I commend my colleague Teachta Ward, not only on the work he has done recently but over the past number of years. This is not work that has been done over the past two months. A lot of time and effort has been invested in it. We are all aware that nitrous oxide has become a scourge in all of our communities. Our young people are being put at serious risk by people who are making profit out of children's health. I have met with community and support groups and been contacted by members of the public across my area of Fingal East who are coming across discarded canisters outside schools and playgrounds and on football pitches where young people are. They are just discarded on the road. I went out of my house to the green area across the road and picked up 15 canisters last weekend. That was just on a green space outside my house. Every time our Tidy Towns and other volunteering groups are collecting litter, they are cleaning up bag loads of canisters all over the place. It is not only a public health issue, but an environmental challenge. Sinn Féin's Bill is a solutions-based common-sense approach. I urge the Minister to reconsider, withdraw his amendment and not delay this by nine months. How many more children's lives will be affected in a nine-month period? We are delaying dealing with the issues just to tie it up. They could be dealt with on Committee Stage. The Minister mentioned this himself. Every time our young people use this gas they are playing Russian roulette with their health and with their lives. We need to deal with it, and we need to deal with it now. The Bill covers the sale of nitrous oxide from abroad. It deals with where it should be despatched within the State. This would require wholesalers to have a licence to sell this gas and related products. Retailers would also have to be on an approved register to sell related products. It would be illegal to sell to under 18s. It would be illegal to have under 18s sell the products even if it is on a licensed premises, in the same way as it is for them to sell alcohol. The Bill will allow gardaí to seize the nitrous oxide if they believe the person is under 18 or if the person is to use it as an intoxicant. These canisters can then be disposed of or destroyed properly. I heard stories over Hallowe'en where they have been flung into fires and were going off like missiles. There are loads of addendums to this that need to be dealt with. At the moment it is urgency. It is about our children's lives. We need to look after it. I call on the Minister to withdraw his amendment, to look at this and deal with it in the manner it needs to be, as quickly and urgently as possible.

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