Results 1,781-1,800 of 1,856 for speaker:Micheál Carrigy

Seanad: Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Statements (Resumed) (19 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: First of all, I commend the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach on the statement he made to the House a number of weeks ago. I commended him on it personally but I want to put it on the record. The Minister is very welcome. The report highlights an abject failure of care by the State. It is important to thank the hundreds of brave women for telling their stories, which are so important to them,...

Seanad: Student Nurses (Pay) Bill 2021: Second Stage (19 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I support Senator Hoey's motion to recognise the contribution of student nurses and midwives, who have been at the coalface over the last 12 months. It is important to note it is a key priority of Government to protect and support the continued education of all students, including student nurses and midwives. A key part of that education, in order to meet the standards and requirements of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (15 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the Acting Chairperson, Senator Warfield, and congratulate him on taking the Chair. I thank Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, for taking on my Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. This matter is about the provision of funding under the rural regeneration and development fund for the Drumlish go green centre application in Longford. First, I...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (15 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister of State is well aware of this issue. As he said, his colleague, Councillor Brady, started work on it a number of years ago. He has been driving a large number of projects in the area. As I said, I am aware that the process of assessing this project is ongoing. I point out, however, that it aligns with national, regional and local policy and fully delivers on the policy...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I want to raise a number of issues. There has been recent notification from AIB and Bank of Ireland that they plan to charge negative interest on client accounts. This is money which people have saved and on which they have already paid tax. This includes client accounts in solicitors' practices. If my solicitor draws down a loan from the bank because I have purchased a property I...

Seanad: Remote Working Strategy: Motion (15 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy English. I fully support this motion and thank Senator Currie for the work she has done on this important issue. It is important to acknowledge that the national broadband plan was signed off on by Fine Gael despite opposition from all sides at the time. It is impossible to envisage any vibrant future for Ireland without broadband at its heart. Our...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Statements (8 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and thank her for her work in the role so far. I know that she is passionate about it and making significant improvements. I have to express my annoyance, which is probably an understatement, at the situation over the last four weeks. Unfortunately, the voice of the unions was louder than the voice of those in our community who are...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I congratulate the local gardaí in Longford who recently broke up an illegal gathering held by a national party at a famed War of Independence site. The 100th anniversary of events there actually takes place tomorrow. A full review of the Clár programme by NUI Maynooth was initiated by the Department. It will examine the patterns across the country on the basis of the 2016 census....

Seanad: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (26 Jan 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State. I thank all healthcare staff for their work on the front line on behalf of all our citizens. These staff work long hours in difficult circumstances and have made huge sacrifices in their private lives to ensure they are in a position to continue to look after those in need. I welcome that by Sunday last, 143,000 people had received the vaccine, all of our...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I echo the comments of Senator Ahearn and wish everyone a very healthy and happy Christmas. I thank everyone for their work. Staff from across the House have been good to me and to all elected representatives and I thank them for the courtesy they have shown to us since we were elected. I wish them well and hope they have a happy Christmas. I wish to raise a number of issues this morning,...

Seanad: Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Second Stage (18 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I commend Senators Hoey and Ruane. I listened to the debate today and last night and the way they spoke on the issues makes me honoured to serve with both of the Senators. I just wanted to say well done. My wife, my family and I have also suffered harassment from a person, and we had to go the full way to court on it because of the effect it was having on our young kids and family. I am...

Seanad: Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: Like my colleagues, I too have a query on why the entire section dealing with harassment has been removed from the Bill. The Title of the Bill includes the word "harassment". I speak as one whose family suffered harassment and had to go the Garda. Luckily, the Director of Public Prosecutions took a case and it was successful. The person in question is not harassing my family anymore....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I raise an issue that has been raised by a number of other Senators, namely, the issue of fathers being at natal appointments and the birth of their children. In early December, it was announced that women attending their 20-week scan will now be able to be accompanied by their birth partners within Covid-19 restrictions. That is a good start but more is needed. Birth partners being...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister to the House. I support what Senator Craughwell is proposing but I do not think a debate on the Social Welfare Bill is the right time for his proposal. Everyone said the last day that this was a fantastic Bill for the people, particularly during Covid. The Senator's proposal has sparked a real debate on the pay and conditions of councillors. A large number of us are...

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: Challenges facing Public Broadcasting and the broader Media Sector as a result of Covid-19: Discussion (16 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I apologise for being late. I was at another committee. I believe the licence fee should go into a central fund, as mentioned by Deputy Cannon, from where it could then be divvied out to all media organisations to ensure they can all survive. I would like to hear the witnesses' views on that. A project to establish a community television service is being funded by my local authority in...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I wish to discuss the disabled drivers and passengers scheme, which has effectively been put on hold for new applications because primary medical certificates are no longer being issued following a decision of the Supreme Court in July. The scheme is for people who have to get their cars adapted and entitles them to have their vehicle registration tax returned, not to have to pay road tax,...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State. I support the comments of Senators Casey and Crowe regarding the CRSS. There is an issue if businesses are supposed to open at a certain level but there is no business to sustain them or not enough to prevent them making losses, for example, in the tourism sector. Will this matter be examined? Valid points have been made. A continued support, be it at a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (9 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister is very welcome. I wish to speak about the upcoming urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, funding for Longford. An application was submitted under category B in 2018 for a specific area of Longford town, addressing the infrastructural deficits on open lands from the Camlin river northwards for residential development. The application did not receive approval which...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (9 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the Minister. I note that she said that 76 proposals are under consideration, which include one from Longford County Council. If the Government is looking for balanced regional development, we need to balance where funding is given and at least one application from each local authority should be successful. As I have said, Longford County Council has only submitted one application....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I wish to raise the issue of insurance. All Senators are well aware of the big problem it is for many people and businesses across the country. I welcome the new action plan for insurance reform published by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, but I wish to highlight some things I believe need to be changed. I wish to put on record that we...