garda Síochána is the most reckless form of reporting. I am deeply shocked that the WRC did not impose a ban on reporting that case. I do not know who the person is or if there is any such person but I know this much. While I may argue with people in this House from time to time, I regard every Member of this House as an honourable person doing the best he or she can for this country. I want to put on record my support for every Member of this House. I am appalled that the WRC went through with that and allowed it to be reported. It should have been stopped there and then.

Seaweed is a wonderful natural product that provides vitamins and minerals like iodine. It is used in seaweed baths and cosmetics and as an agri-fertiliser. It is a valuable commodity for coastal communities and has rightly been very much protected and cherished as part of the heritage of coastal communities. Tá imní ar bhainteoirí feamainne agus úinéirí talún i gConamara maidir lena gcuid cearta feamainne mar gheall ar iarratais do chúig shuíomh dhifriúla ón gcomhlacht Arramara. Is táirge nádúrtha í an fheamainn le go leor úsáid, bia, leasachán nó cosmaidí ina measc. Tá cearta feamainne ag cuid de na húinéirí talún marcáilte ar a gcuid folios. Tá cearta eile thar na glúnta. Tá sé seo deimhnithe trí chomhairle ó Oifig an Ard-Aighne.

Seaweed rights are rightly protected and cherished. Some of them are marked on the folios of landowners, while others are not and are passed down through the generations. Different families know where their seaweed harvesting rights are. When Deputy Kieran O'Donnell was Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, he stated that advice provided by the Office of the Attorney General in 2018 to his Department was that these rights were to respected and that where they apply, a licence under the Foreshore Act 1933 is not required by the holder of that right in order to harvest seaweed, and nor can any other entity be licensed under the Foreshore Act to harvest seaweed in an area where existing formal or informal rights to harvest seaweed already exist. I am trying to organise a debate with the Minister and Ministers of State from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment to discuss seaweed. It is a wonderful product that has great uses but there is concern on the part of traditional seaweed harvesters about a private company being able to look for and get licences to harvest this resource.

I want to mark International Women's Day by recognising the fantastic women across the country, in particular our mothers. The Irish mammy is always considered a formidable figure and we all have memories of our mothers and grandmothers, who spent their lives rearing families, taking care of everything in the home and not sitting down until everybody was happy and looked after. The value of a stay-at-home mother, if it was salaried, is around €57,000 per year but we all know that does not include the late nights, being up with sick babies or sleepless nights until one's child gets home safe from a night out. The majority of carers in this country and worldwide are women - daughters, sisters and nieces - who do not hesitate to take on the responsibility of caring for their loved ones. They often do it on top of work and in many cases, they take a financial hit rather than see their family member go without care.

Women account for 51% of the population but when we look at our healthcare, our tax system and even our social protection system, it does not feel like we are well represented. We joke about women of a certain age sitting at the window because they have hot flushes. Many of us do not talk about menopause openly or even know we can go to our GP for help. Women with endometriosis have gone from doctor to doctor being prescribed anti-inflammatories and told their cramps are normal. It is not normal to be in so much pain that you cannot get out of bed or you pass out on the bathroom floor. Tax individualisation has had the worst impact on families. Women who may want to stay at home to mind their children cannot do so because our tax system favours two-income households. Carers, who are mainly women, still wait for the means test for carer's allowance to be cut. If we want International Women's Day to mean anything, we need policies and legislation that are tailored with the needs of women and children in mind.

Many will know the village of Adrigole on the Beara Peninsula between Glengarriff and Castletownbere. It is a lovely scenic area. What Members might not be aware of is the strength of community and purpose behind the village. That community, which has a population of between 450 and 500 people, has suffered 30 water breaks since last May. The strength of community and purpose there has led to the formation of a committee and public meetings about the water situation. I have raised the matter in the House a number of times.

Thankfully, Uisce Éireann has agreed to complete a mains rehabilitation along a section there. Works are to commence in the next number of months and to be completed by July. However, there have been continual breaks in recent weeks. The local community has requested that a temporary pipe be put in along that certain section before the major upgrades can be done. This is an issue that has been raised in the Dáil and the Seanad. RTÉ did a news feature on it last weekend. It has risen to national prominence. I call on Uisce Éireann to have a dynamic approach to this issue. When the major works are under construction, a temporary pipe will be put in, but we are asking for one to be put in prior to this.

The reality is that this is for elderly people who live in their homes and receive home help. There is one gentleman who could not be washed by his home care assistant last week because he did not have water. A new business, the Wild Atlantic Bar, has functions this weekend and cannot plan them. We have guest accommodation and holiday home lets that cannot bring people in because they do not have basic sanitary facilities. This is rural west Cork. We deserve the same level of treatment as other parts of this country. We are asking Uisce Éireann to have a dynamic approach. I must put on the record my appreciation for Uisce Éireann's carrying out major works, but we are asking for temporary measures before they are carried out.

