Before I call on the Acting Leader to outline the Order of Business, I welcome guests of Senator Eileen Lynch from Coachford College. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann, and I thank them for being here today. I do not know what class they are. If they are transition year, I am sorry to tell them we give an award of no homework for the rest of the week when they visit Seanad Éireann. If there are any issues, please let me know but that is the rule and the teachers have to comply with the rules of the Senate, just like the Senators do sometimes - not all the time.

I ask the Acting Leader to outline the Order of Business.

The Order of Business is No. 1, Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Order for Committee and Committee Stage, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 4.15 p.m. if not previously concluded; No. 2, Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026 - Second Stage, to be taken at 4.15 p.m. and to conclude at 5.45 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, and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 56, motion 1, Private Members' Business, motion regarding the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer, to be taken at 5.45 p.m., with time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Déanaim comhghairdeas le seacht scoil ar bronnadh Gaelbhratach orthu. Tá Athy College ar cheann de na scoileanna sin. Tá trí scoil eile ag glacadh páirt sa scéim freisin, is iad sin, St. Conleth and Mary’s Primary Scoil, an Droichead Nua; Scoil Phádraig Naofa, Athy; agus Scoil Bhríde, Kilcullen. Tá mé an-bhródúil astu. This is an excellent programme, and it is important we highlight both those who received the flags for their use of Irish language and also encourage others to participate. It is important we show our pride in the schools that take part in this initiative.

Yesterday, I started to speak about Maxine Maguire. Maxine was a young girl whom I taught in primary school many years ago. She was a lovely, bubbly, gorgeous girl who was much loved by family and friends. Maxine was a much-loved daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend. She had been suffering with her mental health for quite some time and when it became too much on 2 December 2016, she bravely reached out for help and support. She was scared and vulnerable when, together with family members, she arrived at a hospital where she had previously spent some time with the same illness, namely, with depression and suicidal tendencies. It was at this point that Maxine, having plucked up every ounce of courage within her to get that far, was turned away by the hospital she had considered a safe place and by the experts in whom she had placed her trust.

It requires a strength like no other to reach out and seek help when feeling helpless and alone. Unfortunately, when Maxine sought help in this instance, she was sent home and did not get any. Sadly, not long afterwards, Maxine succeeded in her suicide attempt. That was nine years ago, and it has been a long journey for Maxine's parents, Robbie and Kathy, for her two brothers and for her many friends. Many agreed that had Maxine arrived in hospital with a physical illness, she would have been seen immediately. However, I want to put on record that the help Maxine received during the physical part of her illness in St. Vincent's hospital liver unit and in St. James's Hospital burn unit was second to none.

It took nine years for the HSE to finally admit it was wrong last week and it will be issuing a public apology to Maxine's parents and family. Several years ago, I drafted a Bill called Maxine's Bill relating to seven recommendations that at Maxine's inquest, the HSE said it would implement. The core recommendations focused on fixing critical failures in Ireland's mental health system such as faster assessments, better continuity of care, senior clinical oversight and a major IT system reform. I commend the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Butler, on the Mental Health Act, which has completely modernised the system. However, in looking at those recommendations, I will absolutely be evaluating them against the new legislation.

Maxine's life mattered, her death mattered and I am standing here in memory of Maxine. She will never be forgotten and we need a better system that will not let others down.

I wish to acknowledge the Health Research Board's publication on the national drug treatment reporting system, which was just announced this morning.

Drug treatment and the demand for such is currently increasing year on year, with the total number treated to date being 15,422. However, this morning's report highlights that cocaine now accounts for 42% of the drug problem, with opioids at 25% and cannabis at 15%. It is now affecting every area of society and in every part of the country. In the past, I called for a discussion on drugs in this Chamber and it is something that is becoming a more important conversation to have. There was a big discussion this morning on RTÉ regarding drug-related intimidation. A recent report by DRIVE stated that every county in the country is experiencing drug-related intimidation at present. As one of the victims on the radio pointed out this morning, there are no receipts or anything like that in this business. When someone comes looking for a debt to be paid, it could be a multiple of what the initial debt was. People on the ground are experiencing not just physical intimidation but also drugs being withheld from them and this is leading to a lot of other crimes.

In recent weeks, I have spoken about online fraud and targeting specific demographics through text messages, emails and all of that, for fraud and trying to relieve people of money. However, all of this is linked, and this money is all going to these actors in the background and we do not know who they are. We need to have a frank conversation in this Chamber. We need to dig a little bit deeper and reinforce the laws behind all of this.

We need to talk openly about drug-related intimidation. It is not just the victims; families, friends, employers and others are being brought into the net. There is a lot of money changing hands. We need to highlight the issue in order that people feel they have someone or somewhere they can go to in the interests of engaging on this issue. We also need to convict some of the those who are chasing people down in relation to this matter. I call for a debate on the matter in the Chamber.

