I welcome guests of Deputy Michael Murphy from Cashel rehab centre and Knocklofty rehab centre. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. I thank them for being here today.

The Minister of State, Deputy Ardagh, is here as well. I thank her for being here. She can go to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. As a former Member, she has that privilege.

I also welcome the guests from Cashel and Knocklofty to the Chamber. I am right next door to Knocklofty at home.

The Order of Business is No. a1, Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 - Second Stage, to be taken at 6.30 p.m. and to conclude at 8.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. b1, Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 – Second Stage, to be taken at 8.15 p.m. and to conclude at 9.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, each group spokesperson not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.

As Ireland begins its EU Presidency at a very pivotal and challenging time, I wish all of those involved from the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, all the best and of course all those in the Department of foreign affairs, in particular Aingeal O’Donoghue, the ambassador to the EU. She is going to have a very busy six months. Having been in the embassy in Brussels a number of times, the people we have there are absolutely dedicated. They are top class. I wish everybody well over the next six months.

I pay tribute to the late David Andrews who passed away this week. He served his constituents in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown for almost four decades in an extraordinary life of public service. During that time, he held a series of ministerial positions; Minister for Defence, Minister for the Marine and Minister for Foreign Affairs at a crucial time in the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement. His commitment to Ireland, his constituents and the party I am proud to serve, Fianna Fáil, was second to none. Beyond politics, he was a huge advocate for human rights. He was a barrister and campaigned, for example, for the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party in the Seanad, I extend our condolences to his wife, Annette, his sons, our colleague, Barry Andrews MEP and David McSavage, Mary, Sinead and Claire and of course his nephew, Senator Chris Andrews, who is a Member of this House.

I spoke only yesterday about the income disregard for carers rising, which is significant. I was really saddened and annoyed to see this morning an article in the Irish Independent that Kfm covered. It brought to my attention serious concerns for home care patients in Kildare. Apparently, an internal HSE circular is now restricting home care approval to only critical, urgent cases and palliative, end-of-life care. Patients in high need will be turned away and those in moderate need have very little chance of any approval this year, hitting hardest those who rely on home care for basic nursing supports like medication administration. Apparently, the HSE has also capped home care hours at 14 hours a week. These are the most vulnerable people in society who have all too often been forgotten. They deserve to be cared for in their own homes with dignity. I would like a full debate with the Minister for Health to see what alternative supports can be put in place.

I ask the Minister for housing and local government to amend regulations governing the retirement age for firefighters to allow those who remain medically and physically fit to continue serving until the State pension age of 66. Approximately 3,300 firefighters are serving in Ireland with more than 2,000 serving as retained firefighters. They staff the vast majority of our 217 fire stations and are the backbone of the fire service in rural and regional Ireland. They respond to fires, road traffic collisions, flooding and other emergencies while balancing their role with work and family commitments. They provide an invaluable front-line service to communities across the country.

Under the current regulations, retained firefighters can remain in service beyond the age of 55 if they pass annual medical and fitness assessments but must retire at 62. That means many are forced to leave up to four years before they qualify for the State pension. The Government acknowledged recruitment and retention challenges when it increased the retirement age from 60 to 62 in 2024. However, those challenges remain. Fire services, particularly in rural Ireland, continue to struggle to recruit and retain personnel. Requiring experienced firefighters to retire at 62 only makes that situation worse. This proposal is not about lowering standards. Those wishing to remain in service already undergo annual medical and fitness assessments and can only continue with the approval of their employing fire authorities, which are the local authorities. The safeguards are already in place. The proposal simply extends the existing fitness-based approach to the State pension age of 66.

There is also a clear issue of fairness. Retained firefighters can be required to retire up to four years before they qualify for the State pension despite being fit, capable and willing to continue serving. That gap has to be addressed. There is real urgency. Firefighters approaching their 62nd birthday in the coming weeks and months face compulsory retirement under the current regulations. If the Government intends to make this change, it must act now. I ask the Minister to introduce an immediate pause or freeze on compulsory retirements at the age of 62 while the necessary regulatory changes are progressed. It would be deeply unfair if experienced firefighters were forced to retire only for the rules to change shortly afterwards. This is a sensible and practical reform. It will help to retain experienced firefighters, strengthen emergency response, support rural fire services and align retirement with the State pension age, while maintaining the high standards of safety through annual medical and fitness assessments.

