Annie Hoey - Recent appearances (From KildareStreet.com)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: KildareStreet.com, mprss.php script
date: 2024-04-25T21:40:02+00:00
items: Health Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
items: Agriculture: Statements | Seanad debates
items: Abortion Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
items: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Second Stage | Seanad debates
items: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
items: Health Services for People with Epidermolysis Bullosa: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
items: Community Safety and Investment: Motion [Private Members] | Seanad debates
items: Second Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Statements | Seanad debates
items: Animal Breeding | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
items: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2024: Motion | Seanad debates
items: Public Health and the Commercial Determinants of Health: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
items: Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages | Seanad debates

Health Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
type: item
description: I note the mention of the Cass report. I will not go too much into it but there were questionable methodologies in the research of that report. It is disappointing that there has been wilful...
encoded: I note the mention of the Cass report. I will not go too much into it but there were questionable methodologies in the research of that report. It is disappointing that there has been wilful misrepresentation in the media and by some bad actors of the report. It is being used to deny, restrict and cut off services to very vulnerable people. I hope that is borne in mind as well. Trans people, like all of us, need healthcare services that are centred on the principles of bodily autonomy, person-led decision-making and informed consent; adhere to the rights of safe, equitable, accessible and quality healthcare; are facilitated by healthcare professionals to provide individuals with care, respect, empathy and accuracy; and uplift decision-making according to each person’s individual needs. I am worried that the response does not take into account that we still do not have trans healthcare in Ireland. With this response, I am not sure that we will get it in the way that we need it.
date: 2024-04-17T10:30:00+00:00

Health Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
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description: I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I am raising the need for the Minister for Health to address issues relating to the state of trans healthcare in Ireland and the need to move to...
encoded: I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I am raising the need for the Minister for Health to address issues relating to the state of trans healthcare in Ireland and the need to move to informed consent, gender affirming care at community and primary care level. I will give some context of our trans health care here in Ireland, although frankly, that is something that I do not think we really have. We are ranked worst in the EU for availability and accessibility for trans health by TGEU, despite the fact we have some of the most progressive laws. Unfortunately, our health system does not match that. We are rated F for timely and adequate access to trans health care by LGBT Ireland and we have a de facto centralised gender clinic model. There are no national gender-affirming healthcare policies or guidelines. It seems people must wait ten years and more to be able to access healthcare. By any measure, that is a de facto non-existent healthcare system and is not good enough. Some of the issues with the system include a lack of access to quality care, as I said; a decade-long waitlist for the primary public service; non-existent youth services; denial of services and primary care; little to no availability of surgery within Ireland; and, a failure to adhere to international guidelines. I am sure the Minister of State will have seen people fundraising in order to get the healthcare they need in another country. Another issue with the system is a severe lack of bodily autonomy. There are incredibly invasive psychiatric assessments. Some of the questions I have heard people being asked are unbelievable. Incredibly invasive questions are being put to people who know their own mind and their own body but are put through the wringer about very intimate personal details, borderline Freud kind of stuff, which does not really tie in with what we have, which is a consent-based, self-ID model. The healthcare does not match what we have in legislation which is “we believe you …
date: 2024-04-17T10:30:00+00:00

Agriculture: Statements | Seanad debates
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description: I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to the House. As someone who grew up on a tillage farm and dabbled in the agriculture sector, I will keep my comments mostly to those areas I am...
encoded: I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to the House. As someone who grew up on a tillage farm and dabbled in the agriculture sector, I will keep my comments mostly to those areas I am familiar with. I certainly welcome the Minister's comments and his outline supports for tillage farmers. Once a tillage farming girl, always a tillage farming girl. Over recent months I have found myself peering out the window daily and muttering about planting weather and wet sodden land. I must have picked it up off my dad over the years when he used to do that. As a little girl I would stand beside him and nod along and go, "Yes, most certainly." It has been incredibly difficult. As I have been going across the country I am struck by and cannot get over how often I see wet farm lands in a way that I do not recall seeing over the recent years. It has been incredibly difficult. I welcome the extensive outline supports the Minister has put forward today and which he told us about. Agriculture is an incredibly broad sector, and during statements I am aware we could talk about completely different things and not cover absolutely everything. I will talk a little bit about the diversification of Ireland's agriculture and farming. I want to reflect on those farmers in the north-western German state of Lower Saxony who are being supported in their transition away from pig farming as the country seeks to make its agricultural sector more diversified and more sustainable. The agriculture investment promotion programme, AFP, accepts funding applications from farmers seeking to support this business. The new rules mean pig farmers who reduce their pig herds or quit pig farming altogether have preferential access to funding. This is just one of the examples. There are many different programmes around examining different ways farmers can look at a just transition, particularly for livestock farmers. In these Houses and in other parliaments across the world, there are conversations about lower…
date: 2024-04-16T13:00:00+00:00

