Results 241-260 of 1,870 for speaker:Frances Black

Seanad: Tracker Mortgages: Statements (22 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this issue. However, I am deeply disappointed that we are having this type of debate yet again. It is not the first time the Oireachtas has had to examine disgraceful and reckless behaviour on the part of banks in this country. It is difficult to believe that we are in the same position again and, in this instance, the scale and...

Seanad: Justice Matters: Statements (22 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: Hear, hear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (22 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I apologise for being late. I really wanted to be here for the witnesses' presentations but there was an accident on the roads which delayed everything. I thank all the witnesses for being here today. This is a very emotive issue and there is huge feeling around the question of dignity for those with illnesses they know they will not survive. It is vitally important that these people have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (22 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: It was the Netherlands.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the Minister for his attendance and I hope this is the beginning of a relationship with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and that we can keep connected. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan raised the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. I have met the families a few times, as I have the hooded men. I hear what the Minister says to the effect that there is an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: Will the Minister be able to meet the families of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, as well as the hooded men?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland Issues and Implications of Brexit for Good Friday Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (23 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: And the hooded men?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Second Stage (28 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: Let me draw the Minister of State's attention to an Oxfam report, Blacklist or Whitewash, which was published yesterday and listed Ireland as one of four EU states that qualified as a tax haven according to the EU's own criteria. Oxfam highlights that corporate taxes lost worldwide amount to €84 billion per year. A third of this amount would be enough to pay for universal, global...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I would like to withdraw amendment No. 5 also.

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I move amendment No. 5:In page 8, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “Statutory Guidelines 5. (1) For the purposes of sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 9# and 9 in deciding there are reasonable grounds for believing that the safety or welfare of an applicant or a dependent person so requires, the court shall have regard to—(a) any history of violence by the respondent against...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the Minister of State for his co-operation on this Bill and the great work that he has done. The Bill will make a significant difference to women in Ireland when it comes to situations of domestic violence. I thank the National Women's Council of Ireland, SAFE Ireland and other NGOs that worked with me and my colleagues in the Civil Engagement group and with Senators across the...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the Minister for his presentation today. Like my colleagues, I support the initiative for dialogue on climate change. I know we are here today to hear him report to the Oireachtas on the mitigation policy measures adopted to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases so that we can transition to a low carbon, climate resilient, environmentally sustainable economy as well as compare our...

Seanad: Garda Overtime Budget: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the Minister for coming in today. I appreciate his coming in personally because this has been a tough week. While the credibility of An Garda Síochána as an organisation has been repeatedly called into question in recent years, I believe that Irish people still have a lot of trust and belief in their local community Garda. This trust has been fought for and won over...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank Professor O'Neill for his presentation. We had two men presenting last week who talked about how their wives, when diagnosed with serious illnesses, had a fear of unbearable suffering. They both discussed how if they got to a point they would have assisted them in suicide. When that decision was made, both women felt relieved. They ended up dying naturally. However, it struck a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank Dr. Campbell for her very comprehensive presentation. I ask her to give us an example of someone for whom assisted dying would be appropriate. I saw a documentary by Louis Theroux on hospitals and dying in America. It featured a young man who had been in a very bad accident. If I remember correctly, the medical team was saying that the machines should be switched off because he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: That worries me a little because it gives rise to the question as to where one draws the line. It is a minefield if families get involved. We are working on introducing legislation to safeguard vulnerable adults and have been working on this area for some time. I am concerned about the role that families might play in this. Will they have an influence? What kind of influence will that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank Ms Hall for her presentation. It is difficult to argue with and challenge it. Ms Hall can see from our responses that we are trying to think of what questions can be asked. Regarding compassion, and if someone presented to Disability Action who was in agony, had an horrendous quality of life and had made the decision to go because he or she could not live like that anymore, how...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Frances Black: I wish to raise the crisis relating to homelessness. The reality is that people are dying on our streets. Two people died last week. I believe most citizens would give up tax cuts in order to ensure that children have homes at Christmas. All children have a basic human right to have homes. Almost 8,500 people are homeless and, of these, more than 3,000 are children. I know that Members...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Frances Black: I thank those who have given us such fantastic presentations today. I really enjoyed listening to each of them. It makes me proud. I feel very connected to our national anthem. Any time I have sung it, I have felt huge emotion. I feel proud to be Irish and proud to sing the national anthem. I congratulate the Lord Mayor of Cork on a fantastic initiative which reminds me of the time I was...