I will move a motion of expressions of sympathy by the House at the end of the Order of Business.

The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on fuel protests, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to conclude at 6.30 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, any other Senators not to exceed four minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than five minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 2, the Health Information Bill 2024 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 6.45 p.m.

Before I call Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, there is a resolution before the House signed by all the leaders of the groups in the House in relation to the 150th anniversary of the Catalpa rescue, where six prisoners who were involved in the Fenian rising were rescued by the captain and the crew of the Catalpa.

I read from the resolution:

- those prisoners rescued - James Wilson, Thomas Darragh, Martin Hogan, Michael Harrington, Thomas Hassett and Robert Cranston - and their suffering in harsh and cruel conditions in Fremantle Penal Colony in Western Australia;

- the bravery of the Captain of the Catalpa, Captain George Anthony, and the crew who, despite demands by the British authorities to surrender the prisoners, hoisted and pointed to the flag of the United States of America and sailed the prisoners to freedom;

- the role of John Devoy, Clan na Gael, and the Irish in America in working with John Boyle O’Reilly in securing the Catalpa and its Captain, George Anthony of New Bedford in Massachusetts, for this most perilous rescue;

- the role of Denis F. McCarthy and John Walsh whose parallel rescue mission under the guidance of Fenian leaders in Ireland, including Charles Guilfoyle Doran, Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, combined with the Catalpa rescue mission to ensure its success and the freedom of those who sought to secure the independence of Ireland.

It was signed by Senators Maria Byrne, Fiona O'Loughlin, Victor Boyhan, Conor Murphy, Alice-Mary Higgins and Laura Harmon, as the leaders and representatives of all the groups in Seanad Éireann. I thank Members for their support and also Enda O'Coineen and his guests in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery, who are bringing an exact replica of the flag that was flown from the Catalpa by the captain, which has just gone on display in the National Library. It is quite enormous, much bigger than we could put on display here. Those copies of the flags that were flown on the Catalpa will be brought over to New Bedford in Massachusetts and also to Fremantle in Australia for the 150th anniversary of that rescue, which was this week 150 years ago. I thank Members for their support on that.

Anois, all politics being local, Ballymakenny College in County Louth and guests of Deputy Butterly are here. I welcome Chloe O'Callaghan, niece of Senator Nessa Cosgrove, to the House, doing her transition year work experience. I thank Chloe for being here.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for reading out that resolution. It is important that we acknowledge the 150th anniversary of Catalpa. It will certainly be interesting to see the flag. I also acknowledge a good Kildare man the Cathaoirleach mentioned, John Devoy. When I was mayor of Kildare, I had the privilege of unveiling a statue to John Devoy in Naas, paid for by the John Devoy association in New York, which was always very proud of the work that he did.

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I extend our deepest sympathy to Brian O'Shea's family. He really was one of the finest of men. I had a lot of dealings with him in 2003, when he was Minister of State, on the Special Olympics World Summer Games in relation to sport and disability. He could not have been more helpful at any point in time.

This Friday is the fifth anniversary of Jennie Poole. Jennie, as we know, was savagely murdered by her former partner in a matter of seven seconds. I have been privileged to work with both Deputy Paul McAuliffe and Jennie's brother, Jason, on legislating for a domestic violence register called Jennie's law. Just thinking of Jennie today, I know that this time next year, when we are talking about her sixth anniversary, we will have that on our Statute Book. We had a meeting recently with the Minister's officials and we are progressing. I am thinking of Jennie's two children Nevaeh and Zack, her parents Jackie and Joe, and siblings David, Clare and Leona, and of course Jason, who has been such a champion for so long.

I saw recently that Irish Rail made €15 million in two years from parking fees from cars parked unlawfully, and an additional €465,000 from clamping. I am not advocating at all for more clamping or more parking fees, but I think that money should be put to good use at those train stations. One of the things would be to have waiting rooms with functioning toilets. In Newbridge, for example, which thousands of commuters go through every day, and many who are not commuters but are going for health appointments, etc., the toilet is locked because of antisocial behaviour in the past.

Surely they could open the facilities with this amount of money.

I received correspondence this morning from a regular commuter who travels from the railway station in Kildare town. He has to travel about 12 miles to get there. When he gets to the station at about 7.20 in the morning, all the parking spaces are gone. Even though they have already provided new parking spaces, there are not enough. We are in a situation now where fuel is very expensive. Train prices have gone down, which is a really good thing. We want more people to use public transport, but for those who do not live beside a railway station, we must have town buses and parking spaces for them. I would like a debate on train station facilities at some point with the Minister.

Today I would like to speak about the recent protests that we have seen in the capital. These people who were on the streets of Dublin are working class people - farmers, hauliers and contractors. They are people who stood with me in the past when I was in trouble. I would not like to see them labelled as anything else. As a member of Fine Gael, to be honest about this, I think we have got it wrong.

Hear, hear.

We did not listen.

Fair play to the Senator.

There are lessons to be learned. We will learn the lessons because the people of this country have spoken. I have listened quite clearly to what has been said. There are lessons to be learned in this House and in this whole building. Going forward, we should certainly not be afraid to say what we mean. That is very important. I hope that the measures will ease the pain for all those people out there because farmers, contractors and small businesses have experienced it. As a Government, it is incumbent on us now to work together and deliver for the people of Ireland.

I wish to address a heartbreaking case that concerns the death of a 15-year-old, Molly Dempsey. Molly was from Baltinglass and her young life was cut short in a fatal collision in Baltinglass in May 2024. She was a daughter, a sister and a niece. She was loved and part of a family who are now waking up every day with a silence that should never have been.

I extend a warm welcome to her mother, Mary Dempsey, who is here with her two aunties, Yvonne and Theresa, and acknowledge their courage in being here to support the differences that we can try and make. I have a photo in my hand of Molly in December 2023, just a couple of months before she died in May 2024.

For those of you who do not know the case, Molly was a passenger in a car driven by someone who had no licence or insurance, and was driving dangerously. Last month, a suspended two-year sentence and a ten-year driving ban were handed down to the driver. While the court was constrained by the fact that he was a minor at the time of the offence, the outcome has left Molly's family – the Dempsey family from Baltinglass – absolutely devastated. Their grief was evident as they left the court holding a teddy bear that played the voice of Molly.

