Results 321-340 of 1,311 for speaker:Sheila Terry

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second and Subsequent Stages. - National Drugs Strategy: Motion. (12 Nov 2003)

Sheila Terry: I second this important motion. Drug abuse is probably the greatest scourge the country is facing and it is threatening the lives of many of our young people. Either the authorities are not tackling the drug abuse problem adequately or they do not have the resources. One of my colleagues in the Dáil, Deputy Tom Hayes, tabled a question to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Nov 2003)

Sheila Terry: I am concerned over last week's disturbance in Mountjoy Prison, which caused serious upset and distress to many of the prison officers involved. This, along with other prison and prison officer issues, needs to be discussed in the House. I call on the Leader to ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to address these issues here and to outline for us his plans for the prisons...

Seanad: Stem Cell Research: Statements. (19 Nov 2003)

Sheila Terry: I welcome the Tánaiste to the Seanad. This proposal on embryonic stem cell research did not come to the Oireachtas for scrutiny in the usual way. It was discussed at the Sub-committee on European Scrutiny and was sent to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business for scrutiny. Both of these committees recommended rejection of the proposal. Will the Tánaiste explain why...

Seanad: Stem Cell Research: Statements. (19 Nov 2003)

Sheila Terry: Department officials said at the Sub-committee on European Scrutiny hearing that Ireland had indicated it would not oppose the Commission's proposals as currently drafted – having discussed the matter with the Department of Health and Children and other relevant Departments – because the funding of any research activity in Ireland which would not satisfy Irish ethical or legal...

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Nov 2003)

Sheila Terry: I too condemn the remarks made by a Member of these Houses this morning. In the same vein, I want to raise the issue of the staff of this House. We all know they work very hard. I refer, in particular, to our secretaries some of whom are very poorly paid. We owe it to them to tackle this issue, particularly those secretaries who have been brought in on the lower pay rate, like the yellow...

Seanad: Order of Business. (24 Nov 2003)

Sheila Terry: I support the construction workers who are picketing the offices of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. There is an obligation to provide for workers' pensions. The construction workers are expressing their anger that their employers, the developers, have not been paying the mandatory contributions to their pension schemes. The figure runs to more than €30 million. These...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, line 9, after "terminate" to insert "or postpone". Section 5 deals with the termination of additional maternity leave in the event of sickness of the mother. As I have already said, this may be in breach of Council Directive 92/85 on pregnant workers. The section provides that where a woman falls ill on maternity leave, such leave will be terminated and her...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: I would need some time to read carefully through the Minister of State's reply. That is the difficulty we face when we deal with amendments and Ministers provide their reasons for accepting or rejecting them. It still makes sense for a woman who gets sick during maternity leave to postpone rather than terminate her leave. The legislation is behind the times. The Minister of State has...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: My amendments are of a technical nature. With regard to the Government amendment, if an employer does not agree to this arrangement, has he or she the final say? Has the mother any recourse to any other authority?

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: We have to accept that not everyone is e-mail friendly.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: A letter would go automatically—

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: Putting it in writing is the only safe way to ensure notification. Not everyone has e-mail or is familiar with it.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: We all support breastfeeding mothers. The main thrust behind the Bill is to get the best possible deal for mothers who breastfeed. I accept that it is difficult for mothers who work and breastfeed. I admit that I am part of the age group that had to give up work on getting married. We stayed at home to work and rear children. We generally had more children than women have today and we...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: It is due to convenience and because women are not encouraged to breastfeed. This is not just a workplace issue. Many women who work in the home do not breastfeed either.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: As I said, it is a question of education. Women are not encouraged to breastfeed by the medical profession. It is a great pity that it is generally not a popular thing to do at present. It is our duty to improve working conditions for breastfeeding mothers. Indeed, I would like to improve working conditions for all mothers. Fathers have a big part to play in this but only female Members are...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: That is a terrible criticism of those women who manage it.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: On the subject of why more women are not breastfeeding – I accept that this does not come within the remit of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform – at its clinics, the Department of Health and Children hands out formula milk to new mothers. This is well and good for those mothers who have made a decision to bottle feed for whatever reasons but the matter needs to be...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 33: In page 9, lines 49 to 51 to delete "where facilities for breastfeeding are provided in the workplace by her employer, or". Section 8 provides for breastfeeding breaks where facilities are available in the workplace. Where they are not available, the mother will get additional time off. I seek to delete certain words to effect a change whereby the section provides...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: Senator White has made a good point. How does the Minister of State envisage staff in Leinster House will deal with this Bill when it is passed? Let us say for argument's sake that six mothers are breastfeeding. Where—

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Sheila Terry: How does the Minister of State envisage this will work out if six members of staff, including Members, choose to breastfeed their children at work?