Abortion Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
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description: Many of the changes outlined by the Minister of State are not the required legislative changes that we need to see. That is what we want. The recommendations that emerged from the review have a...
encoded: Many of the changes outlined by the Minister of State are not the required legislative changes that we need to see. That is what we want. The recommendations that emerged from the review have a robust evidence base and are rooted in qualitative research of the lived experience of women and pregnant people who have accessed abortion services since the commencement of the Act. This is a Government-commissioned review, so we need to immediately progress legislative amendments and service developments that accurately reflect the findings of the review, the research underpinning the recommendations that came out of the review and international best practice as set out by the World Health Organization. The review clause was put in because we recognise that healthcare cannot remain frozen in time. I am aware that here are plans, but the Government cannot delay the legislative and operational changes any further. We need political leadership to ensure that Ireland's reproductive healthcare system is both equitable and is capable of responding to the emerging evidence and clinical best practice in order that it can meet the needs of women and pregnant people. We voted for care, compassion and dignity. Until we make legislative provision for the recommendations contained in the O'Shea report, we are simply not going to get what we for.
date: 2024-04-16T13:00:00+00:00

Abortion Services | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
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description: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have a health topic for the Minister of State, as he peruses different topics here today. Following on from the "RTÉ Investigates"...
encoded: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have a health topic for the Minister of State, as he peruses different topics here today. Following on from the "RTÉ Investigates" programme broadcast last night - I hope the Minister of State has seen it and, if not, I would certainly recommend he take a look at it - I want to ask the Minister, or the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, on behalf of the Minister, when the recommendations of the O'Shea report will be enacted and what timeline the Government has put in place for examining those recommendations and enacting them. Anyone who saw the programme last night will surely agree that we are in urgent need of legislative action. The documentary shone a light on the harsh reality of the exclusionary and restrictive provisions of the law. I refer to the Marie O'Shea report. This review was published in April 2023, yet progress on many of the recommendations is awaited. The call for immediate action is also reflected in the conclusions of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, of which both Deputy Colm Burke and I have been members. Its December 2022 report supported the review's recommendations, describing them as necessary measures to ensure the 2018 Act meets the needs of women and pregnant people. The health committee report called on the Government to advance the implementation of the report without delay. I acknowledge efforts to improve operational aspects of abortion services in the past year, including that 17 of the 19 maternity hospitals are now providing care, but we still have significant barriers to equitable and accessible abortion services. These barriers include ongoing criminalisation, the mandatory and patriarchal three-day wait, inadequate data collection, lack of safe access zones, uneven geographical coverage and the narrow rigid legal criteria for abortion access after 12 weeks, including the 28-day clause for fatal foetal anomalies. These obstacles have resulted in women and pregnant people be…
date: 2024-04-16T13:00:00+00:00

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Second Stage | Seanad debates
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description: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We welcome the Research and Innovation Bill, which will be a strong foundation for promoting and advancing research in Ireland and ensuring that...
encoded: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We welcome the Research and Innovation Bill, which will be a strong foundation for promoting and advancing research in Ireland and ensuring that research bodies and individuals get easy and equal access to funding and opportunities. There are, however, certain points that require a more detailed approach to ensure the Bill will function as intended and I will briefly address them today. First and foremost, the Bill promises to place arts, humanities and social sciences on an equal status to the STEM disciplines and to provide equal funding opportunities for all fields. It is not just because I am an arts graduate myself and therefore I feel somewhat sympathetic to the cohort that studies these subjects, but I do think it is very important that a balance is found. I am excited to see this at the core of the Bill, alongside the encouragement and comfort it offers to researchers in applied humanities but I would like to see more action on the matter. Along with my colleagues in the Labour Party in the Lower House who have debated the Bill, I would like to see more clarity on whether the board of the agency will have a voice and representation for non-applied research for social sciences and humanities. While both the legislation and the statements by Professor Philip Nolan, who has been appointed to the body even before its establishment, ensure the promotion of diversity and inclusion to fit international competitive research strategy, I would like to see equality and diversity put into action on the board across all of the disciplines. Reaffirming the equal funding to access to social sciences and humanities is instrumental for the Bill to function successfully and elevate Ireland's research to an internationally applicable or recognised level. Furthermore, while the Bill and Taighde Éireann are great innovations for the research field of the State, they lie in the same context as budget failures in various higher educati…
date: 2024-03-20T12:00:00+00:00