I want to raise two issues. One relates to a healthcare facility called Caleb's House in Carrigart, County Donegal. It is a state-of-the-art residential setting, ready to go and fully staffed with healthcare assistants and a person in charge. Unfortunately, the HSE and the regional health organisation are unwilling to provide the required funding that was promised initially. We have unmet needs for adults with intellectual disabilities throughout the Republic, and here we have a HIQA-approved facility that is ready to go but nothing seems to be happening. I ask that we prevail upon the Minister to try to join the dots here. Some of our representatives from Donegal might see if they can look into this and expedite matters. Given the scale of unmet need that exists, it seems shameful and unethical that the facility is in place but that the HSE has not engaged as it indicated it would.

The second issue is one I raised last week during the debate on the Omagh bombing Bill and again last night. As a staff officer for the Chief of Staff in 1999, on the 25th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, I was approached by a colleague, a senior officer in the Ordnance Corps, who told me that on the day of the bombings, he had discovered a specific item of ordnance which was standard British Army issue. He filled out his ordnance report, and two days later he was approach by a senior member of An Garda Síochána and a member of the British security services attached to the British embassy and asked to redact it. He refused to do so.

Last night, after making my speech here, which the Cathaoirleach allowed me to do, I was contacted out of the blue by a very senior retired member of An Garda Síochána who gave me further information to corroborate this. So we know that the security services were involved in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. In the same way the people of Omagh would like to know-----

Is that the British security services? The Senator used the term "security services". I just want to make sure there is a distinction.

Yes, the British security services were involved in the bombings in Dublin and Monaghan. In the same way the families of Omagh bombing victims would like to know who was responsible and what was known here in the Republic, I, as a Dublin person, and, I am sure, many in this Chamber would like to know who killed the 300 people who died as a result of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and what level of knowledge did the security services here have. What makes us different?

When I made the statement last night, the Minister of State who was deputising for the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, said that if I had concerns about how An Garda Síochána conducted its role during the Troubles, I should contact it to report them. That is nonsense. We are the only jurisdiction in the European Union with no parliamentary oversight over our intelligence agency, which is to say, An Garda Síochána. I have asked about this over and over. It is a matter for an Taoiseach to come in here and explain. We need to have a debate on why our Joint Committee on Defence and National Security has no oversight of defence and national security issues, particularly in the context of the largest atrocity carried out during the Troubles. What role did we play in that?

I want to refer to the barriers to nursing home care. I know about these from my experience of trying to get a place in a nursing home for my mother, who has dementia. She has the type of dementia where she walks a lot, so she is not the ideal patient who will sit down and be quiet all day. Nursing homes seem to have such long lists of people to choose from that she cannot get a bed in one because she would take more care than somebody who will sit down all day and be quiet. That is the first issue.

The second issue relates to the fact that because she has fairly late-stage dementia, she would not be involved in activities in the nursing home. Nursing homes charge up to €160 per week for recreational activities, which some patients will never make use of because they do not have the cognitive ability to take part. When it comes to the fair deal scheme, let us say you have a couple, a husband and wife, and the wife needs to go into care. A little over 80% of her pension will be taken and there will be a stay put on the family home. The husband is left at home with his old-age pension and he is being asked to pay €160 - sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less - out of that for recreational services that will never be used. It does not seem to work out mathematically to take up the fair deal scheme and pay all these extra charges, especially for those who do not have family to help out behind the scenes. This is going to be a barrier, and many people will end up keeping their loved ones at home, regardless of whether they can care for them or not.

Then there is the issue of home help. A person might be entitled to hours, but staffing is a huge issue. There are no staff to be deployed to particular areas. This is an overarching issue that we may need a debate on in the House. We may need to have a look at policies in relation to fair deal and at helping out couples who have no choice but to keep loved ones at home.

This week, Irish citizens on a flotilla sailing in international waters were detained. I know one of them personally, namely Dr. Margaret Connolly, a GP and a woman of conscience. She was among at least 11 Irish citizens detained by Israeli forces after the Global Sumud Flotilla was intercepted in international waters, 70 nautical miles off Cyprus. Before her vessel was boarded, she recorded a video message in which she said, "If you are watching this video, it means I have been kidnapped from my boat in the flotilla by the Israeli occupying forces ...". Those words should stop us in our tracks. The Taoiseach stated that what happened is wrong and unacceptable. Absolutely, it is wrong. It is piracy; that is what it is. He has said this before. He has condemned before and still it keeps happening. Words without action are just not enough any more.

In the same week, we are being asked to host Israel at the Aviva Stadium in October. In the past 30 months, 565 Palestinian footballers have been killed in Gaza. Some 76% of Irish football supporters are opposed to this match, while 93% of FAI members voted to give their board a mandate to press UEFA to suspend Israel. That mandate has been ignored. It is outrageous. Roberto Lopes, captain of Shamrock Rovers, put it very simply: “Ireland has an opportunity here to lead — to be a pioneer and do what others won’t. [...] Please, stop the game." I would like to think everybody in this Chamber would support that call.

Ireland has always understood what it means to be a small nation watching a more powerful force act with impunity. We know what it means when the world looks away. We cannot keep looking away from what is happening in Palestine. I call on the Government to use every lever possible - diplomatic and legal - at EU level to demand the immediate and safe release of all Irish citizens who were detained this week. I call on the FAI, backed by our Government, to find the moral courage to do what 93% of its members have asked. We cannot condemn the detention of our citizens this week and then welcome their captors' national team to Dublin in October.