I am not criticising any judge or undermining the courts. We have to respect the rule of law but we have a responsibility in this House to ask questions when something does not sit right with the public and when families feel that justice has not been served. This tragedy raises huge questions about how the justice system responds to dangerous driving by minors, and the sentencing frameworks, as well as the supports available to the likes of the Dempsey family. It also highlights the need for stronger preventative measures such as early intervention and community supports that might stop a young person from ever taking a car without a licence.

I realise we cannot undo what has happened. We cannot bring Molly back for the family who are seated in the Gallery. Nothing that we in this House can say or do can fill that space. However, I ask that the Minister for justice come before this House to outline whether current legislation is sufficient and what reforms may be necessary to ensure that no family endures what the Dempsey family have endured. To her family, I say that Molly and her life certainly did matter. We owe it to her and to everybody who has gone through something like this to make sure that it is reflected not just in words, but in the law of the land.

I will refer back to the motion the Cathaoirleach mentioned earlier in relation to the Catalpa escape from Australia 150 years ago. I raised the issue of the anniversary in the Chamber a number of weeks ago and I am very grateful that the Cathaoirleach took that idea forward and put together a motion. I am grateful to the leaders of the various party groups in the House for co-signing that motion. The story of the escape is remarkable. Last October, I had the opportunity to visit Perth and to see the display at Fremantle Prison regarding the history of this escape. The name the Cathaoirleach read out, James Wilson, was a pseudonym. He was actually James McNally from Newry. That was his real name. These six men had operated within the British army but for the purposes of serving the struggle for freedom in Ireland. That is the reason that, when there was a general amnesty for Fenian prisoners, they alone were kept in Fremantle Prison with no prospect of release. It was McNally's letter, known as "A Voice From the Tomb", to John Devoy that prompted the action in the United States and in Ireland to try to secure their release. It is a remarkable story of intrigue and bravery. I am sure it was an inspiration for the many prison escapes that were either carried out or attempted in later years by Irish republicans. I am very pleased that, because of the work done in Fremantle and in the United States, where the ship eventually ended up, this story is now being illuminated for a whole new audience on this 150th anniversary.

It was disappointing that there was no official State commemoration here but the motion the Cathaoirleach has put together is some recognition of the event from the Houses of the Oireachtas. As the Cathaoirleach understands, we had also hoped to have an exhibition. We had been in touch with the people in Fremantle Prison, who offered us support in doing that. Because of the timeframe involved, it was not possible to do that for today but I hope it will be possible in the time ahead. I put on the record of the Seanad our gratitude to the director of Fremantle Prison, Eleanor Lambert, and Joanna Robertson of the Kidogo Arthouse in Fremantle for their assistance in trying to ensure we have the material we need to celebrate and commemorate this event. It is very fitting that the House has an all-party resolution to commemorate this event. I also acknowledge the fact that the flag, which has been in a museum since 1972, is going on display this weekend. It is a remarkable piece of history. I hope that, through that display, more people will become aware of the story of the Catalpa escape and that more people will take a chance to engage. I understand that film scripts are being written about this remarkable escape story. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach for his role in putting this motion together and I thank the people in Fremantle very much for supporting us in our endeavours to have this event properly commemorated here on the island of Ireland.

I also want to express my condolences to the family of the late Brian O'Shea, former Minister of State, TD and Senator, and particularly to his wife, Eileen, and his six children, Christine, Anne, Paddy, Siobhán, John and Mary. I am certain they are very proud of Brian's service to this State. He was a loyal member of the Labour Party for many years and contributed hugely to the country and to Waterford. He was a long-standing trade unionist. I offer my condolences to his family.

I will raise two issues on the Order of Business. First, I will raise the issue of the Cork light rail system.

The preferred route is being launched again this Friday. We are eager to see this. There will be an extended period of public consultation. It was really worrying to see reports in the papers recently that a number of homes, businesses and sports clubs in Cork, particularly in the Bishopstown area, may be impacted by the route. There was no consultation done with these individuals. There needs to be proper consultation when we are talking about public transport.

I raise the issue of the fuel protests. We have a debate on it later. I raise a concern around budgets in this country, including budgetary planning for different for groups. We have seen now as a result of this protest, and rightly so, there has been a package offered in relation to this. Why was this not done sooner? We also saw SNAs and schools having to protest recently as they sought vital funds which had been allocated for. Again, why are people having to take on the State in terms of protest? That is a real concern for me. It needs to be a consideration for the Government in the upcoming budgetary discussions. We need to be planning forward. People are being crucified in this country by the cost of living, energy, home heating, housing, rent, education, childcare, transport and healthcare. Rising costs are a real issue. We have seen that in the past week. I observed the protests. There were people there from every demographic in society. They were represented in the protests. Every age group was represented. It is something that is going to continue if there are not further measures and further forward planning taken into account.

On a procedural issue, I ask Senator O'Loughlin to move the amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 57(3), motion re 150th anniversary of the Catalpa rescue, be taken before No. 1.

I move the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I join in the expressions of condolence on the death of Brian O'Shea.

We are having a discussion on the fuel protest, which has taken centre stage to the extent that some of what we are seeing with the ongoing war is falling from attention sometimes. I request that we have a debate specifically on Lebanon in this House. In Lebanon, which is a sovereign state, over 1.2 million people have been displaced, 2,000 people have been killed and 100 bombs were dropped in a ten-minute period. Israel has announced that it does not regard it as part of any ceasefire. Where is Europe on this? Are we still saying that the EU-Israel association agreement, which we did not suspend but should have suspended over Gaza, is still under way? Are we still acting as if this is normal? Are we just going to be watching a discussion between Iran and the United States and waiting to see what comes out of that? Are Europe and Ireland going to start talking explicitly about Lebanon and putting explicit and direct pressure on Israel in relation to that matter? I would like that to be a debate.

I am very proud and happy to be one of the co-signers of the motion in relation to the Catalpa. The story of the Catalpa is one that came to my attention when a wonderful actor, theatre maker and activist, Donal O'Kelly, produced a one-man production, "Catalpa", which told the story crossing multiple oceans and multiple characters. It is an extraordinary story of solidarity across oceans between those who have a similar goal in terms of freedom and a vision for humanity and solidarity. It is an extremely important episode in history. I am glad that we are marking it. I ask that we use the story of the Catalpa mission, which went across oceans to rescue six people from prison, to reflect on what the equivalents are now.

