Results 3,121-3,140 of 7,123 for speaker:Mary O'Rourke

Seanad: Northern Ireland Peace Process: Motion. (15 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I welcome the Taoiseach to the House. I also welcome the rapidity with which he agreed to come. All parties in the House were firm in their resolve that he should come here to discuss Northern Ireland and bring us up to date. As Leader of the House I am pleased to contribute to this debate and to listen to the points of view of other Senators. Members of this House have always reflected a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: The Order of Business today is Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. No. 1 is a motion which was referred to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food for consideration and it has completed its discussions. These regulations concern a reduction in the disease levies applied to milk deliveries for processing and cattle slaughtered or exported to facilitate the eradication of TB and brucellosis in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I am talking about today's business. No. 7 is a motion for earlier signature of the Appropriation Bill 2004, if passed by this House, to be taken immediately without debate on the conclusion of No. 6. There will be a sos from1 p.m. to 2 p.m. With the Cathaoirleach's permission, may I read the message on a card from Frank Lane to the Seanad? It reads: Dear Mary, Many thanks for all the kind...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I am sure the Chair will agree that everybody is in great form today. I cannot understand it, given some of those who found their voices this morning. I am talking about the Government side, not the Opposition Members, lest they throw a hissy fit.

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: Senator Finucane, the Acting Leader of the Opposition, spoke on care for the elderly and drew some comparisons. He also raised the issue of Aer Lingus and suggested there should be a decision before Christmas. He welcomed the appointment of a person, not from this House, to carry out public scrutiny of a particular matter. Senator O'Toole asked for a debate on the recently published report on...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I urge all Members to read this report. It is scarifying and awful that women and men with whom we are acquainted are employing people in that awful way. As a result of what such employers would discern as their employees' lower status, the latter are treated inhumanely. I heard recently of a woman who arrived at 10.30 p.m. on her first night in a job and was presented with a list of 27 items...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: As has been suggested, it would be a good idea to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, to come to the House for the debate. Senator Ryan spoke about an important memo that never came to the attention of the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin. Senator Ryan suggested that the Minister should run the Department so that those items do come to his or her attention. He...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: He is a great musician.

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I take that back. Senator Kitt is always in good form. He raised the issue of water supplies and the report of the EPA in this regard. He also spoke about Irish emigrants in the UK. There was a good article in The Irish Times recently by Ms Róisín Ingle which was heart-wrenching to read. She wrote about elderly Irish people who have been in the UK for decades and for whom a return to...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: Senator Browne asked when the legislation relating to the case of elderly patients who were charged for long-stay residential care will come before the House. Senator Browne observed that the number affected, at 2,026, is significant. I suggest that leaders of the other parties meet me immediately after the Order of Business to decide what time is needed for discussion of the Health...

Seanad: Bovine Diseases (Levies) Regulations 2004: Motion. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I move: "That Seanad Éireann approves the following regulations in draft:— Bovines Diseases (Levies) Regulations 2004, copies of which were laid in draft before the House on 8 December 2004."

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Motion for Earlier Signature. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I move: That pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Health Bill 2004, on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to her.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Motion for Earlier Signature. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: It was not enough, however.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Motion for Earlier Signature. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: Perhaps I should go back there.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2004 [Certified Money Bill]: Motion for Earlier Signature. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: I move: That pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Appropriation Bill 2004 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to her.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2004 [Certified Money Bill]: Motion for Earlier Signature. (16 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (17 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group and the entire House, I wish to pay tribute to Paddy Behan.

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (17 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: Other Members will have an opportunity to speak about him. When speaking about Pat Behan, it is difficult to know where to begin. I find myself somewhat at a loss in deciding what to say. We all know him very well. I would like to hear his recipe for good health — he did not take a sick day for 32 years, which is some record — so that it can be given to all those with whom we work. It is...

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (17 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: That is something we feel deeply about. Although I have always known him as Paddy Behan, I note that the documentation I have been given refers to him as "Pat", which may be more respectful. When one met Paddy, one knew that whatever one said to him mattered at that moment and that he would try to help one in every way there and then. He is a very fine person. We are pleased that some of his...

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (17 Dec 2004)

Mary O'Rourke: He had his own one-stop shop.