I congratulate Senator Garret Ahearn on his promotion to Acting Leader.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
The Order of Business is No. 1, report of the Committee of Selection, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of the Order of Business; and No. 2, Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023 - Second Stage, to be taken at 11.45 a.m., with the time allotted to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed 15 minutes, those of group spokespersons not to exceed 12 minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed six minutes, and the Minister to be given not less than 15 minutes to reply to the debate.
I express my sympathy and the sympathy of the Fianna Fáil Party to the Slovak people on the attempted assassination of their Prime Minister yesterday. We are all very relieved to hear he has come through serious surgery and it is hoped he will be well on the way to recuperation. It is a massive blow to democracy and we must call always it out.
Today is the 30th anniversary of the Arrow train being extended to Newbridge and Kildare, which opened up south and north Kildare. It was a significant step. We all look forward to next September when fares will be significantly reduced for commuters from Newbridge and Kildare.
Last week, a sizeable grant was given in respect of the Barrow blueway. The funding will go towards a pedestrian bridge in Rathangan, picnic benches, signage, more gates and so on. It is incredibly welcome. The blueway is a fantastic facility both for encouraging people to come to our lovely county of Kildare and for our local residents. However, particularly over the past week, we have had horrific behaviour around Ballyteige where the 20th lock is. Local residents have been extremely intimidated in their own homes. Quads, scooters and sulkies are taking up that space on the blueway where many houses are, and they are impacting on the nearby roads as well. In fact, the roads were blocked one evening last week. One of the local councillors, Daragh Fitzpatrick, came and had to call the Garda, who came quickly. Kfm did a feature this morning talking to the residents. What is going on is shocking. People are intimidated in their own homes. It is very dangerous. We need a task force set up between the Garda, Waterways Ireland, Kildare County Council and all stakeholders to ensure this type of behaviour does not continue.
The last thing I wish to mention is the positive news for those with epilepsy who cannot drive or may not be able to drive for 12 months or a longer period. Free travel has just been expanded to include this cohort of people. This is very welcome news. It is important we tell those who are in this situation that they can now apply for free travel. Well done to Epilepsy Ireland for all the advocacy it did for this.
I wish to also be associated with the expressions of sympathy to the Slovak people in respect of the attack on their Prime Minister. We wish him a speedy recovery.
I wish to raise an issue related to school transport. I have a situation where a student only qualifies to go to one school and there are two schools in the town. The schools are very close to each other and a person can walk from one to the other in about five minutes. We have a farcical situation where these students will probably be denied school transport. The parents will drive in and out to the local town, perhaps even collecting the students at lunchtime, and drive in in the morning and again in the afternoon or evening to collect them. We are trying to get cars off the road and, at the same time, we have a school transport system that could bring the students to both schools. The student would then have a choice of which school they want to go to within the same town. I understand a pilot scheme is being rolled out by the Department, and one would question whether there is any great need for it. I welcome the pilot scheme if it is going to be rolled out and I look for one to be done in Castlebar to alleviate the problem we have there. However, I do not think there is any great need for a pilot scheme because it is self-explanatory. It makes common sense to bring kids to both schools in this case. I am sure there are quite a number of similar situations in other towns throughout the country. I propose that the Acting Leader ask the Minister to include Castlebar in the pilot scheme and that it be rolled out fairly quickly.
I also wish to raise an issue related to contracts for primary school teachers. I understand that many primary school teachers are on five-year contracts, which is difficult for them. They have to build a house, settle down and rear a family. They will not get a mortgage if they have a five-year contract. The Catholic Church, which is the patron for many primary schools throughout the country, has bought into these five-year contracts as well. We as public representatives are meeting with the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO, next week but I do not see anything related to the five-year contracts for primary school teachers on the literature it has sent to us. I hope the INTO will raise this with the Department as well. I ask the Acting Leader to raise with the Department that all those primary school teachers be made permanent. I ask that the Catholic Church, which is the patron of many primary schools, make permanent its primary teachers who are contracted and take them out of the misery they are in so they can get on with their lives and get a mortgage if they get permanency.
I also express my sympathy and outrage at the attempted assassination of the Slovakian Prime Minister, Robert Fico, and the very serious threat of life to Malachy Steenson, who is a candidate for the EU elections.