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
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description: Forgive me for not staying for the remainder of this session. I have an audiovisual room briefing with the Acting Leader and my former comrades at the Union of Students in Ireland, where we will...
encoded: Forgive me for not staying for the remainder of this session. I have an audiovisual room briefing with the Acting Leader and my former comrades at the Union of Students in Ireland, where we will discuss their digs research and legislation.
date: 2024-03-06T10:30:00+00:00

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
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description: Today I draw attention to the dire conditions in the pig industry revealed yesterday by both the National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland. They partnered a few months ago...
encoded: Today I draw attention to the dire conditions in the pig industry revealed yesterday by both the National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland. They partnered a few months ago in January 2024 to investigate Ireland's pig industry. They chose at random the pig farms to go into in an effort to give an honest insight as to what happens in Irish pig farms. The results were absolutely devastating and horrific. They are available online if anyone wants to see. It takes a strong stomach to watch the videos because the footage is absolutely appalling. The National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland asked a simple question: "What is the life of a pig in Ireland?" Unfortunately, the answer was incredibly simple; it is an absolutely awful, horrific life. Pigs on Irish farms are subject to sow stalls, farrowing crates, fattening pens, lack of adequate veterinary treatments, internal infections, dying and dead pigs left in corridors and piled up outside. To top this off there are such conditions as diarrhoea, stress-caused hunger, open internal wounds, potbellies and arthritis. These complications are reflected in agricultural antibiotic consumption as 40% of the veterinary antibiotic prescriptions in Ireland are for pigs. This diseased flesh is further reconsumed in the UK and Ireland. There are reasonable concerns about the impact that can have on the well-being of those who consume it. It is important to bring attention to some of the issues that lie at the core of this problem. Warrants for inspections are extremely common, allowing room for biased inspection results and forged farm conditions at the time of inspection. Furthermore, there are many loopholes enabling unethical practices on the farm, such as tail docking, which is banned in the EU. These are issues that require immediate attention. It is striking that 99% of all Irish pigs live in these conditions. Ireland's meat sector not only involves injustice to animals but also to fa…
date: 2024-03-06T10:30:00+00:00

Health Services for People with Epidermolysis Bullosa: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
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description: It does. That is great.
encoded: It does. That is great.
date: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

Health Services for People with Epidermolysis Bullosa: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
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description: Yes, I am. Can the Cathaoirleach not tell given that I am floating out on the plinth in front of everyone? I thank the witnesses who have covered so much. What is the training pathway for...
encoded: Yes, I am. Can the Cathaoirleach not tell given that I am floating out on the plinth in front of everyone? I thank the witnesses who have covered so much. What is the training pathway for specialists in this area? We have all heard the figures on consultant posts not being filled. I am interested in finding out about the training pathway. What is the specialty and what is the uptake among people coming up through the system? Is there any concern about having enough of those specialists? Is there a shortage? What is the position around that? I have another question on the carer’s allowance. If someone is caring for a person with EB who is aged under 16 and meets the income threshold and other requirements, will he or she be able to claim the carer’s allowance or domiciliary allowance? Is it a qualifying illness? How does that work for carers whose income is under the threshold?
date: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

Community Safety and Investment: Motion [Private Members] | Seanad debates
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description: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I note the recent formation of the Ballymun implementation board, which will tackle some of the deep-rooted issues that exist in Ballymun and bring...
encoded: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I note the recent formation of the Ballymun implementation board, which will tackle some of the deep-rooted issues that exist in Ballymun and bring together relevant social service providers and An Garda Síochána. It is based on the Drogheda model. It is a real example of how communities and gardaí can work together towards improving safety. I do not need to go through all of the figures again as they have already been gone through. We know the shortage of gardaí and the lack of gardaí has had a knock-on effect on wider society and communities have not felt safe due to the decreasing number of gardaí. The issue of adequate community policing constantly comes up when I knock on doors in north-west Dublin. It is imperative that we properly resource community safety partnerships and enable them to fulfil their potential and intent. Without adequate supports the partnerships cannot effectively address the complex challenges facing our neighbourhoods. When I think of communities and the work that can be done I think of the response we had in Ballymun when bad actors were seeking to divide our community. They were using racism as a scapegoat when that anger should have been directed at decades of a shortage of investment. We drive through Ballymun every day and there is an empty plot where there should be a shopping centre. There is a big greenfield site where there should be housing. People were trying to take advantage of a lack of opportunity and a lack of what they felt were resources to divide the community. Ballymun people came together, including community workers and the Easy Street team, to show that Ballymun is a welcoming community. Things have been built up very well with youth diversion programmes. We know that early intervention is key in breaking the cycle of youth offending and fostering positive outcomes. There are other areas beyond the scope of the motion that I would love to see the Government look at. Thes…
date: 2024-02-28T10:30:00+00:00

