Results 2,361-2,380 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The National University of Ireland, Galway is mission driven and aspires towards excellence in its core areas. That same model is what should be insisted upon by any Minister for Education and Skills who wants to put quality first. I ask the Leader for a debate on the Hunt report, a written reply on the cost of the water supply system and a written reply from the Minister for Transport on...

Seanad: Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minister. I am pleased that we finally have the Student Support Bill in the Seanad. The Minister will be aware that it was first published in February 2008. I realise the Minister was not in the Department at that point. However, it is fair to say that next month the Bill will be three years old. As the Minister pointed out, the main aim of the Bill is to make the student...

Seanad: Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Certainly, I will facilitate it on behalf of Fine Gael. It is important that the Minister provides such an assurance. The Minister stated she plans to introduce a single awarding authority by September 2012 or 2013. I had hoped this would take place by September 2011. Is that possible? What are the hold-ups? Originally, when the Bill was published in 2008 it was intended that the...

Seanad: Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That will be a beneficial improvement. These delays have caused much stress to students and have a knock-on effect on their education and outcomes. How many times has the Joint Committee on Education and Skills requested the heads of third level institutions not to prevent students from sitting examinations or using library facilities because their grant had not come through to pay their...

Seanad: Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is good. While I welcome this improvement, will the Minister see if she can introduce it for the next academic year? The regulations for the schemes will govern the classes of grants, the categories of applicants, which may include dependent, independent and mature student criteria. Is there a possibility of a grant category for trainee teachers and health care professionals who incur...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Congratulations to Senator Norris.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Is the Senator congratulating himself?

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is modesty.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Judging from what is being said on the doorstep in Galway, there is both anger and despair. The universal social charge——

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I will come to them. The universal social charge is affecting everyone. In particular, those aged over 70 years are angry. Everyone's income is lower and emigration is also a factor. Let us consider the reality. While Nero fiddles——

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: ——Rome burns. While the Taoiseach busies himself in defending his capacity to be leader, he has forgotten he is Prime Minister of the country.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: My question is this——

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Why have the Government and the Leader's party——

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: ——not defended us against the comments of the French President, Mr. Sarkozy, to the effect that Ireland should not benefit from EU aid while retaining a low corporation tax rate? In Galway it accounts for the creation of 12,000 jobs in multinational companies. This shows how weak a negotiator the Government is. Where is its robust, definitive response? Let France, President Sarkozy...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We are talking about——

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: ——a key member state of the European Union. It goes to prove Ireland's clout, post the bailout, is as diminished in the European Union as the public finances. There is only one way to rebuild our reputation and that is through the holding of a general election.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I say to Members on the Government side: for God's sake, go. Their time is up. That is what they should tell the Taoiseach today.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: At the death of the country.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Senator Walsh is not meeting people on the doorstep.