I welcome the Minister to the House. Before I call the Acting Leader to move the motion, I welcome to the Gallery guests from the Northern Ireland Youth Forum and our special guest over here, Eric. I thank him for coming in and he is more than welcome to Seanad Éireann. The group will be receiving an excellent tour of the building and it is great that they are able to be here to see democracy in action.
Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2024: Motion
I move:
That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft:
Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2024,
a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 25th January, 2024.
I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and Members of the Seanad for making time to discuss this motion today concerning the order I propose to make to extend the termination date of the financial contribution scheme for hosts of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, known as the accommodation recognition payment, ARP. This scheme commenced in July 2022 and, where relevant, payments were backdated to March of that year. I increased the monthly payment to hosts from €400 to €800 with effect from 1 December 2022. To date, more than €90 million has been paid out to in excess of 13,000 hosts for hosting more than 29,200 beneficiaries of temporary protection across that time. Right now, in excess of 21,000 Ukrainians are in accommodation on the basis of this provision. This scheme has diverted Ukrainian individuals and families away from State-supported accommodation, which is often in hotels and guesthouses and which is not, in the long term, the best place to be, particularly for raising children. It is also far more cost-effective to the Exchequer and, importantly, it also allows Ukrainians to have greater independence in moving out of more State-owned accommodation.
On the proposal itself, Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 introduced the scheme with an original termination date of 31 March 2023. That date reflected the duration of temporary protection under the temporary protection directive which was activated by Council Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022. The directive was subsequently extended to March 2024 and the accommodation recognition payment was extended to mirror that extension. In a continued spirit of unity and support for Ukraine and its citizens, the European Commission has extended temporary protection until March 2025. As such, it is now appropriate to make an order to extend the accommodation recognition payment scheme termination date to the end of March 2025.
Section 4(2) of the original Act of the primary legislation enables me to make such change to a date considered appropriate, following consultation with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I can confirm to the Seanad that I have undertaken those consultations with the two relevant line Ministers. In changing the scheme termination date, I was mindful of the need to continue to make provision for a financial contribution to assist in maintaining, if not increasing, the availability of accommodation for temporary protection beneficiaries. I thank all who have welcomed into their homes those fleeing from Ukraine and provided them with shelter, safety and a level of autonomy over their own lives. The Act of 2022 requires a draft order to be laid before and approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas and I will be bringing the motion before the Dáil on 21 February.
I understand our colleagues in Sinn Féin have proposed an amendment to the motion I am putting forward which seeks to curtail the conditions attaching to the accommodation recognition payment which would result in reducing the availability of accommodation for beneficiaries of temporary protection. I am not in a position to be able to accept that amendment for two reasons. One, it contradicts the policy of what we are trying to achieve through the recognition payment. The accommodation recognition payment is a goodwill payment to recognise the valued contribution of those who have opened their homes to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. It is not intended to be a substitute for rent and is paid in recognition of the generosity of those who host. The legislation is very clear in that regard. It is not a rental payment, as I say, and does not create any obligations for the beneficiaries in the accommodation such as a payment of rent or as other such payments would provide. Two, on a more procedural point, my understanding and advice on the legislation is that the primary legislation does not allow us to change the conditions of operation via an order. The only thing the order can change is the date at which the scheme will terminate. That is quite clear from the legislation itself. What is proposed here in the Sinn Féin amendment is that we change via an order some of the wider conditions in the recognition payment. Our read of the legislation is that we simply cannot do that. The only thing which can be changed by the order is the termination date. In light of that, I am not in a position to accept the amendment of the motion from Sinn Féin.
On a final point, I know some Senators may wish to discuss wider issues in our response to the needs of those fleeing to Ireland. To provide an update to Seanad Éireann, right now Ireland is accommodating just over 75,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine and, through the international protection process, a further 27,000 fleeing wars and civil disturbance in other countries. We are providing accommodation to just around 102,000 people right now. As the House may know, we are in the process of making changes to our offering to those who arrive from Ukraine. Those changes will probably apply from later on this month. We have seen significant decreases in the number of people from Ukraine seeking temporary protection. That figures has fallen quite significantly, especially from November of last year.