I ask the Acting Leader to be very clear and to get a specific timeline on the occupied territories Bill. This Bill was promised in the programme for Government, had already passed many Stages and has legal backing and broad public support. I am travelling the length and breadth of this country doing packed-out public meetings. This week's events make the case for this legislation more powerfully than any speech ever could. The people who have waited eight years, and the people of Gaza who have waited longer, deserve a straight answer. When will this Government honour the commitment that was made?

The conscience of this nation demands more than condemnation. We need serious action now.

Yesterday, a former garda, Paul Moody, received a sentence for coercive and violent behaviour towards a former partner. Senators will recall that this former garda is currently serving a sentence for coercive control of a partner. This latest incident predated the person who made the report in the case of the sentence he is now serving. The very brave Nicola Hanney reported absolutely horrific abuse and coercive controlling behaviour, following which he received a conviction. Remarkably, the woman in the case dealt with yesterday was in a relationship with Paul Moody prior to Nicola Hanney and had made a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, back in 2017, but it was not properly investigated. He remained a member of An Garda Síochána until 2021 when Nicola Hanney made her report and he was suspended from the force.

GSOC, now Fiosrú, says it has started an internal investigation to see why such delays happened, why this man was allowed wander the streets looking for further victims and why more women were subjected to his abuse. He is a danger to society. I hope we all remember his name and see his face because no woman is ever safe with Paul Moody. If he did it once, if he did it twice, he will do it again. I am sure there are many other victims of this horrible, vile abuser out there and I hope they have the strength to come forward.

I want to know why such delays occurred in investigating this. This woman made her complaint in 2017 and the complaint was discontinued in 2023. Fiosrú has said the level of delay is unacceptable and it has made reference to Covid which, of course, happened in 2020. That is three years. What happened in the previous three years? Why was he allowed be a member of An Garda Síochána and have such power and use that power to terrorise women - to terrorise the two survivors I referenced here and possibly plenty of other people? How are women supposed to have faith in An Garda Síochána or in Fiosrú when something like this happens? There are serious questions there. We need to have a serious look at how the institutions of the State deal with abusers within their ranks.

Before I call the next speaker, I welcome guests of Senator McCarthy - pupils from St. Patrick's National School in Greystones and their principal Rachel Harper. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. As is the rule of Seanad Éireann, and Senator McCarthy was discussing this with me earlier, there will be no homework for the rest of the week of their visit to Seanad Éireann. If there any problems with that, they can take it up with Senator McCarthy.

Everybody is welcome. I want to raise a serious issue around the wheelchair accessible vehicle, WAV, grant system and ask the Minister for Transport whether there are any plans to review or change the qualifying criteria to ensure that those who are genuinely providing regular transport services to wheelchair users are prioritised over others. At present, the system largely operates on a lottery system and it is not working. There are reports of individuals successful in receiving grant approval who have been unable to secure finance needed to purchase these vehicles. The result is that grants have been tied up while genuine operators who are ready and willing to provide these essential services are left waiting and miss out completely.

The current application system is not fair and is not working for wheelchair users, particularly in counties like Donegal, my own county. In Donegal, we have taxi operators and firms that want to provide wheelchair accessible services but cannot access the support needed to purchase these vehicles. The result is wheelchair users are being left isolated in their own homes, unable to attend day services, appointments or social activities or even to carry out basic daily tasks. Public services are not always an option in rural areas. Buses do not pass every community and many people are left isolated without these taxis. These vehicles are not a luxury, but a lifeline. I call on the Minister to review the current criteria and application process to ensure priority is given to operators who can clearly demonstrate an existing need, a commitment to providing these wheelchair accessible services, and the ability to have these vehicles on the road and operational without unnecessary delay. Wheelchair users deserve a system that works. This comes from a visit by myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, to the Irish Wheelchair Association centre in Letterkenny a couple of weeks ago when the clients said there was a massive problem getting wheelchair taxis. I investigated this with the companies and this is what they came back to me with.

I wish to raise the proposed two-day concert event at Slane Castle and its impact on the residents of Slane village. At the outset, it is important to say that people are broadly supportive of concerts in Slane. These events are an important part of Irish cultural life. However, what is now proposed is not a one-day concert but a two-day event and that brings a very different level of disruption. For local residents, this effectively means four days of significant disruptions from early set-up to the clear-out, with traffic restrictions, reduced mobility and pressure on daily routines. Fundamentally, their freedom of movement is limited. The community is not objecting to the event itself. Residents are saying their legitimate concerns must be recognised. They are asking for practical assurances around access, for a fairer contribution to local groups and services that are currently being given a paltry €10,000, and for a recognition that, while these events generate commercial returns, the benefits to the village have been limited.

More broadly, this highlights a wider issue in Ireland. While a formal consultation process exists for events of this scale, it is often procedural rather than meaningful. Communities can make submissions but they do not always have a structure or ongoing role in shaping outcomes, with engagement often coming late in the process. One practical way to address this would be to formalise a stronger role for local councillors at local electoral area, LEA, level and a mediation layer between organisers, authorities and residents.