I ask the Minister for housing to come to the Seanad to debate amending the regulations to allow retained firefighters to serve until the age of 66, where they continue to meet the required medical and fitness standards, and to introduce an immediate freeze to that no firefighter is disadvantaged while this change is considered.

I want to record my concerns about the proposed data centre and energy campus development at Blackknock in Adamstown, Kilmeaden, County Waterford.

The proposal by Echelon Data Centres and Kent Homes Limited includes three large data centres, a solar farm, battery energy storage systems and a gas-powered energy centre across approximately 108 ha of rural land.

While located in Kilmeaden, the issues raised by this development are of national importance. At a time when Ireland is seeking to reduce emissions and meet ambitious climate targets, serious questions arise regarding the project’s electricity demand and source of supply, the role of gas-fired generation and associated emissions, water consumption and its impact on local resources and aquifers, the cumulative impact of large-scale data centre developments on Ireland’s energy infrastructure and the compatibility of such developments with national climate, planning and environmental policies. This proposal also raises broader concerns regarding the industrialisation of rural communities and the long-term implications for Ireland’s environment, energy security and infrastructure capacity. I believe these matters warrant national scrutiny and should not be considered solely through the local planning process.

Also, in light of the recent Friends of the Earth and United Nations report regarding data centres, which could all be read here with redound, I am deeply concerned about the road we are taking. Many would say that the world is beginning to tip into great climate challenge. Just this morning I saw in The Irish Times that there is a likelihood we will face €13 billion annual fines for breaching emissions targets in the decades to come.

I respectfully request we seek a debate in Seanad Éireann on the implications of this development and the wider policy issues surrounding large-scale data centre projects in Ireland.

Before I call on the next speaker, I welcome guests of Senator Curley, Ciarán Hayden and Jennifer Davidson from the Writers' Guild. I thank them for being here.

I want to acknowledge and congratulate Cricket Ireland. Over the weekend it had absolutely fantastic success, with three huge wins. It will be remembered in Irish cricketing history. The Irish men beat India and the Irish women had their first win in the T20 world cup. It is a fantastic achievement. The big three sports are well supported but it shows that it is important to support and invest in smaller sports like that, so I acknowledge Cricket Ireland’s success.

I also want to acknowledge today is the first day of Ireland’s EU Presidency. It is an important opportunity for Ireland to secure its interests at a European level. Up to €400 million is set to be spent on this Presidency. That is many times more than what was spent by the last two Presidency countries combined. That might well be worth the cost if the Government delivers real results but, unfortunately, there have been quite clear signs from Ministers that Ireland intends only to be an EU functionary rather than using this rare opportunity to advance specific Irish interests. We should be using this Presidency to put Irish unity back on the agenda in Brussels and we should be convening a summit to examine reunification, push for representation of Irish citizens in the North within EU institutions and advancing support for unity at the Council level. We should also be leading an effort to scrap the EU-Israel Association Agreement and push for EU recognition of Palestine and for sanctions to be placed on illegal Israeli settlements.

Concerns also exist regarding our approach to competitiveness and neutrality with this Presidency. The EU is pushing for deregulation as a means of increasing competitiveness and stimulating economic growth. I fully accept that economic growth is urgently needed but deregulation that comes at the cost of workers is not a step forward.

Separately, I am very concerned about the defensive aspects of this Presidency. Yesterday, it was revealed that a French warship will be operating just off the coast of Ireland as part of the security arrangements for EU events in Dublin. This is very questionable on a legal level given that the Constitution clearly prohibits maintaining foreign military forces within our border. Ireland should not be in a position that we are relying on NATO for basic security purposes. The lack of preparation and investment by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in our Defence Forces has unfortunately made this a reality. If this is the trend for the next six months it will have very grave effects on our neutrality. It is very important for the Minister for foreign affairs to clarify this issue and state whether Ireland is entering into a de facto military alliance for the duration of the Presidency.