On the other hand, the figures for people seeking international protection have grown. We saw the biggest quarter ever at the end of 2023. January of this year will prove to have had the highest level of applications for international protection since we started recording numbers. On that point, 1,700 people sought international protection in Ireland in January. That has put huge strain on our Department's ability to provide accommodation. As the House knows, from December of last year we have not been able to offer accommodation to all male applicants and there are approximately 900 people right now for whom we have not been able to provide accommodation. We work with NGOs and with homeless NGOs where we identify people who are sleeping rough and look to bring them into the process. We believe that has worked effectively but, nevertheless, it is a very serious situation where we are not able to offer accommodation to all male applicants. We are in a position at the moment to offer accommodation to female applicants and to families seeking international protection but, with the current numbers, we are under real pressure and I must make that very apparent to Senators. There is real pressure on our ability to even provide accommodation for families right now, and it is in that context that we have to make decisions and take accommodation that is available to us, accommodation that results in challenges for communities, towns, villages and cities throughout our country. Nevertheless, our Department has a clear legal obligation under international law to provide accommodation. We are not meeting that obligation to everyone right now but I think most people would agree on the importance of us seeking to meet that obligation to female applicants and to families.
I look to the Seanad to support this motion and, as I said, I am not in a position to accept the Sinn Féin amendment. I look forward to Senators' contributions and an opportunity to respond at the end.
The Minister is very welcome to the House. While I moved the motion, it would be absolutely remiss of me not to speak about what was announced to the people of Louth and Drogheda yesterday. The D Hotel is a central economic hub and a focus of a lot of the activity, tourism, and events that happen in Drogheda. It is not just the bed nights. There is an impact to closing down that hotel in its entirety. We know that not all hotels that take international protection applicants close down entirely. They share the space. I presume the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, signed off on this colossal number. It is a huge number of 500 people. They are very lucky to get to Drogheda. It is a wonderful place and a beautiful historic town. It is a very welcoming and multicultural town. I worked in factories in Drogheda over the years, back in the 2000s, and they were full of Turkish people when I worked there. Drogheda is well used to integration and to welcoming people.
I want to know from the Minister whether his Department has done an economic analysis on the impact of closing down the only big hotel in Drogheda centre. The other two hotels are a lot smaller. This will decimate small local cafes and bistros. The comedy festival, into which Louth County Council and Fáilte Ireland invest a lot of money, will start on 8 March. Where are people going to stay? It is very welcome that the Government put a lot of resources into Drogheda when it had a troubled time. It is now coming out of a mist and has begun to thrive. People came to the Lú Festival of Light back in October, which was a wonderful event.
There is disappointment in Drogheda and devastation as well as uncertainty. This week 57 jobs were lost in Marks and Spencer. Has it crossed the Minister's desk in the Department that already there are job losses in Drogheda and that people are suffering? Now we have a hotel closing down. It is really upsetting to get correspondence on it as a fait accompli. It is a notification not a consultation or information. Will the Minister let us know if there has been an economic analysis on what the impact will be on local economies and on what supports can be put into local economies? Will the Department ask shop owners or bistro and cafe owners how the closing of the hotel will impact ancillary businesses?
The Four Seasons hotel in Carlingford had to close because it was destroyed during the floods. This had a huge impact in Carlingford given that weddings and events were gone as were the people who just came on holiday and would eat out in the surrounding villages. I know first hand the impact the closing of a huge hotel has on a local economy. I am really worried about this because it seems that the Government is robbing Peter to pay Paul.
I am aware that things are not simple and that the Minister is up against it but we have to look at what we are doing in its entirety, and work with the system and with communities. In many cases the whole hotel has not closed down and events can happen and people can stay. It goes against what we are trying to do with community cohesion. I know Drogheda really well. It is a great town but we are putting people and businesses under pressure. They will not be able to pick it up.
It goes back to building equity into the system. We speak about this quite often, and especially in terms of the Minister's brief. We look at the very welcome and the very good job we did when bringing Ukrainians into the State. We did a fantastic job. For social cohesion, we must make sure to continue that good job in welcoming people, so that people believe there is equity in the system, where people are means tested for benefits, where there is a pathway for them to come out of State supports and where people are treated like every other citizen resident in the country.
The Minister will know that hard cases do not make good law. There are, however, an awful lot of hard cases. Consider the situation with medical cards, for example. People who are struggling here do not get medical cards. It is about equity in the system.