In the meantime, the community of Slane is demanding that a few of its needs be met. First, people want clear assurances around public safety, including that an ambulance be stationed in the village at all times. Second, they want a €5 contribution levy for each ticket sold to be distributed to local clubs and organisations. Slane is a unique place. No other concert in the country involves the same restrictions on freedom of mobility. These are reasonable and practical requests. I urge MCD, the owners of Slane Castle and all relevant parties to engage constructively with the community to deliver on them.

Private rents have hit their highest level in 25 years according to the latest Daft.ie rent report. That is courtesy of the Government’s rent hike Bill. Since the Government’s residential tenancies Act and market rent reset, landlords have been able to hike up rents to the highest possible market rate regardless of what they were before. That means that this quarter, average rent hikes have jumped a staggering 7.8% in just three months. That is the highest quarterly rent increase since 2002. In Dublin, a two-bedroom apartment now costs an average of €2,536 a month. That would cost over €30,000 a year to rent. All that goes into the pockets of investors and developers and is going to lead to emigration and homelessness. That is the reality. A family would need a six-figure income in order to afford rent on an average apartment but, unfortunately, a six-figure income is far from the average income of families in this city. In new-build developments like the Glass Bottle site, rents were already unaffordable. For the vast majority of ordinary working tenants, they will be even more unaffordable and out of reach. This is a direct result of the Government’s decision to allow landlords to reset rents between tenancies, a decision that Sinn Féin completely opposed, including here in the Seanad. The Bill was guillotined. We urged the Government not to do that but, as always, it refused to listen.

It knowingly and willingly pushed rental inflation to its highest level in a quarter of a century with the false promise that it would somehow bring down rents.

The solution to the housing crisis is not going to be found in punishing renters and tenants for decades of failed government policy and it will not be found by cosying up to foreign speculators and developers whose only interests are delivering a profit for their shareholders. The only solution will be for this Government to turn this disastrous approach around by instituting an immediate rent freeze and eviction ban and accelerating the delivery of social and genuinely affordable homes. I ask the Minister to come into this House and explain how he is going to make homes affordable for ordinary workers.

I rise to speak about a solar farm in Aglish in the Lee Valley in County Cork, very close to where I am from, which has recently been granted planning permission. This was a decision for a 161 ha solar farm. There is massive local opposition. When this went to Cork County Council last year, it received 200 objections from local people who felt it was not a suitable location. It was refused by Cork County Council on archaeological grounds and also because the council felt that it contravened the county development plan. In its refusal, the council stated that the development was contrary to proper planning and sustainable development of the area. When this was subsequently appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála, the decision was taken just this week to overturn the ruling of Cork County Council and to grant planning permission on the basis of the climate action plan.

I am in favour of solar farms, but they need to be in the correct areas. We do have an energy crisis, and we have to mindful of that energy crisis and we need to do everything we can to resolve it, but what we are doing by letting solar farms spring up all over the country in an unplanned manner without proper regulation, and on a piecemeal basis whereby each local authority decides whether or not it is line with their county development plan, is quite simply not fair. The only way that we can progress proper energy development, particularly when it comes to renewables, is if we work with and not against our rural communities, and that is not what we are seeing at the moment. We need to introduce proper planning guidelines for solar developments, and we do not have that at the moment. We need to look at grading land. In comparison with Ireland, Germany, Italy and France have systems in place whereby it is not preferential to use good agricultural lands for solar farm development. I appreciate that we have to have great access and not everywhere is accessible on the grid, but the grid needs to be expanded. There is no other way we can deal with this crisis, and we need to be a lot more effective and efficient in our use and development of solar farms. The way they are springing up in an unregulated manner and local authorities are being stood on cannot continue. We need to see guidelines published.

I rise today to raise the issue of BusConnects in Limerick and the mid-west. The BusConnects programme has been spoken about a lot by the Department of Transport. It has been postponed in Limerick from 2025 to 2027, and we have now received communication that it has been postponed until 2028. The Government is always talking about balanced regional development. Seven of 11 phases have been completed in Dublin, and it is also going ahead in Cork. However, it keeps being pushed back for Limerick.

In the context of balanced regional development, Limerick city is the capital of the mid-west, and in terms of economic development there is huge resistance and upset in the business community because many business parks and the development of businesses are dependent on this BusConnects programme. I was at an event in Annacotty Business Park not so long ago that was hosted by one of the businesses in Limerick Chamber of Commerce. People were speaking about the fact that there are 3,000 employees in the business park but it is not connected to any bus service. It is something that I raised with the National Transport Authority when it had a briefing in Buswells Hotel recently, and a representative told me that while there is a commitment to it, they really do not know when it is going to happen.

There is an imbalance. I know that the chamber has written to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I would like the Leader's support in contacting the Minister about this unbalanced regional development.

I hope that over the coming months, or at the least before the summer recess, this House can have statements on early onset Parkinson's disease. It often gets very caught up in the conversation on later age Parkinson's, but it is very different in its presentation, the interventions that are required, the impact it has on starting a family and on the person's work life. A person's life can become very impoverished quickly because they cannot work or gain work.

