Results 241-260 of 880 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I rise today to raise the Taoiseach's misleading of the Dáil last week on two occasions, albeit not deliberately, in regard to the Tánaiste's knowledge of the Garda Commissioner's legal strategy at the O'Higgins inquiry.The utterances by the Taoiseach were at the very least contradictory. I call on the Tánaiste to explain to the House why she misled the Taoiseach and to...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: My apologies. I withdraw that statement.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: My apologies. However, I would like the Tánaiste to come to this House and explain why she continually expressed her confidence in the Garda Commissioner since 2015 in the knowledge that the Commissioner had instructed her legal team to discredit Sergeant Maurice McCabe at the O'Higgins commission. It is incumbent on her to come to the Seanad, to show us the same respect she showed...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I would like to raise the issue of the "RTÉ Investigates" programme last week which showed that certain hospitals and the HSE were not implementing the consultant contracts from 2008. It showed that one consultant had worked 13 hours in a public hospital over eight weeks. There are 2,700 consultants working in 47 acute hospitals around the country. They are meant to work an 80:20...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Yesterday, the Tánaiste's presence in this House raised more questions than it answered, especially on the revelation that "the email" was found in the Department on 9 November, after Deputy Kelly raised a parliamentary question. It is curious and extraordinary that it was withheld from the Taoiseach until 16 November, one week later. Furthermore we still do not have the full contents...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, we are very sorry to hear that Senator Denis Landy has resigned. He served as a public representative since 1988 and served as a Mayor of Carrick-on-Suir Town Council on two occasions. He was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2011. I would like to thank him, on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, for his many years of public service and wish him...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I was alarmed to learn today that the Assistant Garda commissioner, Mr. Pat Leahy, has issued a direction to the Dublin metropolitan area that all overtime cease on the basis that the budget has been exhausted. We learn this through the Garda Representative Association, GRA, whose members were told last night to go home from their stations. This essentially gives the green light to...

Seanad: Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I second the motion. I wish to share time with Senator Leyden.

Seanad: Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 Nov 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome Pádraig, P. J. and Aidan to the House, as well as the former Ceann Comhairle, Dr. Rory O'Hanlon, and Deputy Niamh Smyth. The O'Gorman family have really been committed to making good the law as it relates to ground rents. Ground rent is still paid in parts of the country and we are very familiar with the Marquess of Ely's estate, Lord Lucan's estate and the estate we are...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: While Brexit negotiations are under way, there are many other issues that the Government needs to tackle. Last night's "Prime Time Investigates" programme illustrated the lack of support for carers. Many of us are well aware of this, but it took a "Prime Time" programme to bring it to light for the general public and the political community at large. There are 200,000 people dedicated to...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (6 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the Hanafin family to the Seanad today. I am sure they have been here on many occasions. I welcome Des's wife, Mona, his children, Mary and John, his grandchildren, MaryClaire, Darragh and John Jnr. as well as Deputy Cahill to the Seanad. We know that the late Des Hanafin gave 30 years of public service to this country. Like many of us, he followed on a tradition started by his...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I am shocked at the news that a garda and another man were injured during a shooting incident in Ballymun this morning. Thankfully their injuries are not life-threatening, however the incident shows the importance of resourcing gardaí, especially when they undertake serious missions in respect of drug crime. We need to know that our gardaí are highly trained and have the very best...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Second Stage (7 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: We are happy to support the Social Welfare Bill. The aim of this Bill is primarily to give legislative effect to a range of increases in social welfare payments announced in budget 2018. Fianna Fáil will be supporting this Bill, but we will be bringing forward a number of amendments. Deputy O'Dea was successful in the Dáil yesterday in bringing forward an amendment to section 8...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: The Ombudsman, Peter Tyndall, has published a report on the administration of the Magdalen laundries redress scheme by the Department of Justice and Equality. The report vindicates what survivors and campaigners have been saying about inadequacies and failures in the delivery of the scheme. It seems from the report that women were denied access to the redress scheme as a result of serious...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: With the Christmas season approaching, we usually see an increased demand on the health service and health system. To date, we have not seen any clear strategy imparted by the Government communications unit for how the Department of Health will combat this issue. Genuine and life-threatening challenges will face the health system. According to the figures of the Irish Nurses and Midwives...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: As I have suggested previously at the joint committee, the Department might consider a slight increase in the income threshold for the fuel allowance. I want to repeat this proposal, especially given that people who receive the fuel allowance also get ancillary benefits.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I move amendment No. 7:In page 14, after line 18, to insert the following: “Review of Bereavement Grant 20. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall review the abolition of the Bereavement Grant setting out options on restoring the payment and shall bring forward a report on the same within 6 months of this Bill being enacted.”. The bereavement grant...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I said we would call a votáil.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I said we would press it.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I said we would press it.