Results 21-40 of 138 for speaker:Aubrey McCarthy

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I rise to bring the attention of the House to the prolonged incarceration of Ryan Cornelius in Dubai. His wife Heather and human rights activist Sir Bill Browder came to meet me here. In 2010, Mr. Cornelius was imprisoned for ten years. In 2018, however, that was extended by a further 20 years, bringing his total sentence to 30 years, which is the equivalent of three life sentences in...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Statements (8 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I congratulate the Minister of State on her new role. I look forward to working with her. I thank her on behalf of the people of Kildare for opening a new sensory garden, Hope Cottage, last week, which was a fascinating event for family members of people caught in addiction. To bring the Minister of State’s attention to the national drugs strategy, which is about to expire, there...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Pensions and Social Security Legislation (8 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I thank Mr. Moran for being here today. What I am hearing from Mr. Moran is that the 36-month cut-off was set before legislation even existed. It was set before it was legally possible for Mr. Moran to be in a civil partnership. That effectively denied same-sex couples the possibility of qualifying in the first place. Has the Department ever given him a clear explanation as to why that...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Pensions and Social Security Legislation (8 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: That is my question. Why does Mr. Moran think the 36-month window was chosen? Why not 24 or 48 months?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I thank the Minister for his opening statement and for being here. The Minister has an unenviable job. I genuinely wish him well. I am looking at the housing crisis. I am new to politics, as the Minister knows. From looking at homebuyers, tenants and the homeless, with whom I have worked for many years in Tiglin, I see this as an absolute national emergency. I see teachers, medical...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: From talking to a supplier recently in Leinster House, the average housing unit is selling at €375,000. That is the national average. The cost of that unit is €230,000, which is not too far away from the idea in the Home of Your Own plan. How tight can we get it in order that housing is affordable but also viable for the builder?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I voice concern on behalf of Irish businesses facing complete uncertainty regarding the US Administration revisiting tariffs and potentially imposing tariffs as high as 10%. They are to be imposed on all EU imports within days. From dairy farmers to distillers, vital sectors of the Irish community are bracing themselves for impact without any clarity as to what is coming. The recent...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I rise to bring up a point about the urgent concerns facing women in Irish prisons. As of May, our national prison capacity stood at 131%, but it is women's prisons that are suffering the most. The female prison in Limerick is at 152% of capacity, while the Dóchas Centre in Mountjoy is at 127%. These are not just statistics; they are women sleeping on floors, traumatised by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I thank both teams for being here today. From being on the housing committee, it is clear to me that the housing crisis cannot be solved unless we have the infrastructure to support it. It is regularly brought up at this committee that there is a mismatch between the planning numbers and the infrastructure system. I work with a homelessness charity and I see every day how the blockages...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: Is there a blockage there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: But they have not been given their final numbers yet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: What I have been hearing for the last number of weeks is that those figures are out of date. They are based on a census that is out of date and a lot has happened since. My point is not to put blame on Uisce Éireann. However, is Uisce Éireann operating on figures that are out of date and, therefore, when we catch up, we will be behind?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: The local authorities do not have sight of those figures. That is the point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: The ESB and Irish Water do a fantastic job but it looks like they are flying blind without those final numbers.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jun 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I rise to bring attention to a public health issue, that is, the need for a free shingles vaccine for over-70s in our communities. We know shingles is a debilitating condition that affects thousands of older people every year. It causes severe pain, long-term nerve damage and, in some cases, serious complications regarding visual impairment, etc. As many as one in three people will get...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: My colleague, Senator O'Loughlin, mentioned Women's Aid. It is frightening to see the report today that 32,000 women have contacted Women's Aid in the past year. That is the highest number ever, and it seems it is continuing to climb. One in three women was being abused by her ex-partner. Behind the number are terrified and isolated women, lost pregnancies and isolated lives. There are...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I would, if possible.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: I was at a committee.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Aubrey McCarthy: There are too many committees. I thank the Cathaoirleach. I spoke a few weeks ago about Jason Power, a good friend of mine who had health issues. Unfortunately, Jason sadly passed away last Friday. I was asked to speak at his funeral yesterday and share my thoughts about his life, how I had met him and how he had recovered from a life of addiction and trauma. He turned his life around...