I happen to somehow have a few people in my life who have been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's, including one person as young as 31. It has such a massive impact, and this House needs to have a stand-alone conversation in order that Members can give it the attention it deserves and we can begin to invest in supporting people with early onset Parkinson's.

I was at a briefing on early onset Parkinson's a few weeks back. There was a female doctor there from Dublin Brain Bank which is something that is quite close to my heart. In 2012, I sat with my dad and asked him if he would be interested in donating his brain to the brain bank. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. We thought that it was misdiagnosis, and we fought it. Donating his brain to the brain bank not only gave us confirmation that we were right that there was a misdiagnosis - he actually had progressive supranuclear palsy, PSP, which is locked-in syndrome - and his treatment would have very different, it also allowed my dad's brain to be used for research. Members might not believe it, but I am quite sentimental, and when I was in that briefing a few weeks ago and they said that there were only 400 brains in the brain bank, I was extremely proud that my dad's brain was one of those brains. It also got me thinking about the infrastructure and why there are only 400 brains, especially when the research is so important.

I also learned that the tissue that is kept for that research is held in the brain bank for many years, so it made me feel somewhat comforted that somewhere in the country there is a bit of my dad's brain tissue still kicking on, which is nice, but we should also have a conversation about the infrastructure around the brain bank, how important it is for research and what it needs to be able to have much more of a campaign on the importance of donating one's brain.

Is é an t-ábhar gur mhaith liom labhairt faoi inniu ná wigs agus go háirithe an cháin bhreisluacha a bhíonn le híoc ag daoine a bhfuil ailse acu, daoine atá ag déileáil le chemotherapy nó alopecia agus an caillteanas gruaige a tharlaíonn dá bharr. I wish to raise the issue of what I believe to be an unfair VAT charge on medical wigs, which are primarily purchased by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or people with alopecia who suffer hair loss. While some European countries have a point-of-sale VAT exemption on medical wigs, Ireland does not. This contrasts with the sale of items such as bras for breast cancer patients and prosthetics which, because of recognised medical need, are automatically categorised as VAT exempt at point of sale.

In the case of patients purchasing medical wigs, the current system allows for patients to reclaim the VAT they have paid once the medical need has been established. This places an unnecessary, onerous and unsympathetic burden on people who already have a lot to contend with in their lives. We could be speaking about mothers going about their daily routines of raising young children and not wanting to them to know the full extent of their illness or elderly cancer patients who are simply trying to look their best when they go out to meet with family and friends.

I recently spoke with Michelle from the Wig Boutique at Amare in my hometown of Ballincollig who told me that its medical wigs range in price from approximately €600 to over €2,500 before VAT. The most expensive medical wig it has for sale costs approximately €3,300 after a VAT rate of 23% has been applied, which equates to a charge of over €600 in VAT. We need to act to bring this into line with other European countries and the sale of comparable medical products in Ireland.

I welcome to the Gallery Sam Burke, a guest of the Leas-Chathaoireach, Senator Maria Byrne, who is here with us today. I thank him for being here. I call Senator Byrne.

Me?

Sorry, yes, Senator Cathal Byrne.

There was a bit of confusion, but there is no need to worry. I raise an important point for this time of year, which is the issue of school transport and bus passes. Last year, I raised what I felt was a very unfair situation for students who live in Wexford town but are unsuccessful in securing a secondary school place in the town because of capacity issues. They were forced to apply outside the town and ended up attending Good Counsel College in New Ross, which is in a different part of County Wexford. As those students were not attending their local secondary school, they were refused access to a bus pass. I felt that was very unfair. Last year, we had engagement with the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, but, unfortunately, we were not able to resolve the problem. I am back here again to raise the issue with a view to it being addressed and solved for students who are starting out again in September.

We must reflect on this for a moment. These students wanted to attend secondary school in Wexford town. They did not have any choice but to go outside the town. While they are attending Good Counsel College in New Ross, the reality for them and their families is that there is no bus that can get them there. This issue must be ironed out. It is a wrinkle that exists under the current rules and it needs to be resolved. Unfortunately, many of those students did not receive a concessionary pass and, therefore, were not able to get any sort of school bus transport.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for welcoming my guests from St. Patrick's National School in Greystones. Today, we had a special event. The team from St. Patrick's addressed us in the audiovisual room. Many of my colleagues were there. The team is led by Ms Rachel Harper, whom I have known for many years. She brought some fantastic guests, children from the school, with her. They shared how smartphones impact the younger generation. They shared that in their school, they have all signed up to a code. The code is that they do not receive a smartphone until a certain age.

Each individual then shared about their own lives and what it meant to them. We had Bodie, Jack, Rachel, Jamie and Lori. Bodie shared how he started collecting coins. He has a coin collection that is worth a lot of money. He is certainly one to watch. Lori, who is the quietest but strongest one, is going to play for Ireland. She certainly has prowess when it comes to soccer. Jack shared about his swimming medals and all of that. What it showed was that we have a national school in our midst that is hitting the ball out of the park when it comes to dealing with smartphones and how they impact the younger generation.

