Results 1,101-1,120 of 1,162 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Protection of Employment (Uncertain Hours) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank Senator Nash for bringing this Bill forward to the Seanad today. As outlined by my colleague, Senator Davitt, Fianna Fáil supports this Bill. The banning of zero-hour contracts was contained in our election manifesto and it was also part of Fianna Fail's confidence and supply agreement with the Fine Gael Government. Ultimately Fianna Fáil supports the banning of any...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: If I am not mistaken, we are exactly 40 days from Christmas Day. In recent days Sr. Stan Kennedy has been quoted as saying it breaks her heart that up to 2,500 children may be homeless on Christmas Day. This is a real indication of how bad the homeless crisis is. At a time when they should be happy in their homes and celebrating Christmas, up to 2,500 children will be homeless. In...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Nov 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I want to raise two issues. The first is the recent presidential election in the United States and the second is the nurses' planned ballot for industrial action. I want to address briefly the result recorded in the US presidential election. I, like many, thought that Hillary Clinton would finally break the glass ceiling and we would see the first female President of the United States of...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to raise the issue of the way Dublin 8 and Dublin 12 are continually used as dumping grounds for this city's anti-social behaviour and social problems. Earlier in the week, I raised the issue of the lack of education provision in respect of a school in Walkinstown and today I wish to refer to plans to locate another homeless hostel in Dublin 8. To date, there are 12 homeless...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I have mentioned the issue of industrial relations on previous occasions and do so again in the House this morning because, in the coming weeks, four sectors of our public services will be going on strike. Approximately 2,000 gardaí are embarking on an administrative strike. They will not be processing files or interacting with senior management. It is also understood that they will...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: In general, this is a fantastic Bill and I support it. Alcohol is a scourge on our society. Many of us have relations or friends who suffer from addiction problems. Alcohol is a real demon in our society. I wish to draw the attention of the House to the question of monitoring advertising on the Internet. In 2014, we saw the phenomenon of Neknomination on Facebook. It inspired children...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: Today I would like to raise an issue that I have raised three times previously concerning staffing levels at the Assumption girls national school in Walkinstown. I wish to propose an amendment to the Order of Business to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to address the House on this matter, as this is my third time raising it but nothing has been done. The aforementioned school...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: May I address that matter for two seconds when the Leader is finished?

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I am obliged to the Leader for conveying that message to the Minister who has agreed to meet me today. I will formally withdraw the proposal to amend the Order of Business today. However, this is not just a local issue. It is a national issue. Dublin 12 and its hinterland is a part of Dublin that is seriously disadvantaged and that is used very often as a dumping ground, not only for...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I raise the issue of the extra expenditure on education announced in the budget yesterday, which will only just meet the extra demand on our education services. It will not improve the quality of education being provided to young people. The numbers attending primary and secondary education next year will grow by up to 12,000, and the extra 2,400 teachers will not impact the pupil-teacher...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: Today's budget is a better and fairer budget than any of the past five budgets introduced by the previous Fine Gael and Labour Party Government due to the influence of Fianna Fáil. The confidence and supply agreement we entered into with Fine Gael required us to facilitate budgets and ensure they agreed with the priorities outlined in the framework document. That agreement gave...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: The grant will do nothing for people who live in Dublin, and specifically in my constituency where there are no homes being built. I do not know where homes worth €400,000 are being built but they are not being built in Dublin. The new initiative directly discriminates against first-time buyers in Dublin. The grant should have been applied to second-hand homes. The grant will not...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I would like to address the House about some of the budget whisperings, in particular the Government's plan to introduce a first-time buyer's grant of around €10,000 for newly built homes. I disagree with the grant as it would increase the price of new builds for first-time buyers. The initiative would not help first-time buyers but instead would place an extra €10,000 in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I ask the Leader to call on the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, to attend this House and address us on the absolute mess in industrial relations in this country. The industrial relations situation in Ireland is an absolute shambles and it does not seem to be improving. We have a failed Workplace Relations Act, continuous transport strikes,...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: On the issue of support for victims of crime and their families, a man whose son had been murdered in Spain in a case of mistaken identity came to my office recently. This man was in great shock. He had had no interaction with the Irish authorities on any investigation into his son’s murder. He did not know where to turn. Will the Leader ask the Tánaiste and Minister for...

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: Ba mhaith liom mo chuid ama a roinnt leis an Seanadóir Murnane-O'Connor.

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh an Taoiseach agus, ar son Sheanadóirí Fhianna Fáil, gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis as ucht teacht anseo inniu chun labhairt linn. I wish to address the Taoiseach on two issues, namely, Seanad reform and Brexit. After over a dozen reports on Seanad reform, it is now incumbent on the Taoiseach and the Government to meaningfully engage with the...

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: The Taoiseach might address the issue of the Christmas bonus.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Sep 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I look forward to working with the Cathaoirleach during this term. I call on the Minister for Education and Skills to review the process of selecting schools for participation in the DEIS programme. I have been contacted by the principal of the Assumption girls national school in Walkinstown, Dublin 12, who raised concerns with me about this process. The Assumption school is an island...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (27 Sep 2016)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank Ms Fahey and Ms Feely for presenting to the committee. I have three short points and will hopefully make up some time. The witnesses touched on the back-to-education and lone parents topic, which is one of the most important things. Lone parents en masseare single, lone women and not enough is being done to ensure that they get the right education to allow them to pursue careers...