I ask for support for this motion. That is not an issue but what is happening in the Department is not working. It is not working for local communities and it is not working for local businesses. When a place that is so welcoming and as fantastic as Drogheda is is coming up against this, it is a really sad day for us. As far as I can see, there has been no economic impact assessment. It is just a case of, "There you go and there we have it", and the job losses or whatever do not matter because this one Department is taking control of it all. It is hugely disappointing.
I wish to raise the issue of all the extra costs of this. I am aware the Minister is pulling back on the costs, such as the €800,000 on veterinary and animal welfare costs, but this is the stuff that is really disheartening for people. We had the North South Youth Forum in the House recently, including a local youth worker from Louth, Ms Erin Finnegan. We have been struggling to get funding for youth services. The model at the minute is not working for the youth in Ireland, and particularly in rural areas. It is not about not wanting people to have supports, but it is wanting everyone to have supports. When people feel left out, they are upset and they start distrusting the system.
It is a very difficult day for the people and the businesses of Drogheda. I just wanted to put that on the record. What is happening in the Minister's Department is not working.
I completely support the motion. In a way I regret that it is needed. It has certainly been a very long two years and quite horrific. There are invitations in and I have already committed to events on the weekend of 24 February. As of today, how many thousands are dead? How many homes have been destroyed? How many lives have been completely and utterly destroyed? While we are all reeling at the horror of Gaza, Ukraine has been put to the side and forgotten about.
My few words today will be to remember that. We must remember that today people's homes will be attacked. Today there is uncertainty. In the wider global decision-making and the situation between the two Houses in the United States of America over providing funding and support for Ukraine, we must remember the whole feeling that the people of Ukraine are standing up to Russia. If they do not, then who is next?
We have already felt the economic impact on our country and on western Europe, including potential shortages of food. The price paid for Russian murder in Ukraine is horrifically high. Are there some things we could do a little bit better? Absolutely, yes, there are but I cannot move away from the fact that this day two years ago, on 15 February, I was on calls and in meetings where people were saying, "No, they won't actually come across the border, they won't actually do it". However, I have sat as people have wept about their loved ones who were killed in Ukraine and about their fine men who are defending their right to democracy and the right of a country to its autonomy and self-determination.
It is regrettable that the temporary protection directive had to be extended, as is the fact that our interventions and supports as a country in response to that had to be extended. However, we have to make this decision today because there are people whose lives are at risk on a daily basis in what is a horrific intrusion and attack on the country of Ukraine by Russia. We can never move away from just how appalling and horrific that is.
We, in the Labour Party, agree with the Minister to extend the ARP scheme for property owners. We recognise that the monthly payments comprise a sizeable, significant fraction of the financial safety net that has been built for Ukrainian refugees. We believe that extending the scheme will allow its application to refugees who are still arriving into Ireland to have accommodation assistance and easier integration into society and the workforce. For those who are already in the country, of course, the ARP serves as an essential way to prevent them from falling into homelessness, as well as a tool to maintain basic needs and quality of life. We recognise that we need to align with the European Council’s formerly extended protection regime until March 2025. Allowing Ukrainian nationals to work without a work permit or a work visa will give them the tools that are necessary to succeed in Ireland and to contribute to the economy, which is an important part of that.
We must recognise all the other safeguarding measures that have been put in place, such as the jobseeker's allowance, the supplementary welfare allowance and many more. The ARP is just one of the tools in that, but it is one of the most important payments to help secure the basic human need of accommodation. That being said, it is important to mention that we need to be more pragmatic in addressing the safeguards in programmes for refugees who are not arriving from Ukraine and to ensure they have equal supports to succeed and grow in Ireland. Many of them do not have the benefits to work, receive housing or weekly payments, such as those received by Ukrainian nationals. While it is fundamental that the Government and Minister are looking into the extension of the ARP scheme, and, as I said, we will support this, we should also highlight that many refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland are not only receiving substantially fewer benefits, but are also at direct risk of hate crimes, such as in the arson attacks we witnessed earlier this month. In Ireland, we need to maintain our humanitarian approach. All refugees and those coming here seeking asylum are people, of course, and should have equal rights and opportunities when working towards building a better life. We must strive to address the broader needs of all refugees in Ireland, where we can foster a society where everyone, regardless of origin, can thrive and contribute positively.