I suggest the equivalents are things like the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is working with the United Nations to try to establish humanitarian corridors into Gaza. We in Ireland might reflect on our more recent history when just a decade ago, Ireland and the Irish navy were rescuing 8,000 people a year - 8,000 lives - from the Mediterranean. This is something we chose to stop doing and to instead move from a humanitarian focus to a security one - that was the then Minister of State, Paul Kehoe, at the time - thereby moving away from that specific and I would say honourable, heroic and humanitarian role Ireland and our Irish navy used to play.

We are now in a situation where people like Seán Binder and many individuals who have taken action in being the champions of human rights, in doing those rescues in the Mediterranean and in supporting it, are being faced with charges and have to fight for their freedom for having acted in that very decent way in solidarity. It is something to reflect on the Catalpa and to reflect on what right now are the equivalent gestures and actions that we should be taking as a nation that eventually won its freedom and took its place among the nations of the world on the basis of certain principles, including neutrality, human rights and global solidarity.

I thank all the Senators for their input. I wish to express my sympathies to Mrs. Dempsey and the Dempsey family on the passing of Molly and I thank them for being here today.

On my drive up today, as I do most weeks, I reflected on my role in politics and the job I do. I have been involved in public service for 15 years, be it as a local councillor, as a member of An Garda Síochána or now having the honour of being a member of Seanad Éireann. In public service or in any walk of life, as a human being or being involved in a Government party, it is a sign of strength when you come out and admit you could have done better or that we got something wrong or that we need to improve on things.

I speak plainly without notes, without any speaking points and I have not seen anything happen in the Dáil today. I speak for me, as Noel O'Donovan, a citizen and a proud person who lives in west Cork. As for my background, my great-grand-uncle was the first TD for West Cork. He was a Sinn Féin TD for West Cork. We became Free State and supported the Treaty. As soon as I could work, I went on a building site and worked hard. Hard work is my ethos. The vast majority of the people who went out on protest were good hard-working-class people in this State and I accept, admit and know that. However, there is a but. I accept protest; I do not support blockades. The vast majority of people who protested did not support the blockade either. We have a helicopter circulating over this building today. All of us as public representatives, whether in government or in opposition, need to question where we are getting to. Governments have to learn lessons, as my colleague, Senator Brady, has said. Within my party, we have to reflect. Politics is about leadership, standing up and being strong. I thank the people across west Cork who have contacted me in recent days. I have not shied away from it, that is, speaking online and taking the abuse and anger. I accept that. I am a public representative. I know who pays for me to be here. I know who paid my fuel to get up here today and I acknowledge that within this House. I will talk about it later.

I acknowledge the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Tánaiste for their engagement with me in the past few days but I will make my views known within this Chamber and within the parliamentary party room that we all need to do better in this State. My views are quite straight.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Acting Leader. I also wish to be associated with my two colleagues here on the protests.

Today is a sad day for Donegal. I woke up this morning to hear the late Moya Brennan, the lead singer of Clannad, had sadly passed away. She had a very special voice and was a lovely person. I only met the lady once but anywhere I went for the past ten years, all I heard was great words about Moya Brennan. She was a great ambassador for Donegal up until the very end. She had a beautiful voice and her music will live forever in the hearts of the people in Donegal.

I wish to raise an issue that I have raised in this Chamber on numerous occasions, which is the need for an air ambulance for the north-west region of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. As we saw last week, traffic on the roads came to a standstill. An air ambulance is vital to support the ambulance service on the ground. The Government needs to take a fresh look at an air ambulance based in the north-west region. We are cut off from everyone. I pay tribute to the air ambulance, Air Corps, and Coast Guard that, when tasked, come out at short notice and save lives. I, along with others, was calling for this for years before I got here. We have pushed so hard. With the renewed emphasis on what is going on, maybe the Leader could try to push the need for an air ambulance to cover the north-west region up the line. It is vital moving forward for some big counties like Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim.

Before I call the next speaker, I welcome a group from Ballyphehane in Cork city. They are from Ballyphehane Tidy Towns, Ballyphehane Community Association and Ballyphehane Togher CDP. They are most welcome. They are guests of Senator Harmon. Anois, glaoim an Seanadóir Craughwell.

Over the weekend, we had what is being called a protest. Last night, I watched the Garda Commissioner speak to the public and his members about the disgusting retaliation that is being rained down on members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces who did nothing other than their job. At the end of the day, we all support the right to protest. The blockade of vital national resources, however, is not a protest. It is an act of thuggery. It is an act that sets out to damage the citizens of this country who have freedom of movement in this country.

Let me make an analogy. I was the sergeant in charge of the front section of the riot platoon on the day Frank Stagg was buried 50 years ago. I was surrounded by 15,000 mourners on that day who were very angry over what happened, and rightly so. Frank Stagg was allowed to die in jail of starvation. Yet, not one of those protestors moved to do any damage to any of us who were in the riot squad that day. No garda suffered on that day. Two gardaí were on that grave approximately six months after Frank Stagg was buried and no one ever did anything to intimidate any of those gardaí.

We now have a situation where anybody feels they can take up a mobile phone, spend their time walking around videoing gardaí and then have the audacity to say they are being badly treated. They blocked the main street of this city. They locked down the city. They denied people access to funerals, cancer care and the ability to look after their young.

Maybe the Government did not get it right. There is currently a debate in the Dáil on a motion of no confidence. I think it is the 12th such motion in as many months. It has become a nonsense. At the end of the day, the Government got it wrong. I would much prefer to see all parties come together and bring forward their ideas to resolve things rather than taking lumps out of one another for the sake of it. For God’s sake, let our uniformed services do their jobs. How dare anyone try to intimidate them. I support Justin Kelly 100%.

Yesterday and over the past number of days, I met with many of the people who were protesting across County Wexford. They are not the same people who are being portrayed in the media. These are ordinary working people who get up early in the morning in the dark and work through the day until dark. They are people who drive machinery and tractors. They are truck, lorry and bus drivers. They are the people who bring food across the country and take it out of fields. They are the people who bring children to school in the morning. Yes, they have incredible frustration with Government policy around fuel, but many said to me that their main frustration is the amount of taxation the Government is taking from hard-working people. They feel penalised by income tax levels, USC, PRSI and the low rate at which the top rate of tax kicks in.

They feel that they cannot work overtime and feel incredibly frustrated at how much they are paying into a pot from which they get little. They are the essence of the squeezed middle: people who are working hard, trying to get ahead but find it difficult to make ends meet. This Government has to hear clearly what they have said. It has to reflect deeply on what they have said and it has to get the message that hard-working people need lower rates of taxation to get ahead in this country. I am going to speak again on this later. I will certainly do what I can within the Fine Gael parliamentary party to be a voice for these people. The people I met are ordinary decent people and I will certainly do everything I can to take that message back to the Government.