I have talked previously in this House about Tiglin and its Greystones Youth Café. It Takes a Village has partnered with the youth café. Now we have the coffee machines and pizza machines, but we also have open mic nights, different craft days and homework clubs for the children. It Takes a Village is something to watch. An Tánaiste has said it is something that can be mirrored and replicated throughout the country. I commend Rachel Harper, Alizia, Alex, Christine and the people who are here today and are championing the project. This House supports them.

I thank the Senator and everyone from Greystones for that great initiative. It could be replicated by many others.

I welcome the visitors to the Gallery.

Yesterday, I raised the issue of the Irish expeditionary team that was very close to the summit of Mount Everest and had, the previous night, made an attempt. I am glad to report, as others may have seen, that the Irish team reached the summit overnight. The team included Mayo man and former footballer, Pádraig O'Hora, along with Eanna McGowan from Dublin and Adam Sweeney from Waterford, along with the leadership of their team leader, Jason Black. It is an incredible achievement. It is the first time in over 20 years that an Irish team has stood on the summit of Mount Everest. It entailed a huge amount of training and discipline, and a lot of highs and lows and trials and tribulations along the way. I ask for the support of the House in congratulating the team on this amazing feat. Mr. O'Hora was raising much-needed funds for Mayo Mental Health, an organisation that is close to my heart. Many people across Mayo have benefited from the services it offers. It is an incredible achievement that should be recognised. I congratulate them and wish them a safe descent down the mountain and back home to Ireland, where they should get a great welcome for their achievement.

I join the Senator in congratulating them for getting to the summit of the highest mountain in the world. That is quite an achievement. When Sir Edmund Hillary made it to the top, he was asked why he did it, and he said, "Because it is there." That was his explanation for climbing the mountain and putting himself and everybody else at risk by trying to get to the top. Why did he climb it? "Because it is there", he said.

I want to bring to the attention of the House that this week is Traveller Pride Week. It runs from 18 to 29 May. Events will be happening up and down the country. We are hoping to have an event in Leinster House in two weeks' time with the Traveller committee. It will be a meet and greet with members of the Travelling community. There will also be a bit of music. It is really important to celebrate young Travellers during Traveller Pride Week. It is celebrated with awards in education, youth community and sports. It is about Travellers participating in society. I have said numerous times that we want to participate in society. We want to go on and be solicitors, judges, doctors, nurses, etc. We want equality of opportunity and need the right supports to be able to be successful in that. Any of the Members of the Houses can look up their local organisations. I ask them to please go. Nothing about us without us. This is an opportunity for those Members to learn more about our culture and way of life.

I had the honour of attending an event at the House of Westminster organised by Liam Conlon MP. It was to do with the Untold Museum of Belfast. The museum is an incredible place. I know there are many misgivings about Irish people who served in the British forces, and served with pride, as I did. The Untold Museum hosts 350 years of Irish military history. It is an incredible place to visit because you hear the stories not only of the people of the Northern Irish community and the unionist community, but also of the Sixth Battalion, the Connaught Rangers, which was raised in west Belfast. Why was it raised in west Belfast? The Catholics would not serve under Sir Edward Carson. There was the Royal Ulster Rifles, from the unionist side, as well as the Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers and the Munster Fusiliers. The museum has the history of every military regiment that was ever raised in Ireland.

Andy Hart is one of the people you meet in the Untold Museum. I hope, given his interest in cross-Border issues, that the Cathaoirleach will visit the museum. One of the key things that Mr. Hart talks about is that the soldiers who joined the forces from the Republic and Northern Ireland were held in high esteem, whereas soldiers who joined from England, Scotland and Wales were regarded as vagabonds. The Irish had better teeth, were taller and were healthier people.

We have fought in every major battle.

Yesterday, Colin Weir, formerly the colonel of the Royal Irish Regiment, spoke about how, as history moved on from the First World War through the Second World War, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan, Irish men and Irish women had served in every one of those wars. I was extremely proud to be in Westminster yesterday not just as a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas, but as a former member of both the Royal Irish Rangers and the Irish Defence Forces. I encourage Members to go and see what is in the museum. It is incredible. Andy Hart will pick up an artefact, look at it and tell you the story behind it. Yesterday, he caused a bit of consternation in the Palace of Westminster when he brought a whistle in. He just wanted to tell the story behind the whistle but whistles are one of the items banned from the Houses of Parliament. The Cathaoirleach might travel there and have a look at the place. I would appreciate it.

I certainly will not bring a whistle. I thank the Senator for the heads up.

I thank all 18 Senators who made contributions. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin spoke about the use of the Irish language in school and acknowledged the awards that a number of schools had won, which are obviously very important. That is welcomed and should be continued. She also spoke about the very sad case of Maxine Maguire who died by suicide after bravely reaching out to look for help, which she unfortunately did not receive from the HSE. I cannot imagine how distressing what happened is for Maxine's parents, Robbie and Kathy. Maxine was suffering from depression and had the bravery to seek help but was turned away. Her parents had to wait nine years for the HSE to admit it was wrong. In fairness to the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Butler, she has done an awful lot on this, particularly with regard to the Mental Health Act. She is very passionate about the issue. However, more needs to be done, particularly in cases like this.