I am the only Member of the Upper House who is from Drogheda, even though I am from the Meath side of it, so it would be remiss of me to not reflect a little bit on that. In the last 24 hours, we have seen from some elected representatives, although not in this House, a lot of fanning the flame of fear. It is important that elected representatives are responsible in the language they use and in their conduct on social media. It is important that elected representatives, or those who are seeking to be elected representatives, show leadership in the community. It is important that Drogheda does not become the next Roscrea, or anywhere where something like that has happened.
Absolutely.
My hometown has suffered reputational damage because of what has happened over the last couple of years. The people of the town, elected representatives, community leaders and people who have come to live in the town, both from around the country and abroad, all work hard to build it to be what I believe is a great town a great place to live. We have welcomed people to Drogheda for a very long time. Mosney is right beside Drogheda, which has become a thriving, multicultural, diverse town.
I implore the people who are either seeking election or who are currently elected to be mindful of the language they use and the leadership they show. I know the hotel said there will be no loss of jobs, but other people are saying there will be. All sorts of things have been flying around over the past 24 hours. Yet, ultimately, at the end of this, these are people's lives. I refer not only to the 500 people who may be coming to Drogheda, but also to the people who are fearful right now about their jobs. They just want a clear understanding of what will happen and how this will impact them.
I am incredibly proud of my town. I am incredibly proud to come from Drogheda, even though I have vacated it for some time. The people in the town work really hard to make it a thriving, welcoming place, both for tourists and those who live there. I implore the people who are involved in this, whether at elected level or otherwise, to be very mindful that their words have a deep impact both on those who are seeking to come to Drogheda and those who currently live in Drogheda and who are worried about what this may mean for them. Responsible leadership is important, now more than ever, from those elected representatives.
I move amendment No. 1:
To insert the following after “25th January, 2024.”:
“This order shall take effect only after the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 has been amended to provide for the Accommodation Recognition Payment Scheme termination date to be extended for the following:
- existing recipients with respect to the beneficiaries of temporary protection currently benefiting from the scheme, and
- new applicants who propose to host a beneficiary of temporary protection in their property which is also their own principal primary residence and who have not availed of the Rent-a-Room Scheme in the previous 12 months.”
I second the amendment.
I welcome the Minister to the House. First, let me take the opportunity to once again condemn Russia and its illegal war in Ukraine. I want to reiterate my support, as well as the support of my Sinn Féin colleagues, for the Ukrainian people, for the integrity of the territory of their country and for the sovereignty of their country. Over the past two years, we have witnessed images and reports emanating from Ukraine that reveal a scale of horror and aerial and artillery bombardment of civilians, alongside civilian infrastructure. We have also witnessed the deliberate, unforgivable murder of civilians and the use of torture and sexual violence as an instrument of war. We have seen the deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia, which is simply horrendous. Work must begin to create the space for dialogue around the war in Ukraine. Ireland, like other militarily non-aligned countries, must now step forward and lead moves towards finding a path to peace and bringing an end to the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
Today, we are dealing with a Government motion that seeks to approve an order to extend the accommodation recognition payment scheme, which is due to expire on 31 March this year. We very much appreciate the value this scheme has brought by providing shelter to thousands of people fleeing war. We applaud the thousands of Irish families who have opened up their homes and who have welcomed and provided refuge to Ukrainian families in their hour of need. As I said here before, I am sure the Ukrainian people have found belonging here, as they experienced such an awkward time of disconnection.
Host families deserve the certainty of knowing that this payment will remain in place until at least the end of the temporary protection directive. We appreciate that thousands of Ukrainians have benefited from this scheme, and they must continue to be supported by the scheme. However, the further extension of the scheme creates an unacceptable level of competition for private rental properties. Unintended or otherwise, it does incentivise the displacement of non-beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive - private renters - and affords an advantage to Ukrainian people over other renters. In our view, this is unfair. Equality and fairness have to be at the heart of this, consistent with social protection entitlements for new arrivals.
