Results 81-100 of 130 for going forward speaker:Róisín Shortall

Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (19 Jan 2017)

Róisín Shortall: The Social Democrats strongly supports this important Bill. Well done to Deputy Thomas Pringle and his colleagues for bringing it forward. It is important to note the outstanding work being done by various NGOs working in this field and their constant provision of research evidence and the lobbying of Members to act in this area. In many ways, they put it up to us to live up to our...

Cannabis for Medicinal Use (Regulations) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (1 Dec 2016)

Róisín Shortall: ...with difficult and severe conditions. We must learn from what is happening in other places and ensure best practice in that regard. I commend Deputy Gino Kenny on bringing this legislation forward and on putting this issue centre-stage. While it has been an issue in the background and people who are directly affected by the lack of such medication are all too conscious of the...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Róisín Shortall: I am glad to have an opportunity to speak to the Bill. I have to say that in general terms, it has to be welcomed in as far as it goes. Obviously, it is welcome that more specific provisions are being made regarding the admission of people with special needs to schools. I am also pleased that a greater level of transparency is being provided in relation to admissions policies. In the...

Post Office Network: Motion [Private Members] (16 Nov 2016)

Róisín Shortall: ...but also for small and medium enterprises. Our aim should be for self-employed people to have access to financial services locally in their own village or town. There is considerable potential in going forward with such projects. The Government would be remiss not to avail of that opportunity and to use it as a way of reinvigorating the many towns and villages in rural Ireland which...

Select Committee on the Future of Healthcare: The Cancer Strategy as a Case Study of Health Service Reform: Professor Tom Keane (19 Oct 2016)

Róisín Shortall: ...of reform in the Irish health service in recent years. I warmly welcome Professor Keane to our committee meeting. Before I ask him to give his opening statement, I have a few formalities to go through. I wish to advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to this committee....

Financial Resolutions 2017 - Budget Statement 2017 (11 Oct 2016)

Róisín Shortall: He should be incentivising and using a carrot and stick approach. The vacant site levy should have been brought forward. The Minister should reform the fair deal scheme because it currently disincentivises people who go into nursing homes from letting their properties. This could be dealt with at the stroke of a pen. The Minister should be reintroducing the financial contribution...

Report of the Committee on the Future of Healthcare: Motion (29 Sep 2016)

Róisín Shortall: I welcome the contributions of all speakers to the debate. It is refreshing and encouraging to have a health debate which is focused not on health problems but solutions. That is a real step forward and it is the general approach that has underpinned the committee's work. We talked about a number of common themes. One of the most surprising things we have learned through the work of...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 2 - Government Debt
Chapter 24 - Accounts of the National Treasury Management Agency
National Treasury Management Agency Financial Statements 2015 (21 Jul 2016)

Róisín Shortall: -----with the Government's statement on the social mix, so I just wonder if that is going forward. The other question was about PPPs and value for money.

Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (6 Jul 2016)

Róisín Shortall: ...as an emerging problem. There was a tendency to over-prescribe benzodiazepines and Z drugs, a practice that was replicated across many disadvantaged communities, with women, often young mothers, going to GPs and public health nurses showing all the signs of stress associated with social disadvantage and having to cope with rearing families in very poor conditions. It was often the case...

Health Care Committee Establishment: Motion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2016)

Róisín Shortall: ...Profit, the Green Party and a number of Independent Members. In total, 89 Members from the Opposition benches supported the motion and I thank them for doing so. I also welcome the fact that once the new Government was in place, the new Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, was happy to come on board, with some minor amendments to the motion. He pledged the support of the...

Commission of Investigation (Certain Matters Relative to the Cavan-Monaghan Division of An Garda Síochána) Report: Statements (Resumed) (26 May 2016)

Róisín Shortall: ...number of nights on RTE news. Action needs to be taken on that. More worryingly, in the reply to a recent parliamentary question I submitted on this issue, the Minister indicated that she was not going to take any action in this area at all. It is not acceptable and it should be addressed. The O’Higgins report deals with a litany of failings in certain sections of An Garda...

High Pay and Wealth Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 Mar 2015)

Róisín Shortall: ...in terms of income and wealth, if we are all in this together, which was the mantra that was used during the recession. We saw during that very difficult period that the mantra did not hold true. Going forward, we should be in a position where the highest level of information on wealth is available to everybody. That is one of the primary aims of the Bill and it is one worth supporting....

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2014)

Róisín Shortall: The game is up for water charges. The bottom line is that the public has simply not accepted them, and if the Government does not accept this fact, it is even more out of touch than I thought it was. The public has not accepted water charges for a number of reasons - some because they object in principle to water charges; some because they simply cannot afford to pay them; some because they...

Financial Resolutions 2015 - Financial Resolution No. 3: General (Resumed) (15 Oct 2014)

Róisín Shortall: ...; the increase, however small, in the living alone allowance; a partial return of the Christmas bonus, which is very small at 25% but better than nothing; the proposed family dividend, which I look forward to being rolled out fully; and some USC relief for people earning between €10,000 and €12,000. I also welcome the ending of the "double Irish" mechanism. With the...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2014)

Róisín Shortall: ...a new Bill. This is a fairly substantial Bill with 51 sections. The idea of publishing it last Friday and having the debate this week is quite unreasonable and one would have to wonder if the Government's concern is more with the election and being seen to be doing something for the election rather than giving Members adequate time to consider the Bill. However, having said that, I...

Allegations in relation to An Garda Síochána: Statements (Resumed) (26 Feb 2014)

Róisín Shortall: I asked the Minister a straightforward question. Does he agree with the Garda Commissioner's assessment of the actions of the two whistleblowers or does he not? If not, will he take this opportunity to disassociate himself from that comment? Surely he accepts that the whole issue of workplace bullying is a serious issue in our society. The message needs to go out to people that they are...

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

Róisín Shortall: ...It is a very definite and clear diagnosis. I understand that the numbers of people affected are close to 1,500 per year. A heartrending presentation was made to Members of the Houses some weeks ago, at which there was a very good attendance. Everybody in the room was very much struck by the stories we heard from the dozen or so women and some of their partners who were present. They...

Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2012)

Róisín Shortall: ...from the cold winds of the recession to show solidarity with people who are desperately badly off and really struggling. If a solidarity levy had been introduced, it would have negated the need to bring forward any welfare cuts in the budget. Unfortunately, the Government has chosen to hammer people on low and middle incomes. That was a very definite choice that was made within...

Confidence in the Minister for Health: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (19 Sep 2012)

Róisín Shortall: ...the free GP care legislation has been very disappointing. Allocated funding must be restored to start this key initiative this year. We must also have a clear roadmap that charts the way forward and ends the uncertainty about the future. These are just some of the questions that need to be resolved. Are we going to reform and strengthen our public health service or are we going to...

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jul 2012)

Róisín Shortall: ...or next. The target savings in a full year from this legislation are approximately €10 million. However, over the medium to longer term, the potential exists to make significant savings on an ongoing basis, principally by driving competition in the market. In that way, prices will be driven down and we will all benefit from that. It is not something that will happen overnight,...