I want to raise my concerns again about the WHO pandemic treaty, particularly in light of pharma giant AstraZeneca requesting that its Covid-19 vaccine be withdrawn by the European Medicines Agency, EMA. The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was first approved by the EMA in January 2021. Within weeks, however, concerns grew about the vaccine's safety when dozens of countries suspended its use when unusual but rare blood clots were detected in several immunised people. At that time, the EMA did not deem the risk to be high enough to reject approval. Why is this relevant to the WHO treaty? It is relevant because the treaty provides for liability-free vaccine development. More than 3 billion doses of this vaccine were administered globally. The AstraZeneca vaccine was distributed to poor countries through the UN's co-ordinated programme because it was cheaper and easier to procure and distribute. Months after the manufacturer of this vaccine admitted in court documents that the jab can cause a rare but dangerous side effect, we now finally see its removal from the market by the company citing commercial reasons and a lack of demand as the reasons for the withdrawal.
Over 80% of the WHO funding comes from special interests, such as large pharmaceutical companies and philanthropic concerns, that have a significant influence on the organisation and the treaty to which I refer. It is simply irreconcilable that liability-free vaccine development would be a standard and acceptable practice in the context of future pandemics. The process surrounding WHO proposals seems to be in disarray, with a rush to meet administrative deadlines for the various programmes, including that relating to the sustainable development goals. I urge the Government to follow the lead of the Dutch Parliament, which has already decided to delay its vote in order to thoroughly examine the implications of this law. Other countries that have concerns include the UK and Slovenia. In addition, 49 US Senators and 22 attorneys general in America oppose the treaty. A delay is necessary for several reasons, including the need for the Covid-19 inquiry to thoroughly examine the WHO's role during the pandemic, especially in light of the impact it had on Ireland's response measures. Other provisions in the latest version of the WHO's proposals, such as those relating to biological warfare agent proliferation, raise significant concerns about sovereignty, human rights and transparency.
I call for a robust debate on this matter in order that we might discuss the critical issues to which I refer. It is essential Members of the Houses have the opportunity to fully understand and discuss the implications of the proposed measures. We must learn from and account for the mistakes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. We must not rush to sign up to another set of international obligations without answering to our own people and ensuring that their public health interests come first.
I wish to express the condolences of the Labour Party Group to our colleague Senator Moynihan who lost her mother at the weekend.
At the start of this week, Max Shields, a 15-year-old boy from Clondalkin, lost his life when swimming in the Grand Canal. I express my condolences to his family. This is the time of year when the weather becomes wonderful, thank God, and people take to the big beaches, the rivers and the canals. Indeed, there were people swimming in the canal at Phibsborough at the weekend. We want people to be able to swim. However, understanding the risks involved and people's ability to swim is absolutely crucial, as is what the State is doing to ensure safety in our waterways. Much attention is being paid to road safety at the moment. When we look back over the five-year period between 2017 and 2021, we can see that 1,298 people died on the roads and in the water. Some 45% of those deaths occurred in the water. Listening to all of the coverage, one would think that the vast majority of accidental deaths that take place in this country occur on the roads and that very few happen in the water. That is not the case. The overwhelming majority of those who die in our waters are male, approximately 79%. Most of these incidents happen in home counties and the majority are accidental in nature.
When we look at where Ireland stands in the context of drownings relative to other EU countries, it can be seen that we lie at about the halfway mark. However, we have approximately 3.2 times the rate of drownings per 100,000 of population in comparison with our nearest neighbour, Britain. The reason for this is that we are simply not investing the time and resources or educating people to ensure that we reduce the numbers who drown in this country. For a start, we need to ensure that our education system is got right. Waterways Ireland has a fantastic programme for preschools, primary schools and secondary schools. Schools voluntarily adopt those programmes, but they are not a formal required part of the curriculum. They should be.
The second key point relates to lifeguards. The season in Ireland in this regard only begins on 1 June. Lifeguards are only in place weekends in June. They are there on a full-time basis in July and August and for the first two weeks in September. That has to change. John O'Regan, my colleague in Carrigaline, County Cork, and I are aware that councillors across the country have been calling for the lifeguarding season to be extended to start on 1 May. They are also calling for it to operate on a full-time basis - not just at weekends - from that date right up to the end of September. We have to ensure that we have enough lifeguards on our beaches and at other popular places for swimming.