Therefore, in line with the approach to social welfare for new arrivals, it is imperative that we bring our offering more in line with other EU countries. Our priority must be to protect renters in the private rented sector from any further pressure. With that in mind, we have tabled an amendment to the Government's motion before us today. We propose that the scheme should only be extended for existing recipients with respect to Ukrainian people who are currently benefiting from the scheme and new people who sign up to host people in their own homes, or new hosts. The purpose and intent of our amendment would be that no new vacant properties could be signed up to the scheme and no new people could sign up to the scheme using rooms that students would otherwise avail of.
Speaking more broadly as to what should happen when the temporary protection directive does come to an end for Ukrainian people currently in Ireland, we believe the Government should signal now to Ukrainian people and the EU that our immigration laws will apply once the special status of Ukrainian people under the TPD expires in March 2025.
If conditions in Ukraine, or parts thereof, allow for a safe and durable return, that should be the default position. Ukrainian people who wish to remain here after the expiration should begin to apply for work permits. If they are from a part of Ukraine that is unsafe, they could also apply for international protection.
Ireland has become an outlier in Europe. We are offering full access to social welfare, as well as higher rates of payment than are offered in other countries. I acknowledge that the Government intends to reduce welfare payments for Ukrainian people who have recently arrived and are placed in designated centres, which currently do not exist. However, I am concerned that the Government's approach has the potential to create an incentive which will add further pressure on renters and the private rental sector. The Government is doing this by reducing welfare payments for newly arriving Ukrainian people who live in designated accommodation centres, while offering full social welfare entitlements to those who live in the private rental sector.
Equity and fairness are two issues that are raised with Members of this House, including me, by members of the public and local councillors. In terms of medical cards, for example, it made sense at the outset of the war to award medical cards automatically and defer the means test. However, the HSE issued policy instructions in 2023 to continue to award the medical card automatically for a full 12 months to Ukrainian people arriving. The medical card acts as a gateway to various secondary non-health benefits, as other Departments and agencies consider it to be evidence that a full household means test has been conducted. For example, it gives Ukrainian people an entitlement to pay a lower rate of USC for a year if they are working. Sinn Féin proposes to reduce the preferential treatment in the awarding of medical cards by conducting the medical means test much earlier.
Fairness and equality are important here. I lament that the Government has created a two-tier system for people who are fleeing war and persecution. As a people, we have never failed the victims of war. I urge the Minister to accept our amendment. Its intent is reasonable and fair-minded, as I have outlined.
I thank the Senators for their contributions. Senator Seery Kearney reminded us that we are having this discussion as a result of the dual crises that Ireland and all other European countries have had to deal with through the past two years, namely, the impact of the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the humanitarian impact in terms of the largest migration of people across the European Continent since the Second World War. In the context of the pressures everyone has spoken about here today, we should not forget that we are dealing with something unprecedented - a once-in-a-generation event in terms of the movement of people. Ireland and other European countries have had to deal with that, as well as, at the same time, a very significant increase in the number of people seeking international protection in Ireland and other European countries. That is partially linked to the Ukraine crisis in terms of migration routes through Europe being completely moved around and it is partially linked to the ongoing wars and violence in our world, such as in Afghanistan and Syria, and now in Gaza and Palestine. These wars and conflicts are creating the movement of people throughout Africa and the Middle East and that is having an impact on all European countries. Indeed, many European countries have seen a much higher impact on the international protection side for many years. Ireland is now experiencing approximately the European average rate of arrivals. That is creating real pressure on the system and we absolutely recognise that. It is why we need to reform the system.
Our system on the international protection side was not fit for purpose when it was dealing with 2,500 or 3,000 people per year; it is certainly not fit for purpose when 12,000 or 13,000 people are seeking international protection. That is why the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has done such important work on changing the processing system, putting more staff into the International Protection Office in the Department of Justice and increasing the number of people whose applications for international protection are being adjudicated on. We have got that figure up to approximately 1,000 per month from maybe a couple of hundred only a year ago. That is an important change. Changes are being made to the safe country list in order that certain applicants from those countries can be processed more quickly. There are changes to visa arrangements where we thought there was an issue of abuse a year and a half ago. We are making changes to the processing element.
We also have to make changes to the accommodation element. As a State, we cannot be reliant on the private sector for the accommodation of international protection applicants. That is why I will be bringing forward proposals in that regard. We are engaging in a detailed way across government right now in respect of how we can add a substantial core of State-owned accommodation for international protection applicants. We will have better control over the conditions and where they are located and it is a better investment for the State in terms of a once-off capital cost rather than the very significant current expenditure that is needed at present.