Senator Scahill spoke about drug treatment. The number of people receiving treatment at the moment is over 15,000. The Senator said we needed to have a debate on drugs. That is a very important debate we could have. He spoke about how this can happen right across the country. It is not just confined to cities like Dublin, Cork or Galway. It is in every local community, every local area and every parish. We need to take it more seriously. We need to do more with regard to education. We need to recognise that it is a disease and that further issues arise when people get involved in drugs, such as debt or crime. It all stems from getting into drugs in the first place. We have not had a debate on the issue for quite some time, so I think it would be timely.

Senator Clonan spoke about Caleb's House in Donegal. This is a healthcare facility that the HSE is not willing to fund at the moment. I suggest that the Senator table a Commencement matter on the issue. I am not familiar with the facility. It seems strange that there would be a healthcare facility in Donegal that is ready to go but is not being funded by the HSE. Perhaps tabling a Commencement matter with the Minister for Health would be the most appropriate thing to do.

The Senator also spoke about the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The Minister for foreign affairs and for Defence is due to come to the House shortly. That will be a good opportunity to speak about defence and national security.

Senator Joanne Collins spoke about nursing home care, how her own family cares for her mother, who has dementia, and the cost associated with that. It would be good to have a debate on the pressures put on families when someone goes into a nursing home. We obviously have the fair deal scheme but the extra costs on top of that can be very impactful for families who cannot afford them. I will talk to the Minister's office to see if a debate is possible.

Senator Frances Black spoke about the 11 Irish citizens who are still detained, having been captured illegally in international waters. This has been condemned by the Irish Government, including the Taoiseach and the Minister for foreign affairs. This is an incredibly stressful time for those people and their parents. Members of this House and the Lower House have experienced the kind of aggressive abuse that can happen when you are captured. It is not acceptable. It goes against every law. It needs to be called out and it has been and will be. The only comfort I can give those families is to say that we have had this situation before and were able to bring home all of the Irish citizens captured by Israel. The Department of foreign affairs and our embassy are working very hard to make sure that is done as quickly as possible.

The Senator also asked for an outline of the occupied territories Bill. That is on the priority list at the moment. A number of days ago, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, spoke about trying to get some sort of consensus within the EU to make decisions collectively. That is very difficult. A year or a year and a half ago, only two members of the EU, Ireland and Spain, wanted to review the EU-Israel association agreement. That would have a very severe impact on Israel from a trade perspective. There are now 17 or 18 countries that are willing to review that agreement but we need all countries to agree. If the EU does not agree on what to do about Israel, Ireland will still follow through on the occupied territories Bill. It is on the priority list. The Senator knows my own personal views on this. I hope that will be done as quickly as possible and certainly within this year.

Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee spoke about the former garda, Paul Moody, who was convicted yesterday. She spoke about complaints that were made back in 2017. It is amazing that nothing was done about those complaints. There was a massive delay. He still remained a member of An Garda Síochána. The Senator's colleague, Senator Comyn, spoke only yesterday about the number of people who contacted the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre last year. It was 24,000, an increase of one third in two years. These things need to be called out. It is not acceptable that, as far as we can see, nothing was done in the space of six years about the complaint that was made prior to the complaint people will know about from yesterday's news.

Senator Boyle spoke about wheelchair accessible vehicles. That is obviously a very important issue in his area because, in rural areas in Donegal and across the country, a taxi is often the only form of transport people can get, especially people with disabilities and wheelchair users. The Senator has asked for a debate about changing the qualifying criteria so that people who can provide this service are prioritised for funding.

Senator Keogan spoke about the Slane concerts, which are now to be held over two days instead of one. I was at one or two concerts up there. They put on a great show but it has a massive impact on the community. The community has been supportive of these concerts for more than 30 years, although they always have an impact. The increase from one to two days will have a massive impact on that small town. People who host events, whether gigs, sporting events or anything else, should have good consultation with the community. The community is used to dealing with these big events. In fairness, I do not think they are asking for very much. They just want an ambulance in the town centre in case anything happens there. I do not know the price of tickets but, if the concerts are running over two days, I suspect that it would not be much to ask for €5 out of that price. That was an important thing for the Senator to raise and I hope the organisers will take it on board.

Senator Andrews spoke about the rising cost of rents. That is a challenge for people. It always comes back to the need for more housing. We need more housing. We can be thankful that the figures for the first quarter of 2026 are good, with an increase of almost a third in the number of houses being built across the country. That is obviously not enough, though. I know the Senator's party tabled a Private Members' motion in the Lower House yesterday that proposed rent freezes and eviction bans. The Government just does not agree with that. We have seen that happen in other countries. There were rent freezes in Berlin and, within 12 months, 50% of landlords had left the market. That law was then ruled out of order by the German court of justice. It just does not work.

That is just a different perspective on it, but we agree that more houses need to be built and more priority needs to be given to the matter. It is certainly not a case of a lack of funding invested in the area.