There is an interesting contrast between the Government Members in this House and what is going on in the Dáil. I was listening before I came in here. I commend them on speaking out and saying that the Government got it wrong because it really got it wrong. The vote of no confidence that is being debated in the Dáil at the moment is as a result of people crying out for help. This not just about protests - and I will speak about the people I stood with in County Laois for six days - but this is an accumulation of people's sheer frustration that has been building in this country for a long time before Trump ever attacked Iran. This is about the cost-of-living crisis that the Government was failing to recognise, the housing crisis, homeless numbers rising, a health service under constant pressure with 900,000 people on hospital waiting lists and thousands of young people leaving the country every year. This is why it came to a no confidence vote. This is why four different people sent me thousands of signatures on petitions asking us to bring forward a vote of no confidence in this Government. It is because people are not happy.

In the meantime, the Government wastes so much of taxpayers' money. Some €2.4 billion has been spent on a children's hospital that is still not finished and is heading into its 19th completion date. A total of €750,000 was spent on 14 steps around the corner in Dublin - golden steps for golden circles - €350,000 on a bike shed that is an absolute shambles; €1 million on a printer that did not even fit and another €7 million on a path in Cork. Come on, lads, the people are all seeing these things and they are asking how the Government is always able to waste taxpayers' money and there is never enough for ordinary people who are paying their taxes and getting little in return. We have a National Ambulance Service strike coming soon. The service is on the brink of not coping. Families are struggling. Disability advocacy groups, who are outside Leinster House day in and day out, are telling us that people are choosing heating over eating. Workers are stretched to the limit and then fuel prices rise. This is why people took to protesting. They have had enough. However, instead of listening, what did this Government do? It ignored the protestors and then threatened them. It threatened to bring the Army on the protestors. It was pure arrogance. The statements we have heard in the Dáil today are not acceptable as is the way the Government talks about these ordinary men and women that have stood day and night. Our communities have supported them. They have not blocked anything. Their communities have come out and rallied behind them. I fully support them and think that every TD should vote no confidence in this Government because it has totally lost the faith of the people.

Before I call Senator Gallagher, I welcome members of the Ballyphehane Community Association from Cork, who are guests of Deputy Rice.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is appealing for blood donations as stocks are at a very low level. It normally aims to have a seven-day supply at all times. However, most blood groups are significantly below that level with the group O positive at its lowest level this year. Donating blood is one of the most important things any of us can do. I appeal to everyone who can to please consider donating blood today. A number of clinics are being held in County Monaghan this month. There are clinics in the Iontas centre in Castleblayney on 27 April and 28 April from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Nuremore Hotel in Carrickmacross on 29 April and 30 April from 11.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and in the Riverbank Hotel, Killanny on 29 April and 30 April from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

I also commend Cú Chulainn Blood Bikes, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. I thank all of those volunteers who do such excellent work on behalf of us all.

I particularly thank Linda Moore, who does excellent work for that organisation and who was recently voted Volunteer of the Year. I thank them all.

I take this opportunity to offer my condolences to Brian O'Shea's wife, Eileen, and his six children. I did not have the pleasure of knowing him but I know he was a huge advocate for the Déise and for regional development and having investment in his own community and I commend him for that. Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam dílis. When Brian was an active politician, I suppose there was more trust in politicians and there was not the willingness to put up and to see money being squandered. I am looking forward to the debate later on the conditions that have given rise to these protests. One of the reasons is the squandering of money.

Tráthnóna inniu i gContae Shligigh - tonight, in Sligo - a Sligo woman, Mona McSharry, is to be conferred with the freedom of Sligo. Honours like this are very rarely bestowed on people. They are usually presented at the end of someone's career or maybe when a public figure has retired. Mona is still at the height of her powers. Unfortunately, I am going to miss it. I commend her because she set a new championship 200 m breaststroke record at the Irish Open a few days ago in Bangor. Hopefully she will represent Ireland at the European Championships in Paris in August. I want to talk about Mona today in the context of balanced regional development, which I have brought up previously. Mona was born in Grange, County Sligo. She trained in a 25 m pool in Ballyshannon, County Donegal. We have produced very strong swimming athletes in the north west. There are three 25 m pools in the region, in Carrick-on-Shannon, Ballyshannon and Sligo. Despite having no access to a 50 m pool, she is one of our shining glories and Olympians. There could not be a more fitting person to get the freedom of Sligo. I commend her not only on her ability in the pool but also on the determination and commitment she has shown in fighting against the odds and overcoming adversity. Maith thú, Mona; táimid go léir an-bhródúil asat.

We have all heard the names of athletes such as Troy Parrott and Kelly Harrington who have represented Ireland on the international stage, but I wonder if anyone here has heard of Indie Cummins or Aidan Sweeney from Kilkenny Storm, who play with the Irish Saints team under the Irish Ice Hockey Association. They are just two of many young athletes from Kilkenny, Cork, Dublin and all over Ireland who returned from Canada two weeks ago with gold and silver medals from an international ice hockey tournament. This extraordinary achievement is even more remarkable because they do not have access to an ice rink and travel to Belfast once a month to train.

It is in that context that I want to speak today about local sports funding and what it truly means for communities across Ireland. Recent analysis by The Journal highlighted a key issue in how funding is distributed in Ireland. While significant investment is allocated nationally for sports, much of it is tied to organisations and projects that already have facilities, structures and capital in place. That is the problem. What happens to communities and teams who do not start from that position? What happens to clubs such as Kilkenny Storm, which sent many of those young athletes to Canada, due to the failure to fund them? They are travelling to Canada. Their travel is self-funded. They are competing and they are winning, and yet they do not receive any funding. The fact that they can achieve this should be a source of pride for us but it should also be a wake-up call because their success is not the result of a strong system of support; it is happening in the absence of that support. All people want is access to proper facilities, no matter what sport they play. Regardless of whether they compete in ice hockey or swimming, they want to have access to a safe and warm place to do their sports. That does not exist for many different groups.