We are also responding and making reforms in the context of our provision for Ukrainians seeking temporary protection here. We are making a very significant change which the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is currently bringing through. Ukrainians who arrive here from the end of this month will get a much more limited accommodation offering of 90 days and while they are in that accommodation they will receive a much more limited social protection offering, at a level similar to that offered to international protection applicants. That is a big change, but a necessary one. Europe has changed its offering as well. While the war was in its initial stage, it was right for us to take that open position and support Ukrainians. We have been able to do so primarily because communities throughout the country saw this war and the implications of the invasion for women and families and rallied to support Ukrainians in their area.
Responding to the twin crises of the war in Ukraine and the wider increase in international protection applications, however, places a significant pressure on the system here in Ireland. That is acknowledged. It is a pressure that is felt all over Europe but it is a pressure we are feeling now. That is why we are making changes. Alongside that pressure, there is a humanitarian obligation, particularly when it comes to families and children. Throughout Ireland, there is an understanding that we do not want to see people left unaccommodated. That is why our Department has to act urgently. As long as we, as a Department, are dependent on private sector accommodation, we have to take that where we can find it.
Senators McGreehan and Hoey spoke eloquently about Drogheda and its history as a town in terms of fostering integration in the long term, as well as in recent years as part of the response to international protection and Ukrainian needs. I do not deny for a moment that the decision regarding the use of the D Hotel has an impact for the town. Our Department will be engaging today with Louth County Council at chief executive level in respect of how we can work together. We will work with all parties of good faith in Drogheda who want to make this work. The Government will continue its commitment to Drogheda. That commitment is demonstrable in terms of the support for the Drogheda implementation board and tourism in Drogheda and east Meath in order that we can continue to draw people to that area. We will continue to work in that regard. There are Government schemes available. The Government has made clear that there will be a new round of community recognition payments, again seeking to target additional State investment in areas that are hosting significant numbers of international protection applicants and Ukrainians fleeing the war.
As regards our approach to the use of hotels, a Senator asked about shared use of hotels and the like. That does happen sometimes, usually when the hotel is providing accommodation for adult males. In those situations, we can look at some sort of shared use approach. Where a hotel is being used for children, as is the case in this scenario as it will be families, there are significant complications, particularly in terms of child protection.
Given that our Department is responsible not just for integration but also for children, those child protection elements are hugely important for us. Our Department and other Departments will work closely with Louth County Council, with local development companies and with all interested parties. I know there has been a strong welcome for people from different countries in the Drogheda area in recent years. We will work with everybody on putting in place the necessary supports that we can put in place.
To return to the approach on a national basis, there is real pressure because of two major crises. Significant changes are being made right now on the accommodation offering as part of the short-term response to the needs of Ukrainians, in particular. We already see that having a real impact on the numbers arriving. They are down significantly over the past number of months, particularly since the Christmas period.
I have to be as upfront as possible with Senators in saying that there is real pressure on the international protection side. The numbers arriving are increasing. It is a factor of wars. I have no doubt that changes in the UK are also an element in that regard. Our Department will work to continue to meet the emergency humanitarian needs of people in the short term. We are also conscious that a big reform piece is taking place across the Department of Justice when it comes to processing and across our Department in terms of getting more State-owned, stable, planned accommodation. This work is ongoing. We will be bringing proposals to the Cabinet in the very near future.
Is the amendment being pressed?
Amendment put.
I welcome to the Public Gallery a former councillor and a good friend of many in the Chamber, Marian Hurley, as well as Rose Corcoran, Florence Ryan and Theresa Langan from Limerick, who are guests of Senator Maria Byrne. It is good to see Marian looking so well.
Will the Senators claiming a division please rise?
Senators Lynn Boylan, Paul Gavan and Fintan Warfield rose.
As fewer than five Members have risen, I declare the amendment lost. In accordance with Standing Order 61, the names of the Senators dissenting will be recorded in the Journal of Proceedings of the Seanad.
Amendment declared lost.
Motion agreed to.
When is it proposed to sit again?
Next Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar athló ar 12.42 p.m. go dtí 1 p.m., Dé Máirt, an 20 Feabhra 2024.
The Seanad adjourned at 12.42 p.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, 20 February 2024.