The other side of this matter is that we have to look at the pay of lifeguards. We know that there is a major differential between local authorities. We know that certain local authorities are very much struggling to recruit lifeguards this summer. We know that Sligo has outlined the shortage it faces, as has Fingal. Any of the parliamentary questions on this issue tabled in the Dáil have been referred by the Minister for local government to Waterways Ireland. The latter has then passed the buck back to local authorities. We need a Government response. This should not be a difficult thing to do. There are a small number of measures that could be taken to save lives and ensure that we prevent heartbreak for families.
I join Senator Sherlock and, I am sure, all of our colleagues in expressing sympathy to our friend Senator Moynihan on the sad loss of her mother. I thank Senator Sherlock for thinking of her today.
Anois, glaoim ar an Seanadóir Murphy.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach. I join in that vote of sympathy to Senator Moynihan.
On the comments made by Senator Sherlock, I was about to raise the matter of farm safety. It is that time of year again. As a result of all of the bad weather, the farm season seems to be getting increasingly shorter. We have so many accidents every year on farms. We had 16 fatal accidents on farms last year. From memory, I believe there were 13 in 2022. The number of accidents is rising. There were 39 work-related fatalities in 2023, and 42% of those were in agriculture. These are very significant figures. No more than the situation with deaths that occur in the water, the number of deaths in the agriculture sector, particularly when the season gets busy, is great.
The Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, and the Government have very strong policies in respect of farm safety. Those policies are constantly highlighted, which is good to see. People can read articles about them in the farming and local newspapers and hear about them on local radio. It might be no harm if the Minister of State made himself available for an hour-long debate some day in order that we might drive home the point and ask people to be careful. Having very young children around machinery is extremely dangerous. Accidents happen. They are sometimes hard to avoid. When we consider what can happen, however, we can see that some accidents could have been avoided. Perhaps the Acting Leader might bring my suggestion to the attention of the Minister of State. It is something good we could do that might keep people's minds switched on at this time to make them realise that farm safety is very important. I am very concerned that we lost 16 people in farm accidents last year and that this was an increase on previous years.
I take this opportunity to ask Senator Sherlock to pass on my sympathies to Senator Moynihan regarding the death of her mother.
I wish to raise two issues relating to education. The first is in respect of Ballymahon Vocational School in County Longford and the application for additional temporary accommodation it has submitted. Perhaps a request could be passed on to the Minister for Education to ask for an update on that.
I also have another concern.
I worked with principals of the post-primary schools in Longford previously to get additional home-school community liaison co-ordinators to work in the schools and we were quite successful in getting additional posts at the time. Currently, however, two ETBs are sharing a co-ordinator between two post-primary schools, one of which is in Roscommon, with the other in Ballymahon, on a rotating two-day, three-day basis. When this post was granted a number of years ago, both schools had a population of just over 200. Now the schools are at 500 students each, which means that the home-school community liaison staff member is working with over 1,000 pupils in two separate counties and with two ETBs. This is not workable. I want to highlight my concerns in this regard. I have corresponded with the Minister on it but am asking the Acting Leader to also bring it to the Minister's attention.
I compliment Senator Ahearn on taking on the role of Acting Leader today.
It is good to see Senator Ahearn in the Leader’s chair today. I also join colleagues in sending my condolences to our colleague and friend Senator Moynihan on the unexpected passing of her dear mother at such a young age. We send our sympathies to Rebecca and her extended family.
Today I want to talk about the shared island civic society fund. Last week the Tánaiste announced the provision of €1 million for 35 cross-Border projects. The Tánaiste, Deputy Martin, is hugely committed to the shared island initiative, which was his idea and which also had the support of the previous Government. It is a very positive initiative to which the Tánaiste has given energy, commitment and determination. It is about building bridges, both North and South, as well as east and west. I commend him for that. I am particularly pleased that included in the round of funding that he announced for 2024 is the all-island women's soccer competition staged by the FAI and the Northern Ireland Football League. That competition is one of the major beneficiaries of the grants that the Tánaiste announced. When Deputy Martin established the shared island initiative in 2020 he spoke of a positive vision for the future of our island. He talked about a more confident, inclusive and prosperous Ireland for everyone, North and South. We should celebrate his work on this to date. I ask the Acting Leader to organise statements on what is a very important initiative. The shared island civic society fund promotes practical co-operation and interaction in civil society. It is all about collaboration and working together for everyone who wants to call Ireland home, both North and South. Let us share it together. Let us share in the prosperity and celebrate the achievements to date. In that context, I ask that we extend a warm invitation to the Tánaiste, Deputy Martin, to come to the House soon to discuss its progress.