We all know that sport brings enormous benefit. It builds confidence, strengthens communities, improves physical and mental health, and creates a sense of belonging, especially for young people. It is so important when we talk about things like youth diversion, but access to those benefits is not equal in Ireland currently. If we are serious about inclusion, we have to invest in community-led infrastructure for all types of sports, even if they fall outside of the traditional model. We need facilities that are accessible, shared and designed to meet the needs of diverse and growing communities. Until we address that imbalance, we are not really supporting inclusive sport; we are simply reinforcing the inequalities we already see. I would love us to have a debate in this Chamber on how we can ensure groups like Kilkenny Storm that fall outside of traditional sporting structures have a place to thrive.

I thank the Chair for his nice tribute to Brian O'Shea. Something that was probably not alluded to in his few words and is not known about Brian is that he was a very low-level advocate for the people who were in the St. Phelim Aer Lingus disaster of March 1968, when over 60 people died when their flight from Cork to Heathrow went down just off Tuskar Rock, Wexford. This happened long before most of the Members of this House were born. Brian, because of the proximity of the accident, took a particular interest in it and collected a huge amount of material through personal research. I am just hoping that his family will take care to pass on his notes and research. Brian had serious misgivings about security work that was being done off the Irish coast by the Royal Navy at the time. It was firing up drones that were used for target practice. There was, as they say, a lot of uisce faoi thalamh about the disaster. I believe 61 people went down with the aircraft.

Brian was a very committed educationalist, as was Eileen, his wife. John is also involved in education. I believe other members of the family are as well. John had the misfortune of being one of my former pupils in Hibernia College, but notwithstanding that, he qualified summa cum laude. I pass on the condolences of the House to his lovely family in Tramore.

I want to raise the package of measures the Government is to introduce this week, which it announced on Sunday and hopes to have before the Dáil later on. Actually, I want to rephrase that. I should have referred to half measures because they are not going to address the situation, just as the measures a few weeks ago did not address the then situation, as was predicted by my colleague Pearse Doherty in the Dáil. Any reduction in the price of diesel or petrol is just going to be wiped out by the continual rises in fuel prices. A man rang me yesterday to say that the price of diesel had gone up in his local area by 10 cent per litre yesterday. He asked me when the measures were coming in. There has been nothing on green diesel at the pumps either. I think it is a matter of some sort of a rebate you have to apply for based on the amount of fuel consumed last year, providing receipts and making sure you are tax compliant, etc. Why is the price not just being reduced at the pumps to help farmers? They need it now.

There has been nothing on kerosene. Older people and disabled people in particular are really being affected by the increasing cost of kerosene. I was rung yesterday by a woman who is a family carer for her husband, who is disabled, and who herself has many health issues. Her oil is about to run out. She said she cannot afford the current price of home heating oil. She was hoping to God there would be some reduction in the measures to be introduced. She said she cannot even put the heating on. She is afraid to do so in case the last little bit runs out. We do not yet have the weather to turn off the heating, especially for older or disabled people. It is still cold and very damp.

We heard a lot in the lead-up to the election of 2024 about what was going to happen for disabled people and all the supports that were going to be given to them. There was nothing in budget 2026, nothing in the half measures a few weeks ago and nothing in the half measures of this week to assist them to afford to live in a little bit of comfort. As I said here earlier, they are choosing between eating and heating.

We have to remember that the people who are suffering on the ground are the people who elected the TDs and Ministers. These people are just being ignored at the moment and are not being listened to. If farmers do not get the help they need, food will not be produced. If hauliers do not get the help they need, food will not get to the supermarket from the ports. If bus drivers do not get the help they need, children will not get to school. This is very serious, and it is not being addressed.

I am aware there is a motion before the Dáil as we speak, so I will be very careful in what I say in order to respect our Standing Orders. However, I have to say that today's motion is an embodiment of the extreme situation our nation has come to. It is this extreme situation that I wish to speak about.

A number of political commentators have said the protests were somehow unexpected and came out of nowhere, but this is totally incorrect. I have mentioned twice in recent months the threat of the collapse of the haulage and other industries posed by the Government’s energy policy.

I have spoken repeatedly about the Government's policy on energy that does not exploit or explore our own gas fields, shuts down our peat harvesting plants and then increases tax on increasingly expensive fuel. People need to work. These are taxes which Labour and Sinn Féin supported. This insane directionless policy has been sleepwalking us into fatal vulnerability. Now, here we are. A global energy shock happened and life has been made simply impossible in this country. People cannot afford to move out and if they get a job, they cannot afford to drive to it. With the continuing cap on Dublin Airport added to the global energy crisis, soon enough we will not be able to afford to leave the country. Yet, we run a budget surplus and we are supposedly one of the richest countries in the world. God knows, I hear constituents speak of how hard the tax bill hurts them, so where does this money go? The €300,000 bike shed, the €56 million bailout to RTÉ and the €6 billion to IPA accommodation. It goes straight into the pockets of already rich landlords and then how many millions of euro go to the NGOs and the quangos with no accountability? These protests were not predictable. They were inevitable and until we see a serious reversal of course and a serious new vision for this nation, this crisis will remain inevitable.

I ask for a point of clarification on something Senator Keogan said. She said that Sinn Féin voted in favour of taxes. Will she clarify what taxes she is talking about?

I think Sinn Féin voted in favour of many taxes over the years.

Could the Senator just clarify the one she was speaking about?

We will start with the carbon tax. That will be enough.

On a point of clarity, that is not true. Sinn Féin did not support the carbon tax so get your facts right, please, Senator.

Standing Orders allow for Members to intervene during the debate. You can ask a Member if they will give you time to ask a question. It is up to the Member in possession-----

I did not want to interrupt her when she was in full flow.

You are entitled to interrupt-----

I was being respectful and asking the question afterwards but for clarification, Sinn Féin has not supported the carbon tax. It is a punitive tax.

Standing Order 40 allows you to intervene if the Member allows it and then extra time is given. That is just a point of clarification on that. Next is Senator Collins.