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business | Seanad debates
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description: Many here will have been at last week’s launch of the report compiled by AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland. The report contains survey results which show that 35% of disabled children endure...
encoded: Many here will have been at last week’s launch of the report compiled by AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland. The report contains survey results which show that 35% of disabled children endure seclusion and 27% suffer restraint at school. Children have a right to feel safe at school. AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland have called for guidance and regulations in schools. Anyone who saw the reporting on this since then would be horrified to think that children continue to be treated like that simply because they have needs that are not being met in school. I was particularly struck by the person who spoke of how they were kept in a room with no light and how their next school had to work twice as hard to ensure that the child knew they would be safe in their new school because the child had been so traumatised by their experience. A great deal of work is being done on autism, led by Senator Carrigy, but perhaps the Minister should come before the House to discuss how we support disabled children in particular and the rights they do and do not have in school settings and the rights they should have in those settings. That is important. Over the weekend, a call was put out regarding a wildlife crime unit. Plans for a new wildlife crime unit were announced in October 2020. At the time, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, said that it was proposed to establish that dedicated unit in 2021 and that this would ensure a strategic and standardised approach to dealing with illegal persecution of wildlife. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, said the unit would put greater focus on the issue of wildlife crime including the illegal hunting of hares. It seems there was a subsequent U-turn and plans for a wildlife crime unit have been scrapped. Perhaps it ought to be a Commencement matter but I wonder if we could ask the Minister to come to the House to discuss this and the broader issue of animal welfare, particularly in the context of wildlife. Every year, there is discussion about licences…
date: 2024-02-27T13:00:00+00:00

Second Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Statements | Seanad debates
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description: I extend my welcome to the ambassadors of Ukraine and Lithuania. I thank the Ukrainian ambassador especially for showing resolute steadfastness in the face of the untold horror in her home...
encoded: I extend my welcome to the ambassadors of Ukraine and Lithuania. I thank the Ukrainian ambassador especially for showing resolute steadfastness in the face of the untold horror in her home country. She has kept all of us reminded of what continues to happen in Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale annexation of the Donetsk region in Ukraine, military deaths have reached 500,000 and civilian deaths over 10,000, including 560 children. This imperialistic invasion is obviously unnecessary and is an abhorrent breach of international law. Others have mentioned the death of Alexei Navalny. That, partnered with the Ukrainian loss at Avdiivka this week certainly puts Putin's cruelty and the regime's intentions of total domination and political tyranny at the forefront of our minds. I note other people have said it is unlikely Putin is going to stop there. Should Ukraine fall to Russia it would probably be incomprehensible that he would stop there, so to fight for Ukrainians’ rights and autonomy is not only of course the right thing to do globally, but it is certainly in the interest of other countries, because who knows where and what that would end up as otherwise? I pay my respects to Alexei Navalny and the political opposition in Russia which is pushing for peace and democracy under Putin’s oppressive regime. I give my condolences to his wife and mother, who are campaigning tirelessly in the wake of the news of his death - possibly his murder to be quite frank – to maintain opposition support for a peaceful Russian state, which we hope includes respecting Ukraine’s self-determination. Alexei’s death has rightly caused global outrage and continues to highlight the abominable regime in Russia under Putin. When another death is announced all the comments underneath ask what happened and there is almost a lightness to it because it has become so farcical that a country is literally murdering people with impunity. I am very taken by the political opposition in Russia who I am su…
date: 2024-02-22T09:30:00+00:00

