Seòmar agus comataidhean

That the Parliament recognises the jubilees of three priests of the Diocese of Paisley, who together mark over 100 years of service; understands that the Very Rev Canon Sean Cunney, who is retired and continues to support ministry at the Christ the King Parish in Howwood, is marking 70 years since his ordination, that the Very Rev Canon Michael McMahon, Parish Priest at St Conval's in Linwood is marking 40 years and that the Rev Fr Paul Brady, Parish Priest of St Margaret's in Johnstone is marking 25 years; notes that these Platinum, Ruby and Silver Jubilees occur on 5 June, 3 July and 1 July respectively; further understands that Canon Cunney was born and raised in County Mayo, Ireland and volunteered to serve in Scotland after his seminary education in Carlow whereupon he served in St James', Renfrew, St Patrick's Greenock, St John the Baptist, Port Glasgow, St Bernadette's,  Erskine, Christ the King, Howwood and Our Lady of Fatima, Lochwinnoch; acknowledges his service as a prison, hospital and school chaplain and his particular devotion to service as a hospice chaplain mainly at St Vincent's Hospice in Howwood, work he continues to assist with to this day; notes his service to those experiencing illness and disability through annual pilgrimages to the shrine of our Lady of Lourdes in France where he has travelled over 50 times and was appointed as a Chaplain of the Grotto, a great honour; acknowledges Canon McMahon's service in the Diocese since his ordination in 1985 following his formation in Rome and Jerusalem, including at St John the Evangelist, Barrhead, St Mirin's Cathedral, Paisley, Our Lady of Lourdes, Bishopton, St John the Baptist, Port Glasgow and St Conval’s, Linwood; recognises his service as Director of Studies at Scotus College, as school chaplain, hospital chaplain and Vicar Episcopal for Education and Adult Formation; acknowledges Fr Paul Brady's service in the Diocese since his ordination in 2000 following his formation in Rome, including as Parish Priest of St John Bosco, Erskine, St John the Evangelist, Barrhead, St Fillan's, Houston and St Margaret's, Johnstone; acknowledges his service as a school chaplain, Diocesan Master of Ceremonies and Vicar Episcopal for Diocesan Liturgy and Permanent Diaconate until 2023; commends the over 100 years of service of these priests particularly to communities in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire; appreciates that they are well regarded by so many parishioners, and congratulates them and wishes them "Ad Multos Annos".

That the Parliament congratulates Canon Patrick O’Sullivan, a retired priest of the Diocese of Motherwell, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood; notes that Canon O’Sullivan was ordained in 1955 and faithfully served as Assistant Priest at St Peter’s in Hamilton, All Saints in Coatdyke and St Mary’s in Whifflet, before becoming Parish Priest of St John Ogilvie’s in Blantyre and subsequently St Andrew’s in Airdrie, from where he retired in 2008; recognises that, in retirement, he continued to be a valued presence within the Church community while living at St Mary’s in Whifflet, and now resides in Summerlee Care Home; gives thanks for his lifetime of dedicated priestly ministry and service to the Catholic community, and extends its warmest wishes and prayers to Canon O’Sullivan as he celebrates this remarkable milestone.

That the Parliament notes with concern the recent reporting that destruction of wild salmon by fish farms could be worse than feared, due to parasites becoming resistant to the insecticide emamectin benzoate, also known as Slice; acknowledges reported new research by Inland Fisheries Ireland, based on almost 20 years of tagging wild salmon, showing that young wild salmon passing coastal fish farms are increasingly falling prey to lice spilling out of pens, concluding that “Results of the analysis provide clear evidence of significantly reduced return of adult salmon linked to salmon lice infestation from marine salmon farms" and that "Data also suggests... the effects of lice from local salmon farms on wild stocks are underestimated (in previous studies)”; notes reports that emamectin benzoate can damage human DNA, and that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has found it leaking from fish farm pens and harming sea life; recognises reports that, during a consultation in 2023, an immediate reduction in the use of emamectin benzoate was called for by bodies including the National Trust for Scotland and the Marine Conservation Society, but that Salmon Scotland urged the Scottish Ministers to delay fresh regulation and the Scottish Government decided in summer 2024 to allow the use of emamectin benzoate until 2028, and believes that, as a result of the latest research, which, it understands, suggests that the increasingly poor performance of emamectin benzoate is also now leaving wild salmon at risk of deadly lice infestations, the Scottish Government must immediately implement the new environmental quality standard on emamectin benzoate to protect wildlife and the reputation of Scottish salmon.

That the Parliament acknowledges the passing of Peter Krykant, 48, who was a strong advocate and campaigner for safe drug consumption facilities; notes that Peter overcame his own struggles with addiction and homelessness to turn his life around and focus his skillset on changing national policy for drug reform to be fairer, and for a more compassionate approach to tackling drug deaths in Scotland; understands that Peter opened his mobile safe consumption ambulance in 2020, where drug users could take substances safely under medical supervision; recognises that Peter’s legacy in drug reform within Scotland has contributed to the opening and delivery of Glasgow’s first safe consumption site in January 2025; acknowledges Peter's legacy, and extends its sympathies to his family, friends, and the wider community who are mourning his loss.

