Results 301-320 of 764 for speaker:Kathryn Reilly

Seanad: Mortgage Arrears: Motion (17 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: We all know the harrowing effect mortgage distress has on people and are aware of the statistics surrounding the economic crisis and the personal effect all of this has on many families. Unemployment is approximately 14% and some 1.8 million people have only €50 left at the end of the month. More than 180,000 mortgages are in serious distress and approximately 115 fall into distress...

Seanad: Mortgage Arrears: Motion (17 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I know Senator O'Brien dealt with his proposals earlier on. I would like to speak about the current Government proposals. My party has expressed concern about the power of veto that is given to the banks in the Personal Insolvency Act 2012. Our fear is that the Act will be of little use to the majority of people who are currently in distress. We believe we need to stop treating the banks...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: VFM Report on Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence (23 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I would like to thank Professor McHale and Dr. Ahearne for their presentations and especially for providing the information beforehand. There is so much information to digest that it is nice to be able to examine it beforehand and then structure questions accordingly. Given their expertise, I have a few questions to ask both witnesses. Knowing the Irish domestic and political terrain as...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Second Stage (24 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I welcome the Minister to the House. The national lottery is actually older than me and as the saying goes, if it is not broke, do not fix it. I do not consider the national lottery to be broken as since its inception it has provided the State with a high-quality professional service and crucially, it has the public's trust, which is a point Members must remember. However, a new regulatory...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rural Transport Services (24 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State. I tabled this matter in the aftermath of receiving a large number of representations from users of the rural bus transport scheme who are concerned about its future. The scheme, which has been in existence since 2002, was established to combat rural isolation. In its infancy it accounted for 151,000 journeys. This rose to 1.7 million last year. A typical...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Rural Transport Services (24 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I wish to get a copy of the transcript.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: Many speakers have referred to the sale versus lease issue. I want to discuss the model itself in terms of section 3. The Government is using the Bill as an opportunity to change fundamentally the model of the national lottery. While we will be discussing the regulator later in the debate, the fact that the Minister is being removed from the equation and a regulator introduced underscores...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: The Senator put it well so I will not go over the points again.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: This amendment was tabled in the Dáil also and the Minister spoke on it. I would like to reiterate the point that one of the major concerns of taxpayers and citizens is that the level of moneys going to good causes will be maintained and this was the reason behind trying to specify an amount in legislation. I understand the Minister has not settled on a precise formula regarding the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Economic and Monetary Union: Discussion (Resumed) with Central Bank (30 Apr 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I thank the Chairman and welcome the delegates to the House. In regard to the mortgage directive, how will it benefit Irish consumers who have unsustainable mortgages? By allowing greater competition in the mortgage market is the EU repeating the mistakes of the past by encouraging reckless lending as the only way of gaining competitive edge? Following on from what has been said earlier in...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Marian Harkin, MEP (2 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: Like other Members, I extend a welcome to Ms Harkin, MEP, to the Seanad. As a constituent of hers, I see at first hand all the important work she is doing and I get feedback about it from the community and voluntary sector. I am very heartened that we have such an elected representative in the European Parliament. Sometimes debating in the Seanad can be marked by frustration. We are all...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: Will the Leader indicate if it would be possible to arrange a debate with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on the matter of inadvertent roaming charges? The reason I bring up this issue is that it has been raised in the Northern Ireland Assembly of late and there is a campaign around it. It impacts on consumers and residents on both sides of the Border,...

Seanad: Domestic Violence: Motion (8 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I second the Sinn Féin amendment. For many years violence in the home was seen as something that was nobody's business; it was a private matter between a man and his wife. What happened in the home stayed in the home. The blame game culture of blaming the woman who is actually the victim became too commonplace. As mentioned, there were questions as to what she had done, that she must...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Councils: Discussion with Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (9 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I would like to apologise for missing the Tánaiste's remarks and those of some other speakers. I might be going over old ground but I wish to follow up on Deputy O'Reilly's comments concerning youth unemployment and the youth guarantee scheme. This committee, through myself, is putting together a report on the youth guarantee scheme, including an examination of other models across...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: Two very important reports were released today. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, released a study on the impact of the economic crisis on younger and older people, while the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, released a detailed report on the social dimension of the economic crisis. The details of these reports make for depressing reading. The NESC report...

Seanad: OECD Review of Irish Pensions System: Statements (15 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I welcome the Minister and I thank the Chair and other Senators for facilitating my contribution to the debate. I welcome the Minister's initiative in commissioning the OECD report on our pensions system. When the report was released it received very little attention even though the issue it deals with is of huge importance not just for the Government but for society in general. Pensions...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Local and Community Development Programme (15 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I am delighted the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, is present for this Adjournment matter. The alignment proposals seek to achieve better working relationships between local authorities and local development companies, an objective that has been broadly welcomed by many local development groups. The main issue of contention, however, is one element...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Local and Community Development Programme (15 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: Will the establishment of the ten pilot programmes come before or after the publication of the terms of reference from the working group?

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Jim Higgins, MEP (16 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: Following the comments on the role of citizens, I would like to touch on turnout at elections for the European Parliament. In 1979 it was 62% but fell to 43% in 2009. Of the 27 member states, 18 were unable to secure turnouts of more than 50% in 2009. Of those, 11 had turnouts of less than 40%. The Eurobarometer survey from last December showed trust in European institutions has been on a...

Seanad: Diesel Laundering: Statements (23 May 2013)

Kathryn Reilly: I will be brief as most of the issues have been mentioned and there is no point going over old ground. Diesel laundering is a serious crime. As Senator Byrne said, it is not a victimless crime and it significantly impacts our communities, businesses and the economy. I commend the Criminal Assets Bureau and the Revenue Commissioners on their significant successes. CAB is a vital element in...