Like other colleagues, I want to pass on my sympathies to our colleague and friend Senator Rebecca Moynihan on the passing of her mother. Myself and Rebecca soldiered years ago on the old Dublin Mid-Leinster health forum. I have known her for a long time but only heard her sad news today through Senator Sherlock's comments. I am very sorry not to have been aware of it before now but I pass on my sympathies to Rebecca, her husband Barra and her extended family.
I also want to pass on my sympathies, more generally, to the people of Slovakia whose elected Prime Minister, Mr. Robert Fico, was shot in an apparent attempted assassination. Senator O'Loughlin may have referred to it as well. To see that happen anywhere in the world is shocking but it is incredible to see it happening in one of our EU partner countries, Slovakia. I have been in Bratislava a number of times, including when Slovakia held the Presidency of the EU back in 2016. It is a lovely, small compact European capital and if such things can happen there, they can happen anywhere. We all need to reflect on that when our debate is coarsening. We need to calm down our debates and the level of vitriol against politicians generally.
Senator Ahearn is our Acting Leader today and I congratulate him on that. Yesterday, the Garda Commissioner, Mr. Drew Harris, appeared before the Oireachtas transport committee, of which I am Vice Chair. I am not taking away anything from what Senator Sherlock said about water safety because it is really important. I say that as someone who trained as a lifeguard when I was in school. I agree that water safety is important but so too is road safety. We all need to realise that when we get into a car or a motor vehicle of any kind, we are in a big, powerful lump of metal. Distracted driving is one of the biggest problems, along with speeding, looking at mobile phones and having drugs or alcohol in one's system. All of these things are the causes of road safety deteriorating. The numbers are going in the wrong direction. As we progress into the summer, more people will be travelling on our roads, enjoying holidays and time away from their normal places of residence. We need to make sure that we all concentrate and are not distracted in our driving. I was actually on Radio Kerry this morning, of all places, to talk about this-----
I hope the Senator mentioned myself and Bridget.
Of course, I mentioned the people of Kerry and you are included in that.
We all need to focus on road safety. The idea that people would buy seatbelt blockers to stop their seatbelts beeping is incredible given that one quarter of people who died in road crashes last year were not wearing a seatbelt. We should all make sure that we wear our seatbelts at all times.
Before I call on the next speaker I welcome the transition year students from Tullow who are guests of Deputy Murnane O’Connor. I am not sure if transition year students get homework but if you do, you will have none for the rest of the week. If you have projects or any other work at all, you will not have to do them until next week. When you come to Seanad Éireann, one of the rules is that there is no homework for the remainder of the week. We always advise people to come on a Tuesday.
Senator Black is next.
I take this opportunity to express my solidarity with Councillors Tania Doyle and Janet Horner. Janet was attacked last night while putting up posters and Tania and her husband were attacked recently by what I would call a racist while erecting her election posters. Some months ago, Councillor Hugh Lewis had a brick thrown through his window in an effort to intimidate him because of his support for the local refugee community. These are dedicated community activists who work so hard and who are placed in great danger by the emboldened far right. There are videos circulating online now of far-right activists harassing and following politicians and candidates in a threatening and predatory fashion. These people are saying all sorts of unhinged, hateful and conspiratorial nonsense. These figures claim to oppose the establishment but they are almost entirely focused on attacking Opposition parties of the left and Independent candidates who reject divisive and cruel rhetoric. Racist violence and intimidation has become a really significant threat to public safety and the democratic process. It is a very worrying situation. It is incredibly upsetting to see people online, including some election candidates, attacking candidates for their nationality or the colour of their skin. These candidates have made huge contributions to their local communities and this country and are bravely putting themselves forward for election but are receiving really awful racist abuse as a result. This is not the Ireland I know. Irish people have watched with horror as racist and authoritarian politics has gained ground throughout Europe and in the US and now we face a similar crisis. If we do not stand united against this hatred, our political discourse will be polluted by racism, lies and conspiracy theories, which is really worrying. I want to express my sympathy, support and solidarity to all the people running in the elections who are facing abuse. The same goes to all of the candidates who are campaigning under the banner of inclusive, democratic politics, who are standing up against the people peddling cruelty, fear and division. They should be proud of their contribution to our democratic process, which is vitally important.
