Results 181-200 of 1,855 for speaker:Frances Black

Seanad: Mental Health Services: Motion (4 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, to the House. I am very happy to speak in favour of the motion and I commend my colleague, Senator Joan Freeman, for bringing it forward. I join colleagues in stressing that 24-7 access to mental health services is essential. The funding must be made available to address this need. Currently, thousands of children are struggling to cope...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Recent Issues Relating to An Garda Síochána: Acting Garda Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin (4 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I thank all the witnesses for coming before the committee. I will speak from my experience of working in another area. Regarding Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's report, I worked with a family who had a child about who they were very concerned and the way the Garda members treated the family was fantastic. One garda in particular gave them unbelievably good support, more than Tusla, social services...

Seanad: Northern Ireland: Statements (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister. I have always had a great interest in the situation in the North. I previously mentioned my strong family links to the North, so it is a very personal issue for me and is very close to my heart. My work with the RISE Foundation has often brought me to the North, where I have worked with cross-community organisations. That was of great interest to me and the...

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, back to the Chamber. I am very happy to speak in favour of this Bill. I commend Deputy James Browne for his work on it. It is great that the Bill has progressed through the Oireachtas very quickly, which goes to show the strong cross-party support for it. That is fantastic. I also congratulate Mental Health Reform whose representatives...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Wards of Court: Discussion (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I thank Ms Farrell for attending the committee meeting today and for her presentation. I agree with my colleague, Deputy Wallace, regarding the lack of accountability and transparency being a common thread throughout many matters that come before us. I am not a legal person. I have a problem with the term "ward of court" and people being called that. It seems a somewhat inhumane term....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Wards of Court: Discussion (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I work with family members who are dealing with the trauma of addiction. They are in very traumatic situations. I heard what Ms Farrell said about the requirement for scrutiny and the need to look for certain things. It is very hard to do all that when people are firefighting as a family. It is very hard to have a clear head. What Ms Farrell is doing is fantastic. I thank her for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Wards of Court: Discussion (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I asked about the ratification of the UN convention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Wards of Court: Discussion (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I refer to families who are firefighting and trying to keep going on a daily basis. Does Ms Farrell feel that because people have mental health issues or are very sick, perhaps they do not receive as much care or thought as others? They cannot have a voice and are not challenging anything because they are in a very traumatic place. Does Ms Farrell think that is part of the problem?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Wards of Court: Discussion (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the witnesses for the presentation today. I can imagine it must have been very difficult when the service did not have the resources to be able to do the job the witnesses wanted to do to the best of their ability. I am happy to hear that has changed and the service is willing to work with the families here today. It is a positive message being given. One can imagine the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Wards of Court: Discussion (11 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: Would the service be inclined to communicate in a way that asks the families to come in and speak with its representatives? Does the service wait for the families to make contact?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the witnesses very much for coming in today and for the fantastic presentations that were provided. What is going on is a huge injustice. I can only imagine what it is like for families that are really traumatised. What they have gone through is awful. Ms Urwin is completely right in saying that there has to be truth before reconciliation and, hopefully, then trust. The trust is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: If there is one specific thing the witness would like us to work on as a committee, what would that be, or what would be her priority?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (12 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: Is there is a priority in all of those going forward and does Ms Urwin want us to work on one big one or is it just that-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I too wish to pay my condolences to the families who lost loved ones yesterday's storm. I wish to express shock and outrage that the brave journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who led the Panama papers investigation into corruption in Malta, was tragically killed by a car bomb near her home on Monday. I extend my deepest sympathy to her family and friends. This is not just a tragic loss of...

Seanad: Recognition of Irish Sign Language for the Deaf Community Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (17 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I am very happy to see the Bill on Final Stage and I support its passing 100%. I commend Senator Mark Daly strongly on his tireless work and I also commend Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee on the legislation. Senator Daly has shown a particular passion in bringing it forward and has worked tirelessly with Ms Grace Coyle, who I know very well and who is a powerhouse. I have huge respect for...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (18 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I welcome the chance to speak on this Bill. I thank Senators Mac Lochlainn, Conway-Walsh and Devine for bringing such an important issue to the House. I send my thoughts and condolences to John Lynch and Stephanie McGill Lynch, who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes on the Bill based on their own experience of their son, Jake's tragic death in 2013. My heart goes out to them and I...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I send my condolences to the family of Eamonn Campbell, who was a fantastic man and musician. He was a charismatic and wonderful personality.He will be sadly missed in the music industry in Ireland and also by me. I wish to raise a point about the schedule of the House. Yesterday we received the agenda for next week and, for the second time in a month, Thursday has been left blank. Not a...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: We are here to do a job - to introduce and scrutinise legislation - so why has another day been left blank? Many Senators have Private Members' Bills waiting to go, just waiting on a slot. We have very limited chances to introduce legislation and, again, when time is tight, it is not good enough that days on schedules are left blank. I know I am harping on about this, and forgive me for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Future of Mental Health Care: Update on the Next Stages of the Review of A Vision for Change: Department of Health (19 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I am sure they will pick up on members' frustration about the lack of implementation. Some of us work at the coalface of mental health and deal with families who have lost loved ones to suicide, which is very difficult. I strongly welcome the terms of reference, particularly in respect of primary prevention, early intervention and positive...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2017)

Frances Black: Apologies for being late but I read Deputy Michael McGrath's statement last night. It is time for this legislation and I commend the Deputy on the work that he is doing. I wholeheartedly support the Bill. Any measure that prevents borrowers from losing their homes has to be welcomed. As we all will be aware, Fr. Peter McVerry, who is a wonderful man, said this country is returning to...