I know we have a debate coming up but I want to raise the fuel protests. I left my house at 7 o'clock on Wednesday morning and I returned at 3 p.m. on Sunday evening. I spent my entire week in Foynes Port supporting those I consider my neighbours, friends and colleagues. I slept a couple of hours every so often in the cab of my husband's lorry because I needed a bit of rest. Those men who stood there and cried on me that they could not afford to keep going did not want to be there. They gave up a week's work to be there. I am delighted some Fine Gael Senators agree that mistakes were made and measures were not taken. I really wish to God that the Fine Gael Minister in County Limerick had the same compassion that they have today when he went on the radio and said that he could not wait for the Army to get into Foynes the quicker the better to pull each of them out. What kind of a Minister speaks like that about his own constituents? It was absolutely disgraceful. I had to video call my children because they were so afraid I was going to get taken away by the Army. He put fear into hard-working people in County Limerick, and it was an absolute disgrace to be threatened with the Army and water cannons. Those men and women did not want to be there but their voices were not being heard. They had absolutely no choice. They were pushed to the brink. Fine Gael Senators know because they come from that kind of background of farming and fisheries. Enough is enough. They cannot take any more. It is not just about farming and fisheries contractors; it is also about building contractors who were there. It is about every person and they said that. They were there for everyone. When the deal came out for the hauliers, they said: "No, we are not walking away." When contractors were added to the deal, they said: "No, we are not walking away because this is for everyone." They stood there in solidarity, and I stood with them. By God, if it was at an edge of a cliff I would stand there again and I would stay there until it got sorted. I really hope that lessons are learned. I hear it every single time but at least we see, from what I can read, that Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has learned a lesson and has decided to vote no confidence. I really hope others follow suit.

I welcome a young woman from Youthreach who is on placement with me for the next two weeks, Martina Quinn. I do not know whether Leinster House does work experience with Youthreach. It is an absolute pleasure having a young woman from the Traveller community who is very passionate about the rights of young people and especially young people in care. Martina was part of Comhairle na nÓg and spoke on the floor of the Seanad last year. She is a very intelligent young woman. I hope someday she will have the equality of opportunity to be a Member of either the Upper House or Lower House.

To the thousands of people listening today, the biggest message from Fine Gael, once again, is that it is going back to the working people who wake up early in the morning. I look forward to our debate later. It is a bit hypocritical that their colleagues in the Dáil support giving little or no support to the people on the ground who are struggling with the fuel crisis, and they come in here and have the cheek to say that they are on the side of the people. To me that is hypocritical.

I call for a debate on special education. I am supporting three families in County Donegal. Their three children are in Dungloe primary school for children with additional needs. The Department is now looking to move three of these young students to a secondary school where young students have little or no supports. I am looking for a debate on special education, if that is possible.

I, too, will talk about the fuel protests. I welcome the comments by Senators O'Donovan and Byrne. I commend the people right across the country who stood up last week and said that they just cannot do it any more. I was in Dublin and Cavan and all the people I spoke to were hard-working, honest and decent people fighting to save their livelihoods and their families' incomes. People were rightly shocked at the Government's decision to deploy the Defence Forces. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Ministers chose not to engage with people to hear them out before jumping to send the Army against their own people. Gardaí had to clear up a mess created by the arrogance of a Government that was not listening. How can we have confidence in a Government that does not have the confidence in its ability to engage with its own people without the threat of force?

Before I came into the Chamber today, I was in my office listening to the contributions by TDs in the Dáil. They were talking about people delayed for three or four hours in traffic. Those people were merely inconvenienced. The people who were protesting were fighting for their livelihoods, for their ability to survive and to keep their businesses afloat. I went to Dublin on Wednesday after listening to "The Tonight Show" on Virgin Media and I thought, "What kinds of thugs are they talking about?" When I went up to Dublin, I got an awful shock - I knew every one of them. I knew every one of them from Cavan, from Monaghan, from Kells and from Meath. Not one of them would have been on O'Connell Street if they had the choice of being in a field. That is the truth. I thought to myself these are people I know and who my kids were reared with. They were reared in my kitchen. Fellows were pulled off tractors who have been in fields driving tractors since they were seven years of age. They were up to try to be listened to.

My neighbour was on the radio on "Liveline" yesterday.

It would do everyone good to listen to him. He pulled the pin on his business and spoke on the radio about how he cried leaving Dublin, escorted like he was some kind of a criminal. The young lads who were there never caused a problem in their lives. They were trying to give their message and they were treated like criminals. These are men who slept in their tractors not for the hell of it but because they are losing their jobs and businesses. I do not want to hear the Government talk about keeping our young people here because all those lads will be out of a job and will go to Australia and Canada like three of my four sons had to in 2008. They are agricultural contractors in Canada. We are losing good people because our Government does not understand what they are trying to tell it.

I also extend my condolences to the family of Brian O'Shea.

I will highlight that in the past weekend the Global Sumud Flotilla has once again set sail from Barcelona to break Israel's illegal siege of Gaza. The flotilla will consist of over 70 boats carrying thousands of participants from over 100 different countries. They will be carrying medical aid and medical professionals to bring supplies into Gaza, where aid is still desperately needed. Every boat represents a failure by government of implementing international law and human rights. The individuals on the boats are looking to open up a humanitarian corridor and governments - the Irish Government, European governments and world governments - should be supporting this. They should be holding Israel to account because after years of outright genocide and decades of apartheid and economic suffocation, the people of Gaza have a non-existent healthcare system and continue to be denied foodstuffs and basic necessities. There is no ceasefire. Israel has not ended its collective punishment and starving of individuals. It has not stopped. It has continued to bomb Lebanon and create world havoc. I wish the participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla success. It is important that the Irish Government offer this flotilla protection unlike what it provided for other flotillas. It is really important it provides protection for the Global Sumud Flotilla and its humanitarian mission.

I agree to the motion proposed by Senator O'Loughlin and seconded by Senator Harmon to amend the Order of Business.

There were a large number of speakers - over 20 - so you would know we had been on recess for a week or two. Senator O'Loughlin spoke about Jennie Poole on the fifth anniversary of her passing. She spoke about the incredible work Jason and Jennie's children, Nevaeh and Zack, have done since her passing in trying to push forward domestic violence law, which will hopefully be done by next year. What happened was a tragic situation. If at all possible, there will be some positive outcome in terms of Jennie's law.

Senator O'Loughlin also spoke about Irish Rail and car parking across the country taking in over €50 million. She said this should be used to upgrade facilities in train stations. That is a very good point. A lot of train stations do not have the basic things like toilet facilities available to customers of Irish Rail right across the country. The Senator cited Newbridge as one case and there are many others across the country. When it is taking in so much in car parking fees, it is understandable to ask what the money is being spent on and whether it can be spent better.

We will look for a debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on train transport facilities.

Senator Brady spoke about the protests that have been happening in the past week. He mentioned he has been meeting people in Longford - and beyond, I presume - and that these are good and decent people. A lot of them are good and decent people. He acknowledged that many things have been done and that measures will hopefully ease the pain and he stated that this is an opportunity for Government to reflect. It is an opportunity for Government to reflect on decisions made going forward. The most important thing is that the significant package announced in recent days makes a difference and that these people who feel they are at the pin of their collar have that support to be able to survive and move forward.