The European Presidency offers a huge opportunity and we have to grasp it. We should not be seen as just a back-up band for Ursula von der Leyen and militarisation.

At the outset I would like to be associated with the words of the Deputy Leader on the passing of David Andrews. I want to extend my personal sympathies to our colleague, Barry Andrews MEP, his nephew, Chris, our colleague here in the Seanad, and the extended Andrews family.

There is an article in today’s Irish Independent about EV charging infrastructure. The ESB has announced that while it has 1,600 chargers, only 1,400 can be used at any one time, although it admits this has nothing to do with grid infrastructure but its own infrastructure as some of these are almost outdated and cannot be used simultaneously by multiple vehicles. It was also highlighted that the latest price increase will bring its KW hour price for a unit of electricity at a fast charger to 73 cent. I am a converted EV driver – I will receive my third electric vehicle on Friday. I charge at home and I have solar panels but I have done a night rate deal with the ESB whereby between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. I can get electricity at 10 cent a unit. A comparison was done on the radio this morning which showed that 73 cent a unit actually works out at €12 per 100 km of travel distance, whereas petrol or diesel is only €10. It is actually more expensive. There is no incentive there. When you are stuck for a charge, you are stuck for a charge. To me, it is blatant gouging. The ESB can sell me the electricity at 10 cent and it can buy the electricity that my solar panels are producing for 19 cent and then it charges 73 cent. It is not the worst. There are other suppliers charging up to 85 cent. It is way more expensive to go to a fast charger than it is to fill up with diesel or petrol. We need the Minister in here. We need to discuss the infrastructure and the pricing. While we were encouraging people to buy electric vehicles, after all the tribulations around the Strait of Hormuz people are coming to it themselves without encouragement. The last thing we want is for them to be driven back by what is nothing short of price-gouging.

Many organisations are meeting politicians in Leinster House in connection with their pre-budget submissions. I would like to draw the attention of the House to two very important ones. I dtosach báire, cuirim ar aird an Tí seo a luachmhaire is atá obair TG4 don tír. Tá sé ag lorg maoinithe breise, ar luach €11 milliún é, don bhliain seo chugainn chun cur ar a chumas na haidhmeanna straitéiseacha atá aige a chur chun cinn agus níos mó a chur ar fáil dá lucht féachana. Ní mór cur san áireamh go n-infheistíonn TG4 74% den mhaoiniú poiblí a fhaigheann sé isteach san earnáil léiriúcháin neamhspleách. Is é TG4 an t-infheisteoir is mó sa léiriúchán neamhspleách réigiúnach. The value of TG4 to the country will be seen in the coming weeks when its fantastic Tour de France coverage will continue. It will continue for the next few years and I want to wish it well. It is always an excellent production and most enjoyable. TG4 invests three quarters of its public funding in the independent production sector and it is the biggest investor in regional producers. I just want to cur agus tacú le hiarracht TG4 inniu.

I would also like to mention the Irish Men’s Sheds Association. By the middle of next year there will be over 500 active men’s sheds in the country. I think we all agree that men’s sheds are bringing something irreplaceable into Irish life, combating isolation and giving men, in particular, a much-needed forum to meet and work together. It is a tremendously positive thing which helps to combat social problems which we know are there, particularly around men and men’s isolation.

They deserve every support. They are seeking a total fund of €3,000 per shed in next year's budget. That would be an investment of €1.5 million and they have various other sensible proposals targeting the needs of particular men's sheds where special resources are needed.

One of two not quite cost-neutral but very important asks would be that commercial rates would not apply to men's sheds. Could the Government work with local authorities to ensure those commercial rates are waived? Could it also work with local authorities to ensure that men's sheds can have long-term leases so they can be sure of their continued existence? Very often, that is quite precarious. Go raibh míle maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Gabh mo leithscéal as dul thar fóir ansin.