Senator Eileen Lynch spoke about a solar farm in her area in Aglish. It can be very upsetting for locals when, after their concerns about a project are taken on board by Cork County Council and planning is refused, An Bord Pleanála, which does not have the same understanding of their area, agrees on appeal that it can go ahead. We are aware of the importance of solar farms and of reducing our energy dependency, but it is fair to say we need to have an open discussion about where these go. They cannot be put in every second field all over the place. There needs to be some sort of national plan. Senator Scahill raised this last week, so there could be a good opportunity to have a debate on it.

Senator Maria Byrne spoke about BusConnects in Limerick and the delay in moving forward on this. A delay can be very frustrating. There was a postponement from 2025 to 2027 and now the date has been pushed back to 2028. This has a massive impact on a city like Limerick, where people, businesses and communities are dependent on public transport. The Senator gave the example of Annacotty, a business area with more than 3,000 people working and absolutely no buses to collect them. This means everyone has to drive, which is just not the way we should be moving. It is not just in Limerick that this is happening. I experienced it in Galway last weekend when I was there. People were talking about the lack of the public transport that they would want to use. People want to change their ways but we need to make sure we are investing in that as much as we can. I will contact the Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien, on this.

Senator Lynn Ruane spoke about early-onset Parkinson's disease. It is not talked about enough. People just assume Parkinson's comes when a person is 60, 65 or 70, but it can happen much earlier. Someone quite close to me has it and it has a massive impact on him. The disease is different for everyone but people's capabilities can decline very considerably and quickly. It is not just a question of the impact on the individuals with the condition because there is also an impact on their dependants, families, husbands, wives and children. There is an impact on the wider family. As the Senator said herself, I am not sure this has been discussed very much. We could have statements or a debate on it in this House. This would be important because most of us know someone - the Senator spoke about her father - who has suffered from the condition and know the impact it has. The Senator spoke about donating the brain. Donating organs was raised yesterday. We need to circulate more widely the message on how impactful donating your organs or brain can be for others with the same disease. A discussion on Parkinson's as part of a discussion on organ donation would be timely, so I will see if it is possible in the coming weeks.

Senator Garret Kelleher spoke about the VAT charged to people who must use medical wigs owing to various conditions, whether alopecia or cancer. I am quite familiar with this as my mother had cancer years ago and had to buy and wear a wig. I am aware of the impact it can have to go into a shop and explain why a wig is needed. The prices of medical wigs are very high and it is important that people are not charged VAT on such products. It is also important that they do not have to go through hoops to buy a medical wig. It should be quite simple to buy something without having to pay VAT. The Senator is right that we must align ourselves with other EU countries in this regard, which is important.

Senator Cathal Byrne spoke about school transport and bus passes. He gave the perfectly good example of where children who, through no fault of their own, cannot go to their closest school, which they are trying to go to, because it is full meaning they have to go to the next closest or an alternative. The Senator mentioned New Ross in this regard. It makes absolutely no sense that children should have to pay for school transport when the circumstances they are in are not their fault. We have introduced many measures in the area of education, including free meals, free books and free travel in most cases, but when something is not your fault it does not seem fair that you should be charged for it.

Senator Tully raised the same issue last week in relation to people on medical cards. Through no fault of their own, they are having to pay. This should be addressed and clarified in the budget, perhaps. Actually, this should be done before the budget because the school term starts in September. I urge the Senator to talk to the Minister about that to see if it is possible. It seems fairly obvious to me that it should be done.

Senator Aubrey McCarthy spoke about St. Patrick's school and Rachel Harper. It is great to see young children taking a leadership role on smartphones because much of the time people in this building talk about the matter but really do not have a full understanding of the impact of smartphones on children. I often worry about the impact that smartphones will have on my two children, who have just started school or are in crèche. I am aware that the media committee is doing a lot of work on this. Hopefully, the Minister will bring through legislation, but it is wonderful to see children taking a proactive role.

Senator Mark Duffy spoke about the team from Mayo who climbed Mount Everest. The Senator looks like he was climbing it himself and fell. It is amazing what the team has achieved and it is also amazing to think it has not been done for 20 years by an Irish team. I wish them well. I know nothing about Everest other than what I have seen from documentaries. The most dangerous part is the descent, so we wish the team as safe a descent from the summit as possible. It is a wonderful achievement and, as the Senator said, for a really good cause, namely, Mayo Mental Health Association.

Senator Eileen Flynn reminded us today that it is Traveller Pride Week, which is very important. It is another good opportunity to talk about inclusivity, equality and giving people opportunities to be who they want to be. The Senator herself is a prime example of someone who can achieve great things regardless of her background. It is important that the Oireachtas Traveller committee work with her and those behind Pride Week to promote it as much as possible.

Senator Craughwell spoke about being over in Westminster with Mr. Liam Conlon, MP, for an event concerning the Untold Museum in Belfast, which explores 350 years of Irish military history. This is very important and I am aware that it is very close to the Senator's heart because of his time served in the Irish Defence Forces. He has encouraged everyone to visit the museum in Belfast. It is important for people to visit, given the great history. There are great stories of people who served their country well. The more we can promote that, the better.