Finally, I want to send my condolences to Senator Rebecca Moynihan on the passing of her mother. I just want to let her family know that we are all thinking of them.
I thank Senators for their contributions. Before I begin, I wish to acknowledge that Senator Moynihan's mother passed away. I want to pass on all of our condolences to the Senator at this difficult time. I lost my mother a long time ago - it is 24 years now - and it still hurts. It is raw for the Senator at the moment, but I am sure the support of her friends and colleagues in the House will help in that process of healing.
Most Senators spoke about yesterday's incident involving the Slovakian Prime Minister. Most people were horrified and shocked that it would happen in a European country and was so visible. I was on a delegation that visited Slovakia two years ago and I met the Speaker of the National Council and a number of MPs. It is a beautiful country and one with which we have a great relationship. All Senators send our best wishes to the Prime Minister and everyone else in Slovakia. Thousands of Slovakians are living in Ireland and are horrified by what happened at home. We wish them, their families and their MPs well over the next number of days.
Senator O’Loughlin discussed the funding provided for the blueway between Newbridge and Kildare and how successful that amenity has been for the area, but she also discussed antisocial behaviour. This has become an issue on blueways across the country. I have seen it in Clonmel in my own county of Tipperary where there has been a great deal of antisocial behaviour. This is an issue for the county council and the Garda to address. As a Government, we have put a great deal of money into having these amenities locally. The hope is always that they will be respected and not become areas of antisocial behaviour. Rather than being areas to avoid, they are meant to be areas where people can walk and enjoy their time outside.
The Senator also discussed free travel for epilepsy sufferers, which is a positive change. Epilepsy Ireland has played a key role in this change and I acknowledge its support and its important work with the Government.
Senator Burke discussed school transport and something that is always an issue at this time of year as we get closer to September, namely, kids who will be starting school being unable to get free travel because the schools they will be attending will not be the schools closest to them. Sometimes, there could only be a couple of hundred metres in the difference. That is difficult for families. In the case Senator Burke raised, the two schools are in the same town, namely, Castlebar. I wonder whether the bus drives to both schools. This seems like an issue that could be solved quickly. The Minister has introduced proposals. She wants to make two changes – to distances from schools and to the near-school principle. She has spoken about a pilot scheme. I agree with Senator Burke that there is not much need for a pilot scheme – this is happening right across the country – but if such a scheme is to be set up, the Senator said that Castlebar should be included in it. It should probably include an area in every county. Each county has different demographics and faces different issues, so it would be helpful if that were done.
Senator Keogan asked for a debate on the WHO pandemic treaty. No one wants to shy away from having such a debate, and I believe that is why a Covid inquiry is being set up. I appreciate that the Senator wants the debate to happen before the inquiry’s establishment. I suggest that is a matter for the Senator’s representative on the Business Committee to put to the committee. From this side of the House, I do not believe there would be an issue with having a debate on the issue.
Senator Sherlock discussed the very sad passing of Max Shields, who was only 15 years of age when he died in a canal. I am surprised that 45% of the deaths on our roads and waters happened on our waters. It does not get the same attention. We hear about water deaths, but we do not hear about them to the same degree as road deaths. That our rate is 3.2 times higher than the UK’s shows that we need to make changes. Waterways Ireland can play a key role in that. Extending the lifeguard season is a credible suggestion. Obviously, we would have to work with local authorities and Waterways Ireland on that. The seasons are changing and some of the best days we get during the year are in April or September, not necessarily in June or July. We need to recognise that. If there is a lack of responsibility being taken by local authorities or others, leadership needs to be shown from a Government perspective. This is about saving lives.
Senator Murphy referred to farm safety. From being on a farm my whole life, this is something that I take seriously as well. We are tillage farmers at home. Sixteen deaths last year were 16 deaths too many. A great deal of work on awareness and education has been done in this regard over the past ten years or so. I remember when Deputy Coveney was in the Department of agriculture. A great deal was done back then on the issue of farm safety and improvements were made, but there are still a significant number of deaths. It would be helpful if the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, came to the House to speak on this issue solely. Raising it as a Commencement matter might be helpful. It is something that we cannot highlight to people enough. The farm is a workplace, but it is a home as well. On our farm during harvest season, we do not see it as a workplace. We see it and treat it as our home. That is one of the dangers of a farm.
