Results 2,341-2,360 of 2,438 for speaker:Caít Keane

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Senator Ó Domhnaill wants everything to be done in one fell swoop. While much needs to be done, it must be done by degrees. I welcome the changes being brought about by this Bill in regard to the nomination bodies for Seanad panel member elections. I also welcome the entitlements in regard to postage for Seanad university member...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: -----because when I sat on the officer board of LAMA, I traipsed in here to meet a couple of Ministers on its behalf, although this was not done at the time. LAMA now will have the power to use its nominating right or not. The power will be in the hands of the councillors of LAMA, they can use it or not as they wish, but at least it now will be a designated body. As the Minister of State...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: On a point of order, the Senator is speaking to the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, which deals with sight loss.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: It is not the Senator's fault because "No. 2" was left out in the first circular we got.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: Now.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I will speak to the amendments. The Minister of State may have to return another day to address the issues raised by the previous speaker. There is an agreement in the Seanad, facilitated by the Leader, that we would all work together to advance the rights of councillors. As the Senator stated, their workload has expanded and they now represent over 4,000 people each rather than 1,000...

Seanad: Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: This Bill deals with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority which will come under the remit of Dublin City Council. In the past, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority did good work. It was set up originally to secure the social and economic regeneration of the docklands area on a sustainable basis and to secure improvements in the physical environment. We only have to walk around...

Seanad: Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Bill 2015: Second Stage (10 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: Now.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill 2015: Second Stage (11 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I pay tribute to the late Garda Tony Golden, the late Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe and the 87 members of the Garda force who lost their lives protecting us. I hope the Bill will do what it is supposed to do and help to put a stop to the revolving door. There is nothing more frustrating than when one's house is burgled because one's home is one's castle. It is protected by the...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I wish to comment on the definition of what constitutes a child. I believe different definitions are needed. Let us say two 17 year olds are doing a line. Section 4(1) states, "A person who, for sexual purposes, invites, induces, counsels or incites a child to touch." If a child, in that instance, is defined in the same manner as a child in an instance of paedophilia or whatever, then...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I will be very brief.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: This is a historic day. I thank the Minister of State for bringing this amendment forward. I was not on the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. I thank Senator Bacik and her colleagues on that committee for all they work they have done. I was a member of committee D of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in 2013 when it brought forward a report on human trafficking....

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: After the section.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I support Senator Zappone's call for the release of Ibrahim Halawa. It has got to a stage now where everyone in Ireland supports that call, which has been made by many politicians. It seems to have fallen on deaf ears, however. I wish the House to be aware that Seán Kelly, MEP, will table a motion in the European Parliament this week proposing a resolution calling for Mr. Halawa's...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I commend Senator Crown on keeping this issue on the agenda. This House agrees that change has to happen and going back-----

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: Do not talk to me. The last piece of legislation was waiting 17 years to go through.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: The 1937 Constitution envisaged and enabled the expansion of the electorate for the vocational panels. When the current Seanad was established, the Leader made it a priority to ensure it would be done and there has been more than one reform. The Seanad university constituencies were widened. That was also on the agenda and passed by referendum for 17 years. Also, giving extra duties to...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: -----procedural reforms have been working, as I am sure Members will agree. We have also seen community forums invited to the House. I would like to see more of that, and I know it is on the Leader's agenda. However, more needs to be done. It is our own policy.In 2009, it was proposed that every citizen would have a vote in the Seanad, as is proposed in the Bill. The issue is how to...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: The Senator is wrong. The House passed the relevant legislation.

Seanad: Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I compliment the Minister of State on the work she has been doing for the past two or three years. Perhaps she has been working on this matter for even longer than that without my knowing about it. To say that this legislation is groundbreaking is an understatement because there is so much good in it but a worrying feature of the Bill has come to light today. I refer to the transfer of the...