Animal Breeding | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
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description: If I understand correctly what the Minister of State has said a review is currently being undertaken and there is a plan to bring amendments or changes to legislation, that there will need to be...
encoded: If I understand correctly what the Minister of State has said a review is currently being undertaken and there is a plan to bring amendments or changes to legislation, that there will need to be changes under the Control of Dog Breeding Establishment Act - forgive me if I did not quite get that - and the first meeting will be held soon. Obviously that is great but is there any idea how long this will take? Is it likely to happen this side of Government or is it foreseen to take a little bit longer? There needs to be zero tolerance for the cruelty or neglect of any puppy or dog. Dogs Trust, the ISPCA and others - myself included - have worked with rescues and we have seen the cruelty and neglect on puppy farms. Dogs Trust has said: "Many mums are so distressed and down shut down when they enter our care that they don't bark or make a sound". It is soul destroying. It is very positive there is a review on this. I am just wondering if there is any idea of the timeline as to how long this might take.
date: 2024-02-20T13:00:00+00:00

Animal Breeding | Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters | Seanad debates
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description: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to ask when the Government plans to conduct a review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Are there plans to prepare a Bill to amend...
encoded: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to ask when the Government plans to conduct a review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Are there plans to prepare a Bill to amend the Act, should it be required, to update the legislation? My understanding is that there is a commitment to review the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 in the programme for Government which has obviously not yet taken place. Not to put too fine a timeline on it but we are skating towards the end of the lifetime of this Government. Revised guidelines were introduced in 2019, which included provisions for increased health and welfare requirements for all puppy and dog breeding establishments. They are not mandatory and, as far as I can tell, there are no consequences for non-compliance. Statistics released by the Department of Rural and Community Development show that 7,352 dogs entered Irish pounds last year, up 77% from 2021. Moreover, 340 dogs were euthanised in Irish pounds - twice as many as in 2021. These shocking figures come as the ISPCA estimates that 30,000 puppies a year are produced in Irish puppy factories. This figure does not take into account the number of puppies born into backyard breeders, illegal puppy farmers or registered sellers which, according to the DSPCA, is around 70,000 per year. This poor regulatory framework has created a €187 million industry and has resulted in Ireland being a huge exporter of puppies to more tightly-regulated countries. Aside from welfare concerns, this industry presents a range of other issues such as tax avoidance, given the high level of cash transactions, environmental concerns due to the high level of waste produced by hundreds of dogs on sites, the spread of disease and fraudulent practices. An overhaul of Ireland's legislation is necessary and has been promised in the programme for Government. The Dogs Trust is seeking an amendment for a definition of a dog breeding establishment, for example, to cover not fewer tha…
date: 2024-02-20T13:00:00+00:00

Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2024: Motion | Seanad debates
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description: My hometown has suffered reputational damage because of what has happened over the last couple of years. The people of the town, elected representatives, community leaders and people who have...
encoded: My hometown has suffered reputational damage because of what has happened over the last couple of years. The people of the town, elected representatives, community leaders and people who have come to live in the town, both from around the country and abroad, all work hard to build it to be what I believe is a great town a great place to live. We have welcomed people to Drogheda for a very long time. Mosney is right beside Drogheda, which has become a thriving, multicultural, diverse town. I implore the people who are either seeking election or who are currently elected to be mindful of the language they use and the leadership they show. I know the hotel said there will be no loss of jobs, but other people are saying there will be. All sorts of things have been flying around over the past 24 hours. Yet, ultimately, at the end of this, these are people's lives. I refer not only to the 500 people who may be coming to Drogheda, but also to the people who are fearful right now about their jobs. They just want a clear understanding of what will happen and how this will impact them. I am incredibly proud of my town. I am incredibly proud to come from Drogheda, even though I have vacated it for some time. The people in the town work really hard to make it a thriving, welcoming place, both for tourists and those who live there. I implore the people who are involved in this, whether at elected level or otherwise, to be very mindful that their words have a deep impact both on those who are seeking to come to Drogheda and those who currently live in Drogheda and who are worried about what this may mean for them. Responsible leadership is important, now more than ever, from those elected representatives.
date: 2024-02-15T09:30:00+00:00

Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2024: Motion | Seanad debates
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description: We, in the Labour Party, agree with the Minister to extend the ARP scheme for property owners. We recognise that the monthly payments comprise a sizeable, significant fraction of the financial...
encoded: We, in the Labour Party, agree with the Minister to extend the ARP scheme for property owners. We recognise that the monthly payments comprise a sizeable, significant fraction of the financial safety net that has been built for Ukrainian refugees. We believe that extending the scheme will allow its application to refugees who are still arriving into Ireland to have accommodation assistance and easier integration into society and the workforce. For those who are already in the country, of course, the ARP serves as an essential way to prevent them from falling into homelessness, as well as a tool to maintain basic needs and quality of life. We recognise that we need to align with the European Council’s formerly extended protection regime until March 2025. Allowing Ukrainian nationals to work without a work permit or a work visa will give them the tools that are necessary to succeed in Ireland and to contribute to the economy, which is an important part of that. We must recognise all the other safeguarding measures that have been put in place, such as the jobseeker's allowance, the supplementary welfare allowance and many more. The ARP is just one of the tools in that, but it is one of the most important payments to help secure the basic human need of accommodation. That being said, it is important to mention that we need to be more pragmatic in addressing the safeguards in programmes for refugees who are not arriving from Ukraine and to ensure they have equal supports to succeed and grow in Ireland. Many of them do not have the benefits to work, receive housing or weekly payments, such as those received by Ukrainian nationals. While it is fundamental that the Government and Minister are looking into the extension of the ARP scheme, and, as I said, we will support this, we should also highlight that many refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland are not only receiving substantially fewer benefits, but are also at direct risk of hate crimes, such as in the arson attacks we…
date: 2024-02-15T09:30:00+00:00

Public Health and the Commercial Determinants of Health: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
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description: Perhaps we are straying a little here again but these programmes are on our national broadcaster. They are freely available. Advertisements are run, sometimes even from Government, and they are...
encoded: Perhaps we are straying a little here again but these programmes are on our national broadcaster. They are freely available. Advertisements are run, sometimes even from Government, and they are allowed into our schools. Does this area need much more regulation because some of these advertisements are potentially quite harmful? That would take an enormous shift in thinking among educators and the powers that be who decide what is broadcast on our TVs. Should more be done in this regard?
date: 2024-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Public Health and the Commercial Determinants of Health: Discussion | Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health | Committee meetings
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description: I thank the witnesses. It has been really interesting. I recall when I was in the Union of Students of Ireland, we disaffiliated from Drinkaware because we recognised that it did not make sense...
encoded: I thank the witnesses. It has been really interesting. I recall when I was in the Union of Students of Ireland, we disaffiliated from Drinkaware because we recognised that it did not make sense for a drinks company to be leading off on this. It was highly controversial when we did it more than ten years ago. It caused a furore at the time. It is very interesting hearing the witnesses talking today and being able to give ourselves a pat on the back to recognise that we were right at the time. I am struck by the fact that someone mentioned that a lot of the things are tinkering around the edges. I often wonder about and I have an enormous number of questions about the impact of television shows. We have "Ireland's Fittest Family" and "Operation Transformation" and all these others that filter out into the wider community. We have "Operation Transformation"-style things in schools, for example. They are possibly considered as being very well-meaning and giving opportunities and inspiration to people. Is there any evidence that, not only are these tinkering around the edges and are not really meaningful drivers of change, but they could be detrimental? We hear a lot from groups on the issues of disordered eating or intuitive eating about the impact that "Operation Transformation" and other things that tinker around the edges can have, particularly on young people. Perhaps some of these things can have the complete opposite result of what is intended. I know this point is a bit more micro than some of the bigger levers we were talking about. Is there any evidence to show that these pieces that tinker around the edges are detrimental and are doing the complete opposite of what we are hoping to do?
date: 2024-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages | Seanad debates
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description: Many of us grew up hearing about people needing organ donation. It is something I have heard an awful lot about. I have had very young friends whose lives have been transformed and changed...
encoded: Many of us grew up hearing about people needing organ donation. It is something I have heard an awful lot about. I have had very young friends whose lives have been transformed and changed because of organ donation. They are able to live full lives into adulthood whereas, even a decade before, they would not have been able to do that. There is a real opportunity here now. I hope many more lives will be saved. Let us look at the success of the organ donation card campaign, which arguably did not have an enormous budget yet a huge number of people know about it. The opportunity for lives to be changed as a result of this will be immense. It is a great day to see something like this happen. There will be a public awareness campaign for people for whom this will not be an option they want to avail of and for others as well. This may give comfort to people who are on waiting lists, looking forward and wondering what their lives will look like. It is a great day and it is great for the Minister to be able to stand over this legislation. It is a positive story to come out of Leinster House today. Well done to the Minister for getting this through.
date: 2024-02-14T10:30:00+00:00