Results 3,421-3,440 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Budget 2013: Statements (5 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Minister said "those who own the most valuable properties will pay the most". However, many of those are also the people with the biggest mortgages and the highest negative equity, so this is flawed as a principle. What I would like to hear is whether there will be any measure of the people with very big houses and very big mortgages, and the net income they have left after they have...

Seanad: Budget 2013: Statements (5 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: To sum up, the Minister, Deputy Quinn, has done rather a good job. He made a lot of mistakes last year with the budget but he has learned hugely from that for this year. I want to congratulate him and say I am delighted to see the pupil-teacher ratio has not changed. I do mind it changing in private schools, and I agitated for that. He has done a massive job to save SNAs and resource...

Seanad: Budget 2013: Statements (5 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I will sum up by saying, so far, so good.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We all knew this budget would be tough. Every year it gets harder. I will be honest that I am really angry with-----

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: -----Fianna Fáil for its recklessness. The country and its people are where Fianna Fáil put them. I thank Fianna Fáil. That party should take its responsibility on board and man up. We have been placed in a ridiculous position.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: When will the House engage in a debate on the property tax in order that we might figure out ways to make it affordable, to allow people to defer payment, etc.?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Another important issue with which we must deal is the expert group report. A debate on the latter is scheduled to take place later. I appeal to Members to give real consideration to this matter and to contribute to the debate to which I refer. I appeal to the Leader to give as much time as possible. If the debate needs to run into next week, please allow that. We have to figure out...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We must face up to this. When does the health of the mother matter? When does the life of the mother matter?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: All of this matters. I ask the Leader to extend the debate as much as possible because we want a thorough debate. While we are dealing with the issue now, we should not rush.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: On a point of order, does the Senator not realise he has taken thousands of euro from children, not ¤10?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Since when does the Senator believe the press?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Senator knows all about change. The people took care of him and his party.

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second and Subsequent Stages (6 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minster and the members of the humanist community in the Visitors Gallery . It is a case of déjà vu because we have been here before. I too was as DCU this afternoon to listen to the former Senator Hillary Clinton. The comment that challenged me was when she said: "Let your value set guide you." I think that is what we are doing here today. As the Minister said by...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Colleges gave assurances that this would not happen.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The fact that ¤3.5 billion will be taken out of Irish people's pockets is hard and sore. It is for this reason that I compliment Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, for saying that the Government will do everything it can not to pay the promissory note due in March.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It would not be paid. I do not want to see all the hard work of this budget undone.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Like many others, I have taken soundings over the weekend. Everybody, including carers, feels that it has been very harsh. I have written to the Minister for Social Protection to see if that can be undone. Farmers, particularly low-income farmers and dry stock farmers in Galway, have not been mentioned much. I have received text after text saying that budget changes will cost the sender...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Issues: Discussion with European Movement Ireland (11 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome Ms O'Connell and Mr. Richmond. I have had a concern for some time about our scrutiny of EU legislation and directives. I do not believe it is adequate, a point I have put on the record before, and it should not be deferred to the sectoral committees. There needs to be far more accountability. The report points out there were just two comments made by Ireland out of a total of...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I have great sympathy with Senator White's argument. I have asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the figures with a view to reversing the cut in the respite care grant and will do so again next week. However, I remind Fianna Fáil Senators that we are in this unbelievably tough position because of its-----

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Fidelma Healy Eames: One must go back to first principles to solve a problem. One goes back to the cause of the problem.