That the Parliament welcomes the plaque unveiling at Northfield Academy for the late Lance Corporal Allan Douglas; notes that Allan grew up in the Northfield area of Aberdeen, attending Northfield Academy before joining the British Army at the age of 17, eventually joining the Delta Company of the 1st Battalion of The Highlanders, with first duties seeing him deployed on peace-keeping duties in Kosovo and then to Bosnia two years later; further notes that Allan was promoted to Lance Corporal in July 2005 and was shortly after deployed to Iraq as part of the 7th Armoured Brigade; recognises that, whilst on a routine patrol in the Al Amarah area of Iraq, Allan was shot and fatally wounded; believes that, after learning of Allan’s bravery, kindness and sacrifice, Crew 2.5, who worked with the technical department at Northfield Academy, wanted to ensure that there was a more permanent memorial to him at the school, which led to the creation of a permanent memorial plaque, which will be unveiled at the front of the school on 18 June 2025; notes that the class also raised funds for a memorial trophy in Allan’s name for the annual Celebration of Success, with the trophy being presented for the first time to a pupil on 11 June 2025 for showing bravery, kindness or sacrifice; understands that Crew 2.5 have been working alongside Councillor Donna Clark to get a permanent memorial to Allan in the nearby Allan Douglas Park in the form of a cairn to ensure that Allan is never forgotten within the local community and that his memory lives on; commends the work carried out by Crew 2.5 in bringing these projects forward, and wishes them the best of luck with their future projects.

That the Parliament congratulates Bethany McLay on being a named recipient of The King’s Trust Rising Star Award; understands that Bethany found traditional mainstream schooling difficult in her formative years, and after a period of struggling to engage, she left school with no qualifications at 15 years old; recognises that while Bethany initially had no confidence or qualifications to aid her in her search for a career that would bring her fulfilment, she discovered The King’s Trust 12-week Team Programme; notes that the Team Programme assisted Bethany to develop and improve her confidence and soft skills, involving her in all forms of activities and offering a work placement week in childcare, an area that Bethany was interested in; understands that this led to Bethany working with Go! Youth Trust, supporting summer activities for young people aged between 10 and 15; recognises that this work aided the development of Bethany’s people skills and confidence, resulting in her taking leadership roles during these activities, actively checking in with the young people and ensuring their safety during trips; notes that, from this work week placement, Go! Youth Trust was impressed with Bethany’s skillset and suitability for the role, and offered her a position as a trainee youth worker; further notes that Bethany continues to work with Go! Youth Trust as an assistant team leader, and is now interacting with and inspiring young people who find themselves in a similar situation, disengaging from mainstream education; congratulates Bethany on receiving The King’s Trust Rising Star Award, and wishes her the best of luck in the future.

That the Parliament congratulates SCAMP, a Dumfries and Galloway Council initiative, on it becoming the first recipient of the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Landscape Connections initiative, after receiving £8 million from the £150 million pot; recognises that the award will support the coastal and marine environment to thrive in the near future; acknowledges that the 210-mile stretch of the Solway Coast offers a spectacular diversity of stunning scenery, from salt marsh to sea cliffs, and sandy beaches to sheltered coves; understands that its beauty is not only recognised in Scotland but around the world; notes that a recent WWF report revealed that the UK’s muddy saltmarshes are vital for tackling climate change, while the Solway Firth’s rich natural heritage has supported communities along its length since the earliest settlement, and believes that this financial boost will deliver large-scale, long-term, meaningful change for the environment and its people, which is vitally important now and in the future.

That the Parliament congratulates Jill McAlpine, founder of Inverness-based inpurpose, on winning the Scotland Professional Services StartUp of the Year award at the UK StartUp Awards 2025; recognises this achievement as a reflection of what it sees as inpurpose’s outstanding work in helping organisations align strategy, systems and people to drive purposeful and sustainable growth; commends Jill’s leadership in delivering high-quality, values-driven consultancy services; believes that the company is making a positive impact within Scotland’s professional services sector from its base in Inverness, and wishes Jill and the inpurpose team continued success in their endeavour to strengthen Scotland’s reputation for innovation, growth and principled business practices.

That the Parliament welcomes the opening of Pittyvaich Care Home in Inverness; understands that it is the first new care home to be built in the city in five years; recognises that this £11 million investment by family-run Parklands Care Homes offers 58 high-quality care placements for older people; believes that the new facility comes at a critical time for the Highlands, which has seen a reported loss of more than 200 care beds in recent years; welcomes Parklands’ wider investment in social care across the region, including planned expansions at its homes in Tain, Fortrose and Grantown on Spey; congratulates Parklands on being named Best for Wellbeing at the national Care Home Awards, reflecting its commitment to high-quality, person-centred care, and wishes the team at Pittyvaich every success as it supports older people in Inverness to live with dignity, comfort and respect.

That the Parliament congratulates Bearsden Academy under 18s on winning the Cameronian Cup with a penalty shootout victory over St Peter the Apostle High School at Celtic Park; understands that, following a tense 90 minutes of football that finished in a 0-0 draw, the under 18s were able to keep their composure and claim a 5-3 victory on penalties; congratulates all the players and coaches involved in this success in a season where the team played high-quality football, and wishes them all the best for the future.