Results 321-340 of 787 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Today I wish to raise two items. The first relates to the commentary that homeless families may be moved out of emergency accommodation given the increased volume of tourists in Dublin city during the papal visit in August. This report is very worrying. Despite reports to the contrary, Fr. Peter McVerry commented today that this will affect families currently living in hotels. He...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Well done.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Today I would like to raise the very worrying reports that the HSE may record a deficit of €200 million or €300 million for the first half of the year without any plan or intimation of a plan in place to reverse that. In 2017, the HSE recorded a net operating deficit of €140 million, yet last week, which was the anniversary of the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadker's, first...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the Government's move to take in 25 migrants from the Lifeline, the ship that is stranded off the coast of Malta. However, we should be taking in more. It is time for the House to have an open and honest debate about our immigration policies and our implementation of same. This is one of the greatest issues facing not just Ireland, but Europe, so it is incumbent on us to be...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Fine Gael has been in power since 2011.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Jul 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I have raised my first matter previously in the House and it is deeply connected to the lack of supply in the housing market, which I also speak of on a consistent basis in the House. There is a crisis in the construction sector now because of a lack of skilled construction workers. This stems from the fact that in recent years we have completely neglected the operation of apprenticeship...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jul 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I mention an issue that has been raised in this House before, namely, the increase in energy prices that will affect everyone, but in particular 1.2 million households, come September. These announcement was made by Electric Ireland. We will see increases of up to 6.2% in the residential sector. What this means is that householders will be nearly €110 per year less well off. These...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Today I will raise an issue on behalf of the Irish Haemochromatosis Association. Haemochromatosis is a common hereditary iron overload disorder and one in 83 Irish people are predisposed to have this condition. More than 20,000 Irish people have already been diagnosed with haemochromatosis and there are still well over another 20,000 people in Ireland who are undiagnosed. The most common...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Before I commence, I welcome some guests in the Gallery, namely, Seamus McGarry of the Irish Cultural Centre in London, his wife, Annette, and their friends, the Rev. Odette Lockwood-Stewart and the Rev. Jim Lockwood-Stewart from the American Church in Paris. The first issue I raise today relates to the already visible crisis we will face in September in the shortfall in student...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the return of my colleagues and the staff of the Seanad. I am delighted everybody is present in spite of the blustery weather. I wish to convey my sympathies and those of the Fianna Fáil Party to the family of the lady who died when her caravan was blown off the cliff in the west. It is a stark reminder of how dangerous this type of weather is. We must be especially...

Seanad: Children's Health Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I propose to speak once on the Sinn Féin amendments rather than address them individually. Is that in order?

Seanad: Children's Health Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: May I speak generally on this amendment?

Seanad: Children's Health Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: This Bill is long overdue. Obviously we have concerns about impartiality but what is being proposed is necessary and is modern. There is no sign that there has been any influence from outside bodies or specific religions. We fully support this Bill. It is disappointing that the hospital is not yet built and that it will not be operational until 2022. I am surprised that Sinn Féin...

Seanad: Children's Health Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I will speak to the amendment regarding appointments to the board. I agree with Senator Devine that this board is so important there needs to be transparency. We need to ensure we get the right candidates for the job. I hope that the board of this hospital does not end up like the board of the HSE or other agencies, in that the Minister will act expediently and appoint a board on enactment...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I raise the issue of sports capital funding and its allocation. I implore the Minister not to repeat the sins of last year in respect of the distribution of sports capital funding. The benefit to communities of sporting facilities and sports in general is immeasurable. In Dublin 8 we have some of highest densities of population and rates of population growth, yet between the Liffey and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the fact that the Minister has addressed the issue of child poverty and how to alleviate it. She mentioned that throwing extra money at it would not suffice. While that would not fix it, it would go a long way to solving the issue. I welcome comments made by my colleague, Deputy O'Dea, on giving every support to parents, especially in respect of education, and ensuring that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: The Minister said the answer is not throwing money at them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pre-Budget Discussion: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: This is a separate matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: In the past few days my office has been inundated with reports of very aggressive burglaries and street muggings. Very worrying young people, I would call them thugs, in packs and gangs are targeting women with bags on the street. It is not just confined to the evening but there are instances of muggings during the day. We hear repeatedly of increased numbers of gardaí, but I do not...