I reiterate what my colleague Senator Paul Daly said regarding the electric chargers and price-gouging, as he called it. It seems like we were all encouraged to switch to electric vehicles, EVs, or hybrid cars because they were very cost-efficient, etc. Now that we have all done that, it looks like the pendulum has swung and charging is more expensive than diesel or petrol. We certainly need to look at that.

As Senator Andrews mentioned, there are huge opportunities as we taken on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the eighth time. Yesterday, I was delighted to attend an event at Technological University, TU, Dublin with the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne. He spoke to ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from all over Europe. It was a reminder that even though Ireland is a small nation, we have a loud voice and it carries influence on the central European stage. He spoke, under the motto, "Ní neart go cur le chéile", which means "strength with unity", about how Ireland will lead the EU Presidency for the next six months. We are going to focus on competitiveness, values and security. It is worth reflecting, when we look at that, how far we have come and what European membership has done for Ireland. It has transformed Ireland. Everything is not perfect but it has brought peace, opportunity and prosperity. I see that our nearest neighbour, which opted out of Europe, is now looking at different ways to get back in. We have come from being one of Europe's poorest countries to being one of its most dynamic economies and we should never forget that it was solidarity that helped us get there.

The Presidency comes at a challenging time and Europe continues to face Russia's war in Ukraine. The Leader knows I am the convener of the Ukraine-Ireland parliamentary group. We need to make sure we rise to the challenge to defend and stand with Ukraine during this. Over the next six months, we also have a unique opportunity to help shape Europe for 450 million European citizens. It is a remarkable responsibility and one we should approach with confidence. I wish the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, and all of the Irish officials representing our country every success as they lead Ireland in the European Union Presidency.

Before I call on the next speaker, I welcome guests of former Senator, Ivana Bacik, a Member of the other House and leader of the Labour Party. They are from the New York University summer in Dublin program. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann and I thank them for being here. Anois, an Seanadóir Sarah O'Reilly.

I raise the issue of electricity prices. We have heard over and over that Ireland has the highest electricity rates in Europe. However, it may surprise the Leader to know that Ireland has the second highest household electricity prices in the world, second only to Bermuda. We should think about that for a second. Households in Ireland - hard-working families - are paying the second highest electricity prices in the world. At the same time, the ESB, a semi-State body, has made almost €3 billion in after-tax profits over the past four years. We have over 300,000 households in energy arrears, yet, just today, electricity prices have gone up again. Who exactly is benefiting from this system? It is not the ordinary taxpayer.

Today, Aontú brought forward a motion in the Dáil to tackle the cost of living because this is about much more than electricity bills. Over the last five years, families have been hit by once price shock after another. Grocery bills have risen by around 40% since 2021. Energy bills are up by 57%. Diesel prices have soared and overall prices in Ireland are 36% above the EU average. Many families find it impossible to afford everyday emergencies, such as a car breaking down, a new washing machine or fridge or an unexpected trip to the dentist. It feels like people are working harder and harder and getting less in return. The situation has become so absurd that it is now more expensive to charge an electric vehicle than fill the tank with petrol or diesel. If my household identified as a data centre, I would have access to significantly cheaper electricity rates than ordinary households, as is the case for data centres in this country.

Electricity is a necessity. A semi-State company should not be maximising profits while hundreds of thousands of households struggle to pay their bills. Aontú's motion would reduce ESB profits to zero to ensure households get a fair price for electricity. That should make it enough money to cover costs and invest. It should not profit off the backs of taxpayers.

I omitted to formally congratulate the Leader yesterday on his elevation. I assume there will be bonfires all over Tipperary as he arrives home this weekend. I ask him to please forgive me for not officially congratulating him.

I will say a few words at the start at our Presidency of the European Union. My thoughts are with the public servants who have been seconded from Departments all over the place to facilitate the Presidency of the EU. We give the various Departments a bit of a licking now and again over various things that bother us, but it is amazing how the public service can step up to the plate at a time like this and show Ireland at its very best. In regard to the State and the Government but, most of all, those who will be at the coalface, working day and night to show this country in its best light, I wish them well and I hope everything goes as planned.