Senator McCarthy spoke of the very sad case of Molly Dempsey, who passed away after a fatal collision in May 2024. Her mother Mary was here earlier. I pass on our condolences again to Mary and Molly's family and to the wider community. It is a tragic situation for any parent to lose a child, but especially to lose a child in circumstances that are so tragic and preventable. There is an onus on Government. I commend Senator McCarthy on the work he is doing to bring something forward so that people in Mary's position after losing a child feel justice has been served. The Senator asked for the Minister to come to the House. I suspect a Commencement matter would be the most appropriate way to bring in the Minister for justice to speak on that case.

Senator Conor Murphy spoke on the motion, which I have agreed to. It is important that there is cross-party support for it, and from the Cathaoirleach as well. That has been agreed to.

Senator Harmon spoke about Cork light rail and said a decision would be made on Friday regarding a preferred route. I can understand if there are communities and clubs in her area that feel they have not been consulted on this. For any key project to be a success in a city, consultation is the first thing needed. If that has not been done, it is very disappointing. I assume from Senator Harmon's bringing it up that a number of public representatives and Members of both Houses have heard it too. Working together could improve that consultation going forward.

The Senator also spoke of the fuel protests and budget planning. Budget planning is important and it is important that she brought it up. As she said, there are rising costs in an awful lot of things around the country, and she asked why decisions are made so late. It is because the world is changing on a weekly basis. When those decisions were made a number of weeks ago, it was said everything was under review. It is under review because we cannot predict what will happen, certainly in the war in Iran but also in any other area of the world. The Senator welcomed the measures that have been introduced. We have to remember many countries are not in Ireland's position. We have a surplus to be able to do this. When we talk about budget planning, it is the budget planning of previous years that has given us the leeway to introduce a package of €750 million in the past two weeks.

Senator Higgins spoke about Lebanon, and rightly so. It should be higher on the agenda. She and I are on the foreign affairs committee and we can highlight it there. Some of the atrocities that are happening, in terms of the displacement of people in Lebanon and 2,000 people having been murdered, are absolutely atrocious. It seems they are being done without any highlighting whatsoever. The Minister for foreign affairs and Defence, Deputy McEntee, has agreed to come to the House. I do not have a date yet but it will be in a number of weeks. She will be coming in to speak on international developments and that will be a good opportunity for the Senator to address those issues.

Senator O'Donovan also spoke about the supports and the blockades. He too said that many of these are good, decent people. I agree. The party and the Government must reflect, and that is an important thing the Government needs to do. The Senator said he had not shied away and had spoken up. He has been out meeting protesters. I know he has been engaging, whether online or in person, with people in his community on what can be done. Most importantly, he has been listening to what they are asking for, whether that is immediate support or long-term support for people in that area. That is very important.

Senator Boyle mentioned Moya Brennan, who very sadly has passed away. She was the lead singer of Clannad, an incredible band, and she was an incredible musician. Donegal always seems to have great musicians. This is a sad day, given that she and the band have given so much to the music industry and so much inspiration over the years to people across the country.

The Senator also spoke about the air ambulance for the region. This is something Senator Boyle and Councillor Boyle have been speaking about and pushing hard on, and they have been doing it for a long number of years. As Senator Boyle said, it is an area that has been cut off, so it is vital that the air ambulance is available. I know the Senator is working hard with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to push that through. I am confident, given the amount of work he is putting in to try to get it done, that it will be done. It is critical not just for Donegal, but for the whole north west.

Senator Craughwell spoke about the protests. He spoke in a different context with regard to the work that gardaí do and how they have been treated at certain protests. I have not seen that kind of interaction, although I have heard about it. I assume it was minimal. It is important that, as a House, we put on record our appreciation of gardaí and members of the Defence Forces for the work they are doing. It is a very difficult job. All of them have come in and worked long hours to make sure people are protected and supported.

I saw a video of a Garda inspector dealing with protesters in Rosslare in Wexford. It was an incredible thing to witness. His communication with the protesters was fantastic. There was no intimidation or “This is what we are going to do. This is the way it is.” He spoke to them in a calm manner, and they spoke back in a calm manner. It got a lot of traction on social media. His name is Inspector Paddy Casey from Rosslare and he needs to be commended. Many gardaí do that good communication work. The more they do that, the better the dialogue between people who might be on differing sides. The respect for gardaí will be maintained if that sort of interaction continues.

Senator Cathal Byrne raised the issue of the protesters. I know he was out meeting protesters in Wexford yesterday. As he said, many of them are our own people - ordinary, decent people. They are good people. They are good, hard-working people who are frustrated at a time when they feel they have a lot of challenges and difficulties. I have seen that at the protests in Cahir and Cashel. They are neighbours, friends and parents at our local schools. All they are looking for is support.

Although they feel they are not being listened to, it is important to say they have been. Measures worth €250 million were brought in three weeks ago, which is a hugely significant amount of funding. That has now been increased to €750 million. It is the largest package of any country across the EU per capita. It is not a small package. Again, the reason we can do it is that we have the surplus. I recognise that Senator Byrne is talking about the squeezed middle. I am confident that in the budget, income tax can be cut for the squeezed middle, as the Tánaiste has said he intends to do. Hopefully, that can be done in the future.

Senator McCormack also raised the issue of the protests and spoke about the threatening of protestors and bringing in the Army. I think there was a lot of confusion about that, and how it was proposed the Army would be brought in. It was not really to be brought in to do anything aggressive. It was just to remove vehicles if that had to be done because the Garda did not have the equipment to do it.

We will have a debate shortly about it, with Ministers of State, Deputies Timmy Dooley and Jerry Buttimer. There will be ample opportunity to talk about that in more detail.

Senator Robbie Gallagher mentioned blood transfusions. They are a very important thing. I know the Senator has brought this up numerous times in terms of levels being critically low. The normal level is seven days. He asked people to donate. I know good work has been done in Monaghan. I acknowledge the award for Linda Moore as the volunteer of the year.

