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.