Results 1-20 of 78 for going forward speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Second Stage (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...with pokers and they describe beatings across the legs with electric flexes and having received injections, although they did not know what these were for. The descriptions of this abuse just go on and on. Westbank Orphanage was excluded from the initial mother and baby homes redress scheme. However, the second interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Fish Migration and Barriers to Migration: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Mar 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: This exchange is going backwards and forwards. I have many small questions.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (30 Jan 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...a major shortfall of places for secondary school students in Greystones. At that stage, we thought it could be around 100. I raised it directly with the Department during a committee meeting with the forward planning section. It was aware of this shortfall and alarm bells should be ringing there. Since then, we have had discussions and submitted questions to find out exactly what is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Large Energy Users Rebalancing Subvention: Discussion (23 Jan 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: The questions I will ask are not necessarily those I thought I would ask coming to the meeting. What has become really clear and is incredibly worrying is that we have a Government Minister saying that this was not a decision of the Government but a decision of the regulator and we have the regulator saying that this was not a decision of the regulator but a decision of Government. That is...

An Bille um an Naoú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (An Teaghlach), 2023: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (The Family) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jan 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...confined by these very strict, tight and often religiously influenced binds we have had to date. The language in the Constitution needs to be consigned to that past, and we should be able to look forward to a future when we have equality among all families. The Constitution is the fundamental legal document of our State and it is a living document. As the principles of the Constitution...

Increased Fossil Fuel Divestment: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (13 Dec 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...motion, and for the previous work they conducted on this in 2018. It was a landmark Act and a game-changer when it comes to Ireland taking seriously our climate actions and where investments go. What I find particularly good about this motion is that the Independent group have done what should actually have been done by the Government, which is the continual review of how legislation is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of the Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (7 Dec 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister for the presentation. I will raise the issue of data centres. Our position is that the Government has not been strategic enough in how they have been managed to date or will be in future. The impact of that is we have not conditioned data centres enough to play a role that is in any way sustainable in our economy or society. There has been an open door for them...

Special Report by the Ombudsman for Children on Direct Provision: Motion (30 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...the ombudsman that really show the gaps children are falling into in Ireland. Unfortunately, when the reports come out with those strong recommendations, I do not see a sense of urgency in the Government to implement those recommendations. That is a lost opportunity by the Government. I hope in this instance, the Government actually takes on board the recommendations and suggestions put...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...of discussion this morning with the EPA. I am glad to hear the Department officials are setting expectations with the farmers and setting down what is required and what will be required of them going forward, and providing the supports to do that. Regarding the recent derogation and the reduction in nitrates, there would appear to have been no preparation whatsoever provided to the...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (18 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...regulatory uncertainty but, in fact, it would actually make things a lot more certain for companies to know they had to provide this information to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, going forward.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (12 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister of State. He specified four schools. He mentioned Greystones Community College, which is to receive a new building. That is very welcome and we are really looking forward to it. No date as to when it will be delivered is provided in his response. My understanding is that it is to be in 2025, but that is assuming everything goes well. From experience, it tends not...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (5 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I fully support this amendment as well. It is an issue I raised in the Dáil with the Minister of State. The timeframe is way too short and is not going to capture comprehensively the absolutely obscene profits made during that period. I note the Minister of State has said he received legal advice prior to December 2022, on extending that period. The legal advice specified that it was...

Childcare Fees: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank Sinn Féin, specifically Deputy Funchion, for bringing forward this motion. The Deputy has worked collaboratively on the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, focusing on issues relating to children and their welfare. What is in the Sinn Féin motion is not a surprise to anyone. The majority of people recognise that childcare costs are...

Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Second Stage (5 Jul 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...rights campaigners to get us to this point, particularly Together for Safety. Without their tireless campaigning for safe access zones, I believe this legislation would have fallen off this Government's agenda and would have been delayed even further than it has been already. Despite this Government's long-standing commitment to legislate for safe access zones and cross-party support in...

Retained Fire Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (13 Jun 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank Sinn Féin and Deputy John Brady in particular for bringing this motion forward. Deputy Brady has worked on this issue for a long time. When I was on Wicklow County Council with him, he put a massive amount of work into the issue. I want to acknowledge that. The Minister referred to his long-standing admiration for retained firefighters and for their dedication. He said he...

Protection of Hares Bill 2023: First Stage (25 May 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...I was around six or seven, I remember driving by the Wexford racecourse on St. Stephen’s Day with my father. Several people were gathered outside with placards. I remember asking him what was going on and at that point he explained hare coursing to me. I was horrified. I could not understand why anybody would ever want to subject another animal to something that horrific and...

Support for Household Energy Bills: Motion [Private Members] (3 May 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion. I do not know if it is just me, but this feels like Groundhog Day. Every few weeks, we are talking about energy prices, energy markets and energy failures in this Chamber, and it has been going on for a number of years. The reason we are still talking about it, and the reason we will still be talking about it in six months, is what we...

Final Report of the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy: Motion [Private Members] (27 Apr 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...made by the Minister for Health to get this legislation through the Houses as quickly as possible. Speaking on behalf of my party, which I think others will echo as well, we will work with the Government to get this done as quickly as possible. It is not often we have a discussion on surrogacy without hearing from Senator Mary Seery Kearney, so I have had a text from her. She would...

Final Report of the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy: Motion [Private Members] (27 Apr 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...was one of the key advocates on this issue. I welcome everybody. I am very proud to introduce this report from the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy. It remains an immense point of pride for me that I got the opportunity to chair this important committee and that we have produced this robust and well-considered report. I want to start my contribution by thanking my fellow...

Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: ...have used the provisions of the Act and done the assessment in an expedited manner. That will be completed by the end of the year. I do not know why the Minister thinks he needs this legislation going forward. The EPA will have done its job. On the Minister's point about the two sites, whether there are two sites or expanded sites, the question for me is more about capacity. We are...