Results 221-240 of 1,894 for speaker:Maire Devine

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for coming to the House to address the lack of a co-ordinator post within the South Inner City Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force. I hope she has good news for me in order that the issue can be resolved today to the benefit of the community. The staff of the task force had intended to be present for this debate, but they were unable to come...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: I thank the Minister of State for what appears to be good news, although my naivety has been bashed out of me a little by the nuances of the responses provided by politicians. The staff of the south inner city drug and alcohol task force were not aware of the information the Minister of State has provided and believed the position in question had been suppressed or ignored. While they were...

Seanad: Health Service: Statements (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: In case I do not go over time and have some left,-----

Seanad: Health Service: Statements (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: -----could Senator Conway-Walsh take the remainder?

Seanad: Health Service: Statements (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: No, because I am not sure how much I have. We will see, given the rush on time.

Seanad: Health Service: Statements (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: I thank the Minister of State for attending. Is the Minister swapping out?

Seanad: Health Service: Statements (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: It is time that we accepted that the health service is on dodgy life support in intensive care. Yesterday, 520 of our citizens were lying on trolleys throughout the State. This figure is growing towards the dangerously high levels seen over the Christmas period. The INMO's trolley figures date back almost a decade. They were unwanted at the time and it took a fight to get them accepted,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Weight of Schoolbags: Discussion (25 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: I thank the delegations for attending. Twenty years on since the working group reported on this issue in 1997, I am sure schoolbags have got heavier. The baseline for musculoskeletal pain must be impacted on by the extra load. It was stated that prior to the weight of schoolbags becoming an issue, children had reported musculoskeletal pain. Is it what we used to call "growing pains"?...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: I take the opportunity to commend the work of An Garda Síochána in the past ten months and particularly in the past week in interrupting the deadly activities of the major international criminal gangs operating in Dublin city which have bases throughout Europe. The activities of crime gangs are feared throughout the city by families and communities who are wondering when the next...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: Congratulations to Martin on his appointment as Clerk of Seanad Éireann. Well done. It is well deserved. Most of all, enjoy it, if you can. I refer to the legal challenge which was made against the operation of the Committee of Public Accounts, alleged to have been a witch-hunt against the previous CEO of Rehab Group. I welcome the finding that the court had no power to intervene in...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2017)

Maire Devine: We should use it responsibly.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: As this is lá Bríde - the Celtic spring - I want to talk about mental health. As there is an extra two minutes of daylight a day, it will improve us, but, obviously, without Government action, the position will not improve significantly. On the back of a report prepared in Denmark by the Happiness Research Institute, mental health campaigners are calling on all of us to switch off...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: I am referring to the #inourhourofneed campaign by Uplift, Mental Health Reform and Lust for Life. Many thousands of signatures were collected to demand the provision of mental health services 24/7, something about which we have been talking for so long, as well as implementation of A Vision for Change as soon as possible. Just a few minutes ago daughters in the Greaney family from County...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: Some 72% of it has not been. That does not constitute "in part".

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016: Second Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: I welcome the Bill on several fronts. Obviously, the most important aspect of it is the Part which refers to the plain packaging of tobacco and the potential health benefits this amendment can deliver. Ireland has been a world leader in enacting progressive legislation to reduce tobacco consumption. This is certainly another measure that will continue that strategy. This legislation has...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016: Second Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: Lucky you.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. Is there a problem we need to sort out first?

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: Am I in order? That makes a change. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Feb 2017)

Maire Devine: I will be really brief. I am happy to outline briefly my broad support for Senator Swanick's amendment. We have a serious problem attracting health professionals, and I am talking on behalf of my nursing colleagues. There are thousands of vacancies in that area and among other healthcare staff workers. We are trying to bridge the gap of expertise and mentoring of new recruits that come...