Before I call the Deputy Leader, I welcome the students from the junior school at St. Conleth's College. They are guests of Deputy Bacik. I hope they enjoy their visit here today. As is customary when students visit the Seanad, they will have no homework for the rest of the week.

I thank the 13 Senators who contributed to the Order of Business. I also welcome our very important guests in the Gallery.

Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about the horrific situation in Iran and the Middle East that we are watching unfold in front of our eyes and we are all very concerned about. Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about her concern, which we all share, about the ordinary citizens, the civilians, of Iran and the surrounding countries who are being impacted and, indeed, have been impacted for many decades. The Senator also spoke about the Irish who are there. I thank the embassy and consular staff who are doing their best.

I am sure many of us got to hear some of "Morning Ireland" this morning and the absolute relief of people who got one of those two flights from Dubai yesterday and their relief at coming home. I can just imagine getting back to Irish soil. Of course, many of those were transiting through Dublin to go to other European countries as well. A friend of mine is caught up in it, did not get on that flight, unfortunately, and is hoping to get on one today. I, like everyone else, am hearing first-hand about the panic, stress and worry. Most certainly, we acknowledge that the ordinary person in Iran has been living in a very oppressive regime. Our wish is that, down the line, the people of Iran will be able to live in a secular, democratic society, but that can only be achieved through diplomacy and peaceful means.

Senator Fitzpatrick also spoke about the latest developments in the Rotunda Hospital. We acknowledge that a new planning application is being prepared and submitted. We certainly hope that this will be accepted and the outcome will change from the original planning application for a critical care unit, and that there will also be further developments in relation to the sexual assault unit. Most important, it is now very clear that the Rotunda will stay on site in its very central location. There is no question of the possibility of it being moved, which I understand caused a problem in the original planning application. We hope that it will go through smoothly.

Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about a new residential hub in Richmond Place in Inchicore where 68 older people had the opportunity to move into their new homes yesterday. It must be an incredibly exciting time for them to move into a new home where they know they are going to be safe and secure in their older years. We wish them good health and happiness.

Senator Ní Chuilinn also spoke about the need for an extension of the fuel allowance. I imagine these homes have a high BER, so it is to be hoped the residents will not get into debt in relation to fuel. I know we are all concerned about the impact of the war in the Middle East on fuel prices. We are seeing prices going up in our petrol stations and from those providing heating oil, etc. We are being told that there is no legitimate reason for those rises. It is really wrong. Every one of those should be reported to the competition authority because, as we know, those types of fuel are bought many months in advance at a specific price. We should not be surprised to see prices going up in the future, but it certainly should not be happening now. The Senator asked us to pass on our concerns to the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and to look for the extension of the fuel allowance during the summer.

Senator Tully spoke about Vanessa, a mum who contacted her about her 12-year-old twins, John and Leah, who are non-verbal and who need speech and language therapy. From what the Senator said, it seems that they have had no contact from the HSE since August 2022. The fact that it is three and a half years since they had any type of support is quite shocking. If the children's disability network team, CDNT, cannot source speech therapists, there should be another way, and it should be referred back to the HSE. I totally support Senator Tully in what she says. If she gives me the details, I am happy to go to the Minister about it. It is so unfair to see two young people on the cusp of becoming teenagers not being able to communicate. I am happy to support the Senator on that.

Senator Stephenson spoke about the charter flights that the Government has secured and expressed her concern that there is a cost of €800 per person who is travelling. I was caught up in the disruption caused by the ash cloud many years ago. I remember the stress. It was not as stressful as what is happening now, but it took us a few days to get back. I remember the sheer relief of being able to put travel arrangements in place. To be fair, we got all our money back from our travel insurance. I expect the same will happen in this case.

The Government has to weigh up the whole balance of using taxpayers' money and supporting those who are caught and need to come home. I ask that there is a certain amount of discretion and that if somebody genuinely does not have that money, it does not stop them getting on a plane. I imagine that support is there. We again thank all the Department of foreign affairs officials - I have been in touch with them - and our embassy and consular staff who are doing their very best in a volatile and difficult situation where it is really hard to try to bring everything together in a co-ordinated effort.

