The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; No. 2, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1 without debate; No. 3, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 2 without debate; No. 4, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 3) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 3 without debate; No. 5, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 4) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 4 without debate; No. 6, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 5) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 5 without debate; No. 7, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 6) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 6 without debate; No. 8, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 7) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 7 without debate; No. 9, motion regarding Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on the conclusion of No. 8 without debate; No. 10, Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026 - All Stages, to be taken at 11.30 a.m. or on the conclusion of No. 9, whichever is later, and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 75 minutes by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government, the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister at the debate on Second Stage shall not exceed five minutes, all Senators shall not exceed five minutes, and the Minister shall be given no less than five minutes to reply to the debate, with Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately thereafter; and No. 11, Development (Strategic Gas Reserve) Bill 2026 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 10, whichever is the later, and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after two hours by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government.

This morning's news coverage is dominated by calls from medical professionals for a ban on e-scooters. This follows calls for bans on social media. The Government has moved to ban vapes. We are actively engaged as a country in banning a lot of things at the moment and there is very good reasoning behind a lot of these proposals. However, we have an obligation to examine the deeper causes of the behaviour and understand and attempt to understand the causes of the behaviour. That is something we did at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use. Our report included a recommendation for an Irish primary prevention system, particularly for adolescents. I would appreciate it if we could have a debate early in the autumn term on that proposal for an Irish primary prevention system for our adolescents. It would help inform policy, not just in the drugs space but in all areas of mental health, physical health and our social well-being.

I draw the House's attention to the publication this morning of the Government's latest progress report on housing - Delivering Homes, Building Communities. This report details progress that has been made up to the end of this month. While we are all very conscious of the number of people who are still being accommodated in emergency accommodation and that number remains stubbornly high - we all understand the reasons for that - it is important we engage in the debate on housing in an informed way. We must examine the progress that is being made. There was a record supply delivery in 2025 of more than 36,000 homes. In this year so far, over 7,800 homes have been completed. That is just in the first quarter and it is up 33%. More than 46,000 new homes have commenced. There is a lot of activity in terms of supply.

Affordability is a huge issue for a lot of people but, in the last year, more than 20,000 first-time home purchasers acquired their own home. Close to €1 billion has been allocated by the Government for more than 7,900 affordable homes. Progress is being made. It is important that we do not lose sight of that progress. Regarding the reusing of vacant properties, more than 13,000 vacant refurbishment grants have been paid out already and more than 3,400 additional homes are in the process of being converted from commercial spaces into residential homes.

Nobody thinks the job is done. We all appreciate that there is continuing pressure and demand for increased supply and affordability, but I encourage every Member of the House to examine the report and to engage in the debate in a constructive way.

I note that the whole scheme of the planning Act is that exempt development proposals are considered by the Houses. It is questionable whether this House has really considered the exempt development regulations. Without debate, we sent them off to a committee. We do not know what it made of them but it reported them back to us and, without debate, we are going to adopt them. That is not what the spirit of the Act required.

On behalf of the Seanad Independent Group, I express our collective gratitude to the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Cathaoirleach, Martin Hughes, Aileen Fallon and all of the staff in the Seanad for the great work they have put into making this House function properly and effectively and in making it a pleasant place to be. I often think of Dáil Éireann and compare it in my mind to Westminster, which is a bear pit. Then I think of this particular Chamber where people are polite and kind to each other and listen to each other respectfully. There is no baying or shouting down or whatever.

It is a great tribute to the Seanad staff that that spirit continues to exist in this House.

Apart from them, throughout Leinster House there are the ushers, the secretaries, the people manning the committees, the technical staff and the like, the catering staff and the bar staff. All of these people make this Parliament a pleasant and effective Parliament, which operates as a democratic institution of which the Irish people can be proud. I want to express our gratitude to all of them for everything they do. They are not sufficiently thanked but they deserve our thanks.

I will go to what Senator Fitzpatrick mentioned. She mentioned the drugs committee report. I am one of the people who disagrees with the substance of that report. We have to have a real solid debate on it here in this House, not merely a cursory one. It is an issue of fundamental importance. It cannot be avoided, one way or the other. Whatever your views are on it, it needs to be thrashed out. The same applies to the housing crisis, which Senator Fitzpatrick mentioned. Whether we will ever hit the 60,000 target we have set for ourselves is doubtful but at least it has to be said that there is significant production of homes in a period of homelessness.

Finally, we need in this House to have a sincere and realistic debate on immigration, migration and asylum-seeking. All of those issues have to be considered in the autumn. Although coming up to the end of this term we are rushing things through, and the guillotine is well-oiled and slicing this way and that, we have a lot of work to do in the autumn. To prepare ourselves for that work, all the Members of both Houses are entitled to a good break so they can recharge their batteries and address these real issues which the people need to have addressed in this House.