Results 21-40 of 730 for speaker:Mark Wall

Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Mark Wall: I am very proud to be a cosignatory of the Bill. I thank Senator Clonan for asking us to cosign it. I also thank him for his continued advocacy for disability services and people with disabilities, and all the services they should be entitled to access. It is something I deal with daily, be it in the area of transport, education or housing provision or in access to healthcare. I welcome...

Seanad: Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (1 May 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the Senator. I take his point. I call the Minister.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I welcome all the witnesses. As has been said, it has been very informative. The lord mayor touched on diversity. That is key to local government and we have discussed it at this committee. I know the report is only being launched today but it is something this committee needs to feed into because we need diversity in politics, specifically in local politics. It is timely that we have...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank everybody for their contributions. I thank my colleague, Councillor Lacey, for all he has done for the Labour Party. He was first elected in 1993. Today is not the first time I heard about his passion for local government. He made six points. Senator Boyhan has taken the one point I wanted to put forward, namely, the form and financing of local government. Across all our...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank everybody who has made a contribution. The meeting has been excellent as always. I am delighted that representatives of Fórsa are here today because the trade union has an important part to play in the future of local government. It represents 12,000 people who are at the coalface of local government day in, day out. I deal with them daily and I am sure my colleagues deal...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I want to raise several issues today. The first concerns emergency electricity credits. We all know that 2.2 million households will benefit from the worthwhile and needed €450 million that was announced by the Government in recent months. The reason I raise this issue today is that, in response to a number of queries I have had in the last couple of days, particularly around low...

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I welcome the Minister and thank Fianna Fáil colleagues and Senators for tabling this very important motion on school places. It is very timely. I have contacted the Minister a number of times about issues in Kildare South. My colleague mentioned that already this evening. This is not a new problem there. The Minister spoke about the new model but I contend it has not worked for us...

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the Minister and welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, to the House.

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: When is it proposed to sit again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Impact of Means Testing on Farm Assist and Other Social Welfare Schemes: Discussion (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I welcome our guests today. It has been an important discussion on farm assist and RSS. I will start off with what the Cathaoirleach last mentioned. He will be aware that, over recent weeks, I have brought this up with the Department and various contributors about the net versus gross assessment. Ms Doyle stated in her introduction that we would all love to be able to spend what is gross...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Impact of Means Testing on Farm Assist and Other Social Welfare Schemes: Discussion (17 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: An important point that needs to be made is that what is acceptable to Revenue is not acceptable to social protection. I have come across this problem in the past couple of weeks with a farming family and with another family. The committee might look at it because it is a very important point. I take the point of the gathering up of the information and I have come across that on a fairly...

Seanad: EU Regulations (Police Co-operation on Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings): Motion (11 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: Before calling on Senator Ward, I welcome our guests from Gaelcholáiste Ceatharlach, Carlow, which is just down the road from my home. They are guests today of the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan. You are very welcome and I hope you enjoy your day in Seanad and Dáil Éireann.

Seanad: EU Regulations (Police Co-operation on Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings): Motion (11 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: Before I call Senator Warfield, I welcome the visitors in the Public Gallery who are guests of Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú. They are very welcome to Seanad Éireann and I hope they enjoy their day in Dáil Éireann as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Impact of Means Testing on State Pension and Other Social Welfare Schemes: Discussion (10 Apr 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the witnesses for their advocacy and help for older people. It is much appreciated. I have worked with many of those in the room. I wish to raise a couple issues. Cliff edges were mentioned a number of times in our earlier discussion as well as this one, and I come across it daily. People coming into the constituency office was mentioned and it is the same in my office. One of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Implications of Means Testing: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and welcome our guests. Much of this has been covered by Deputy Ó Cuív but there are a couple of issues to pick up on. Carer's allowance is something I regularly deal with, as do other members, I am sure. Notwithstanding the new means test that will come into effect in June, I still hear from a lot of people who are getting very little in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Implications of Means Testing: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the witnesses. Unfortunately, however, the person to whom I refer does not qualify under the other means for warmer homes. The fuel allowance was the only way for her to qualify. It is wrong. Maybe the witnesses could look at that situation because she is only over the limit by €15. As I said, she has been disqualified from a very good scheme that she needs for her home. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Implications of Means Testing: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Mark Wall: I appreciate that. That does actually happen, but I am aware that people get requests relating to another bank account they are not even familiar with that has been closed. What bank account details does the Department of Social Protection have for people? In other words, does it know how many bank accounts a person has? I get a lot of queries in my office regarding a request in respect...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Implications of Means Testing: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Mark Wall: I would appreciate that.