Well done to Senator Ruane. Sometimes we can all get frustrated with the slowness of legislation, but we also recognise that legislation has to be robust. It is important that what ends up on the Statute Book is robust, will stand the test of time and that we will not have unintended consequences. Since 2018, Senator Ruane has been committed to seeing this legislation relating to spent convictions through. I acknowledge the work she has done, the support she has received from the Seanad at that time and from previous Ministers for Justice, as well as the current Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan. It is the right way forward. We must have rehabilitation for prisoners that means something and that they have a second chance in life to be able to get on with their lives and those of their loved ones. It is important.

A friend of mine is very involved in restorative justice, and they are going from strength to strength in terms of the work they are doing. It is always very interesting - fascinating, in fact - to hear how that work can impact people's lives.

They do a lot in schools and communities. It is never too early to start that type of work, but it is complementary to the work Senator Ruane is doing. I congratulate her and say, "Well done". It is a big day and a big achievement.

Senator Scahill spoke about the situation in the Middle East. He wanted to thank the Minister for foreign Affairs, Deputy McEntee, the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and all those in their Department for their work.

Labhair an Seanadóir Murphy O'Mahony mar gheall ar ár dteanga agus Seachtain na Gaeilge. Tá an ceart aici; tá sé tábhachtach cúpla focal a úsáid agus taitneamh a bhaint as an teanga.

Senator Andrews spoke about Greyhound Racing Ireland, which is funded through the greyhound racing fund. As the Senator knows, I come from an equestrian county and I always support funding on the equestrian side. He stated that there is no accountability or transparency in the context of the funding that is provided. If that is the case, we need to ask the Committee of Public Accounts or the Department of agriculture to look at this matter. We absolutely want to greyhounds to be treated humanely. That is important. Animal welfare is extremely important to the Government. We need to ask for a debate with the Minister for agriculture, particularly with regard to that issue, because, to be fair, the Senator has made allegations. We need to hear the counterargument as well. It is important that we have a debate. We want the facts as opposed to just allegations. I appreciate that the Senator has raised this previously and that he wants the debate to happen. The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food should examine the matter. Maybe the Senator should speak to some of his colleagues on that committee.

What Senator Craughwell said was the first I had heard about a hearing in the Workplace Relations Commission yesterday regarding allegations made against a Member of this House, which is basically calling every Member of this House into disrepute. It would seem that no charges were actually made because no complaint was made to the Garda. The Senator is right to call the media to account in relation to this matter, particularly as the shadow of it is going to hang over every one of us. As I said, this is the first I have heard of it. However, I support what the Senator said.

I feel like the pupil answering to the principal. This is the first opportunity I have had to reply to the Order of Business as Deputy Leader.

Senator Kyne raised an important issue. Seaweed is a wonderful product. I love when I go to the coast and am able to avail of seaweed baths and buy seaweed products. We know how good seaweed is for us, whether we ingest it or take it topically. Senator Kyne referred to seaweed harvesting rights. I get a sense of how important that is to families and generations, particularly as I come from County Kildare, where there are issues with turbary rights in relation to bogs and there is the whole cultural aspect of three generations of a family being able to harvest turf. Sadly, turf cutting is not happening so much now as a result of the legislation that was introduced. There is a real concern in relation to private companies being able to look for and get licences. We have to respect the rights of the generations of families who have harvested. We will certainly look for a debate in relation to that matter.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about International Women's Day. We had statements on that last night. The Senator spoke about the importance of recognising our mothers - I completely agree with that - the fact that the majority of carers we have in the country are women and that we need to support them in whatever way we can. In relation to women's health, particularly around endometriosis, the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, introduced a lot of really good supports in the context of women's health. We want to see that continue to happen. I know many women who suffer with endometriosis. It is a very difficult condition. It can cause so many negative and difficult impacts. The key to it really is early diagnosis. We did hear over the years stories of girls and women maybe not being taken seriously and not being treated accordingly. We certainly are advancing. It is important to recognise the condition and look for more supports in relation to it.

Senator O'Donovan spoke about the Beara Peninsula. It is such a beautiful part of the country. I am looking forward to going there for my holidays this year. The Senator spoke about the Adrigole community, which numbers about 450 people, and the 30 or so recorded water outages in the past year. I totally appreciate what the Senator is saying. It is so difficult for a community, for carers, for those in the specific situation he mentioned, for young mothers and for those who operate within the hospitality industry. The Senator acknowledged that Uisce Éireann said it will commence work in July, but temporary work is needed. We would certainly support the Senator's call to have a temporary pipe put in place. While we support him, I suggest that the Senator table a Commencement matter next week as well. We see small communities being impacted. I have seen it quite a bit in the Lullymore area of Rathangan. I am in a WhatsApp group with the people there and I see the impact these things can have. Certainly, we would hope for a temporary resolution prior to the permanent resolution.