Results 3,341-3,360 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames
- Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union: Statements (25 Oct 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: Such initiatives would make life much easier for businesses. I also apologise for being away from the House last week. My final question is on the five targets for Europe 2020 which I am excited about. The first target is for 75% of 20 to 64 year olds to be employed by 2020. The second target aims to have 3% of EU GDP invested in research and development. The third target deals with...
- Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: Is this an appropriate intervention?
- Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I support the call for an independent investigation into what exactly is going on in family planning clinics throughout the country. The issue is that we do not know what is going on. If there is malpractice or if women's lives are being put at risk, we need to know. The Leader might advance this to see what exactly can be done and what will be done by the Government on this issue. I call...
- Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: He did not say that at all.
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after ??Seanad Ãireann?? and substitute the following: "- notes the importance of transparency and independence (actual and perceived) in the social welfare appeals system; - notes that the appeal process has a statutory basis in both primary and secondary legislation and that appeals officers are quasi judicial officers and are required to be, and...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I am referring to the people who are unemployed, of whom 300,000 would have been-----
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: It is a very busy Department. I acknowledge the system has been improving and waiting times have been reduced. For example, 15 additional appeals officers have been appointed, the number of appeals closed out in a year is now 34,000 and processing times have been reduced by ten weeks. This is not to say further improvements cannot be made. I see that as the benefit of this motion and...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: Can I follow up with a few more questions?
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I had always thought all lead speakers got the same amount of time.
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I meant the lead party speakers.
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I will conclude. Can we simplify the application procedure to cut down on the need for appeals due to incomplete applications? Website application options should also be available whereby, if the right information is not submitted, it will be refused and the applicant will know. That could aid the situation. I ask why social welfare offices do not always answer the main telephone - if one...
- Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: It is true.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Special Needs Education: Discussion with Special Needs Parents Association (7 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: The witnesses are very welcome. I apologise for missing their presentation. I hope they have noticed an appreciable difference in the special needs assistant system in the past two years. We did a great deal of work on it here two years ago because we were at crisis point at that stage. I would like to hear a "Yes" or "No" response from the witnesses to that comment. Our focus of...
- Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: The county is not just good at hurling.
- Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: Today we have good and bad news on the education front. The good news is the increase in the retention rate of students at second level. The figures have improved and now only 10% of students do not complete the leaving certificate. I was the rapporteur for the Oireachtas early school leaving study two years ago on the factors influencing students to leave school early. At that time the...
- Seanad: Youth Unemployment and Public Policy: Address by Professor Christopher Pissarides (Resumed) (8 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome Professor Pissarides and thank him for his encouraging words of direction to the Government. He is shining a spotlight on the important topic of youth unemployment. This esteemed House has endured since 1922 and is known to be a place of ideas and debate. We would also like it to be a House of solutions. In taking over the European Presidency in January 2013, we have a unique...
- Seanad: Youth Unemployment and Public Policy: Address by Professor Christopher Pissarides (Resumed) (8 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: We also do that here.
- Seanad: Youth Unemployment and Public Policy: Address by Professor Christopher Pissarides (Resumed) (8 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: Community employment schemes.
- Seanad: Matter raised under Standing Order 30 (8 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: Absolutely.
- Seanad: Matter raised under Standing Order 30 (8 Nov 2012)
Fidelma Healy Eames: I thank the Minister for attending and Senator Norris for deeming this a matter of national urgent importance. Nothing changes our position. We still advocate a "Yes" vote as strongly as ever. In fact, it reinforces its importance and urgency. Perhaps it makes our case even stronger. Rather than seeing us as being derailed a little at this hour, let us strengthen our resolve. It shows we...