Senator Nessa Cosgrove raised the accolade that Mona McSharry is receiving, namely, the freedom of Sligo. Mona is an inspiration to so many people across the country. As she said herself in terms of the determination and resilience, to come from a small village in Grange, Sligo, and to do all her sport in that region in Donegal is an incredible achievement. I was in Sligo last summer with Councillor Fergal Nealon and went out to Grange. We were on some of the beaches. You can see the small village she is from and how proud they are of what she achieved in the Olympics last year. She is a credit to her area and to Sligo. It is great to see that she is getting the freedom of Sligo.

Senator Patricia Stephenson raised the wonderful news that there was a gold and silver medal for the Ireland team at an ice hockey tournament. She also mentioned how they have to travel to Belfast because that is the only ice hockey facility in the country that they can use and that we need to use more money in relation to local sports funding. There will be a sports capital grant this year. It will be opened and clubs will have an opportunity to do it. The sports committee brought in a number of small sports clubs, not GAA, rugby or soccer clubs, such as gymnastics and cricket, that is, ones that would not get large amounts of money. From my experience of often dealing with sports clubs, you can give a large amount of money to some of the large clubs and they thank you and it is what they expected. You could then give €5,000 to a boxing club and they are over the moon and cannot believe they got it. We need to be more ambitious for some of those small clubs that they should be getting a significant amount of money because they are actually in the heart of areas that sometimes do not get that funding and need to be supported. If ice hockey is one of them, that is important too. There are an awful lot of other clubs. Boxing is one in Clonmel that I know very well. Rowing and cricket are others. Those small clubs need that support. They sometimes need help to be able to apply for that support because they would not have the same resources as bigger clubs or sports organisations. The Senator asked that we bring in the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to discuss this. I will get the Leader's office to see if that is possible.

Senator Pauline Tully raised the issue of the package of measures, or half-measures, as she said. As I just said a few minutes ago, this is the biggest support of any EU country per capita. In saying that, I recognise and have heard myself that there are many people, particularly elderly people, with needs in respect of home heating oil and there needs to be support in that regard. As the Government, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have always said, they are still open as this continues and as the changes in fuel prices continue. I certainly agree with her that people are concerned about home heating oil. Thankfully it is not October and November and we are not going into the winter. That being said, it is still quite cold. Hopefully the weather will change but it is a worrying situation. She also noted that farmers need help. There has been a significant amount of help this week in terms of farmers. If you add up every single support that has been put in place since three weeks ago and two days ago, it amounts to 27.5 cent of support for green diesel. Hopefully that is being welcomed by farmers.

Senator Sharon Keogan spoke in relation to the protests and tax bills in general in a wider sense. Senator Cathal Byrne was talking in that sense as well that it is broader than just fuel; it is an accumulation of bills that people are dealing with.

Obviously, this Government wants to support and help them. As I said earlier, I think there is an opportunity in the debate that we will have in five minutes to outline that to the two Ministers who will be here.

Senator Collins spoke about the protests and Foynes Port. It is along the same lines, supporting what needs to be done. I did not hear those comments from the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, in Limerick about bringing out the Army, but I hope and suspect it was in relation to removing vehicles and nothing above that.

Senator Lynch spoke about Martina Quinn, in Youthreach, from the Traveller community. I have no doubt that the Senator herself is an inspiration to Martina to get involved in politics. When she is talking about hopefully having equality of opportunity to get into politics, I think the Senator is a prime example of how this House has changed in its ways, with equality of opportunity. Hopefully, we can continue that going forward. She also spoke about the protests and people getting up early in the morning. She said that Fine Gael Senators are hypocritical in their response. If the Fine Gael Senators came in here and said they support every single measure that was introduced in the last few days, Senator Flynn would be standing up and giving out. The Fine Gael Senators came in today to say that we need to reflect on some things we have got wrong, and Senator Flynn stands up to give out. I am not sure what the Fine Gael Senators could have done today to get acknowledgement from Senator Flynn like the acknowledgement that she got from a number of Senators in this House. She asked for a debate on special education. I will speak to the Leader's office and see if that is possible.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the protests. She welcomed the comments by some Senators on this side of the House and she spoke about her neighbour who was on "Liveline". I heard that and thought it was a really heartfelt contribution by a man who is really struggling and needs support. We are trying to support people and the measures that are being brought in are exactly to try to support people like that, who have a business, feel passionate about their business, treat their business as if it is a child and get very upset when it is not working. It is becoming very challenging for them. That is exactly why this really large package has been brought in - to support them.

The final contribution was from Senator Andrews about the flotilla going to Israel. It is important that we support that. The Senator would know my views about Israel and the fact that we and Government can do more. I hope the people on the flotilla are treated better than they were the last time. I know the Senator and Deputy Heneghan were with that flotilla and some of the treatment was horrific, to say the least. This is important humanitarian work. They are going knowing the dangers, which is important. Hopefully there will not be anything like what happened the last time, but if there is, it is important that our Department of foreign affairs is there to support Irish citizens, whether Members of these Houses or ordinary Irish citizens, to make sure they get back safely. We will do that. I will take that on board. As I said in response to Senator Higgins's comments, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, will come to the House in a couple of weeks to speak on international developments. That will be a good opportunity to raise that with her. The Senator will certainly have my support for that.

A number of Senators raised the untimely passing of former Deputy, Senator and Minister Brian O'Shea, who passed away at the age of 81. I want to be associated with those comments. As Senator Conway said, Brian was elected in 1989, on the same day my mother was elected to the Dáil. They were in neighbouring constituencies. As you find in politics, when you are in neighbouring constituencies, you end up having a very good relationship, much more than if you were in the same constituency. He was a very decent, honourable man. He was a teacher by heart, like my mother was. They got on very well. He did an awful lot for the people of Waterford. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, was at the funeral on behalf of Government to give his condolences. Brian had a wonderful career and achieved an awful lot for the country, and represented the Labour Party with real distinction over many decades.

I pass on my condolences to the Labour Party. I also want to pass on my deepest sympathies to Brian's wife, Eileen, and their children Christine, Anne, Paddy, Siobhán, John and Mary, and to his extended family, friends and colleagues on his passing. Brian is one of three Members of either the Seanad or the Dáil who passed away while we were in recess. Rory O'Hanlon, the former Minister, was one, as was the former Ceann Comhairle, Seán Barrett. I am sure there will be an opportunity at some stage to speak about them.

Well done Acting Leader.

Senator Seán Kyne is under pressure.

They will still vote for him in Galway.

Senator O'Loughlin has moved an amendment to the Order of Business, which was seconded by Senator Harmon, "That No. 57(3) be taken before No. 1." Is the amendment agreed? Agreed.