Senator Carrigy discussed additional temporary accommodation for a school in Longford and raised the issue of a community liaison co-ordinator who is facilitating two schools in two different counties that have increased their enrolments from 200 each to more than 500 each. That person is trying to accommodate 1,000 pupils in two different counties, but that is not viable. It is a serious issue for the area. I suggest that raising this as a Commencement matter with the Minister would be helpful.
Senator Boyhan spoke about the shared civic Ireland fund and the €1 billion investment that has been committed to by the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin. This is something that the Tánaiste has taken a leadership role on, speaking about an inclusive and prosperous future for people in all areas on this island. Be it through sport or the arts, anything that can be done to make this island more inclusive is a positive. The Senator’s suggestion that the Tánaiste attend the House for statements on the subject was a good one and I will bring it to the Leader’s office.
Senator Horkan discussed yesterday's events in Slovakia, a matter that I have touched on, and the Garda Commissioner appearing before the transport committee to discuss road safety. What with water safety and farm safety, the issue of safety has been raised often today. Road safety is a major issue at the moment. I come from Tipperary, a county that had the worst road safety rates per capita at 16 deaths last year. This issue needs to be tackled. Talking and talking does not solve it. We need action. As the Senator mentioned, a quarter of the deaths occurred where people were not wearing seatbelts. Deaths also happen because of bad road infrastructure. A quarter of the deaths in Tipperary happened on one particular road, the N24, which represents just 1% of the roads in the county. New changes are being made and new roads are being built with barriers down the middle to stop head-on collisions. Any new road infrastructure has to have such a barrier. This will be important. A change in mindset and education is necessary, as are improvements in roads and speeds. The simplest thing like wearing a seatbelt cannot be emphasised enough when we discuss road safety. I thank the Senator for raising this important issue.
Senator Black discussed a matter that everyone in the House has had some experience of, namely, abuse, be it verbal or physical. My thoughts go out to Councillors Tania Doyle and Janet Horner on the abuse they got. Senator Black and I are on different sides and we have different perspectives on politics, legislation and so on, but we are united in wanting to do the right thing for the country and wanting to serve. How are we going to convince people to get into a profession like ours when this is what they see? The Senator said it was the far right, but it does not matter. Regardless of whether they are on the far right, the far left or wherever, what these people are doing is wrong. It is clearly the far right doing this at the moment. It is wrong that people are being threatened and intimidated. There are many good people, and I suspect this happens with other parties as well, and not just with my own party, as well as with Independents. We see really good community activists who we believe would be very good in politics and could play a key role. Yet, when we try to convince them to get involved, because they see incidents like this, they wonder why they would bother. Collectively, we need to call that out. We need to strong and united, as the Senator suggested, and call this out for what it is. Certainly, people need to be held accountable when these actions take place. Everyone has a video phone at the moment. When people do this, they often record it while they are doing it and they need to be held accountable for that. Certainly, if there any role that this House and the Leader's office can play in that, we would definitely support it.
I join the Acting Leader in expressing my support for Janet Horner, Tania Doyle and all those who are campaigning at the moment and are on the receiving end of abuse. When we had a discussion here on the future of local democracy, one of the issues that arose was in relation to the time when there was a protest outside a Minister's house. We have seen that happen time and time again, but that is not a protest; it is intimidation. When you protest outside someone's private residence, you are not doing it to make a point; you are doing it to harass and intimidate them. As the Acting Leader has pointed out, how we are going to get people to put themselves forward for public office when that is happening? I hope the new criminal justice Bill will tackle the issue. It is important for us to hear that those who are harassing candidates are arrested and brought in for questioning, but we have not been hearing that. We are hearing that the harassment is happening, but we are not hearing that any arrests are taking place. While people are quite entitled to protest in a democracy, they are not entitled to intimidate people.
I also welcome more students from Tullow. They are transition year students and are guests of Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor. They are most welcome. They are off all projects for the rest of the week. If they get any more work, they can just say that they got an agreement from the Seanad. Is that agreed, Acting Leader?
They have no more work.
Order of Business agreed to.