Results 1-20 of 1,618 for speaker:Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Disability Services (15 May 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I thank the Cathaoirelach for choosing my Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for taking time out of his extremely busy schedule to reply to my matter. Councillor Patrick Donovan, a member of Cork County Council, does Trojan work in the field of disability and inclusivity. I want to publicly acknowledge his contribution to the disability sector....

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Disability Services (15 May 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I thank the Minister of State for his acknowledgment of the importance of this issue and for his commitment to looking into it and working on it. I look forward to working with him on this. These spaces are slightly wider than the usual disability space. There is a lovely sunflower on the space so it is different from the bare cold look of the normal disability space. The words "invisible...

Seanad: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention: Statements (15 May 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: The Minister of State is very welcome to the House and she is doing a great job. She is empathetic, sympathetic and totally on top of her brief. The proof on how well she is doing is that budget after budget, the allocation for mental health is increasing. In fact, it stands at 44% since 2020. Mental health is no longer the poor relation in the whole health budget. Maith thú for...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 May 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I stand in support of the camogie players in the skort debacle. As a former camogie player at local level, it was often pointed out to me that my heart and lack of fear of the hurley made up for my lack of talent. That is a matter for another day. Skorts are very uncomfortable and restrictive. In this day and age, it is fair gall to tell girls what to wear. Even in primary and secondary...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Driver Test (1 May 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I thank the Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, for choosing this Commencement matter. I thank the Minister of State for taking time from his busy schedule. He is welcome back to the Upper House. I am sure that, like me, the Minister of State remembers sitting his driving test. Research over the years shows that people find sitting their driving test harder than State exams or college...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Driver Test (1 May 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I thank the Minister of State for his reply, for acknowledging that there is a problem and for his commitment and the commitment of the other two Ministers to resolve this. The ten weeks would be fairly acceptable because it is ten months in some areas at the moment. With regard to Sunday not being an option because of having to offer a day in lieu, perhaps that could be cut out. Perhaps...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Apr 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I wish to raise the matter of school transport. The return to school for young people, particularly those who are transitioning from primary to secondary school, can be a very difficult time. Year after year, we see the mess that school transport ends up being. People are not sure whether they are getting tickets, particularly with concessionary tickets. The applications are open now and...

Seanad: Disability Services: Statements (8 Apr 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus déanaim comhghairdeas léi. Gabhaim buíochas léi agus tá súil agam go mbeidh an t-ádh léi. It is both an honour and privilege to address the House as Fianna Fáil spokesperson on children and disability on an issue that is very close to my heart: the advancement of the rights and the improvement of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Apr 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: Today is World Autism Awareness Day, a day on which we raise awareness about autistic people. As Fianna Fáil spokesperson on disability, I am here to raise awareness about autistic people and to celebrate difference in general. We all need to reach our potential and our best, whatever that is. It may also be a time to talk about how we can help autistic people with early intervention...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Mar 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: Tá áthas an domhain orm a bheith anseo ar an maidin álainn Mhárta seo. This is my first time leading off for Fianna Fáil on the Order of Business. As with the many other firsts I have experienced since being elected to the Upper House, I feel privileged and am delighted to be here. I pay tribute to our county councillors throughout the country, both party members...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Mar 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I raise the hassle caused by the lack of a driving licence exchange agreement with America. People moving from America and, more importantly, the returning Irish must go through the ordeal of doing either six or 12 driving lessons and resitting their test, even if they have been driving around New York and Boston for years.If they prove they passed the test in America, they get away with...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Mar 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I would like to discuss tourism. There is no doubt that tourism in Ireland is on the decline. We all know that. To prove to myself that it was not just in my mind, I compared a similar period and category. I researched the number of foreign visitors who completed a trip to Ireland in December 2023 and December 2024. Unfortunately, there was a 12.2% decrease in the number of people who...

Seanad: Seachtain na Gaeilge: Ráitis (6 Mar 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: Níl ach cúpla nóiméad ag teastáil uaim. Cuirim fáilte ar ais roimh mo chara, an tAire Stáit. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis. Go n-éirí an t-ádh leis. Tá an-áthas orm a bheith anseo inniu ag caint faoi Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Inseoidh mé mo scéal féin. Fadó fadó, nuair a bhí mé óg agus ag...

Seanad: International Women's Day - Women's Health: Statements (5 Mar 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank her for giving her time and for extending it a few times. It is great to see a female Minister for Health. I wish her luck going forward. International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Today, to mark International Women's Day we are discussing women's health in the...

Seanad: Care, Supports and Enhanced Provision of Services for Older People: Motion (5 Mar 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him the best of luck. I thank Fine Gael for bringing forward this excellent Private Members' motion. It was well thought out, so well done lads. We, in Fianna Fáil, welcome this debate and the fact the Government is supporting the motion. Fianna Fáil is committed to making sure that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Mar 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I wish to raise farm safety. When we think about farm safety, we usually think of machinery or slurry pits, but now that the calving season is well under way, I want to talk about accidents with livestock. More than a quarter of fatal accidents on farms and just less than a quarter of non-fatal accidents are to do with livestock. I would like the Minister of State, Deputy Michael...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Feb 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: As we approach International Women's Day, it is fantastic to see two women in the driving seats this morning. If you see it, you can be it. Well done ladies. Some €82 million has been allocated to Cork to fix and develop 104 regional and local roads. While this is extremely welcome and a very large amount of money, members of Cork county and city councils believe it is not...

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

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I rise today to speak to the subject of special needs and disability, not from the usual angle but from the angle of the families of these people. Through my current work and also through a previous life, I have assisted families with assessments of need applications, therapy applications, etc. I always found it difficult to deal with the families because many of them are hurt and let down....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I wish to raise the topic of hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, and ask if the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications might come in to discuss this topic. Hydrotreated vegetable oil is seen as a replacement for fossil fuels such as road diesel, agricultural diesel and kerosene. It is a very good replacement but the only crux is that when VAT and duty, etc., is added, it...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2025)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony: I congratulate Senator Kyne on being appointed the Leader of the Seanad. I know he will do a fantastic job. I rise to talk about the now-ceased SEAI boiler grant. I understand the reason it was ceased but I am concerned about older people who just want a new boiler and a grant for one. The air to water and the retrofitting is just too much hassle for someone in their later stage of...