Results 341-360 of 1,491 for speaker:Lorraine Clifford-Lee

Seanad: Business of Seanad (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: The Fianna Fáil group has asked that these concerns be addressed.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: The Leader of the House-----

Seanad: Business of Seanad (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: There are serious concerns to be raised.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: Point 35 has not be rejected.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I wish to speak on section 10. I reiterate my disappointment and that of Fianna Fáil that this Bill is proceeding in its current format. Much has been said already today about the GRECO report but I want to add my voice. I want to refer, in particular, to paragraphs 35 and 36 of the report. Some of the Members do not have it in front of them so I will read the paragraphs. Paragraph...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I just know it is not. The Minister cannot stand over this report.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I can sense from my dealings with the good Minister that his heart is not in this legislation, nor are the hearts of the majority of members of his party. It is very concerning that the Government is pressing ahead with this ill-advised legislation. Section 36 of the GRECO report states:GRECOtakes the view that the Judicial Appointments Bill as far as the composition of the appointments...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I apologise for interjecting but I do not think we have a quorum present.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: The Minister has referred to the 17-person commission. He stated it would not be unwieldy and likened it to the Cabinet and all of the people who sit at the Cabinet table. I remind him that many of the people who are in Cabinet are in the same political party and consequently, in a sense are whipped into a certain position. Therefore, his comparison is inaccurate. I ask the Minister to...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: The Minister did not respond to my question on the steps that will be taken by his Department and the Government to ensure diversity within the legal profession and allow people from diverse backgrounds undertake traineeships at the Bar or with the Law Society. I strongly believe that there should be a scholarship or bursary scheme because, as I outlined to the Minister last week, getting...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I support this amendment. It is very important and very well considered. However, I would like to suggest that not only the lay members be provided with this training, but the judicial members because while they are experts in the legal sphere, there may be other areas with which they are not that familiar. Perhaps other kinds of training, such as in diversity or in other areas of society,...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I accept the Minister's bona fides on this, but the comparison he made with local authority members and the situation that existed prior to that in relation to training cannot be made. We are talking about only 17 members. The type of training one member would need would be completely different from what another member would need. Having training courses that everybody would attend would...

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I thank the Minister for bringing this Bill to the House. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I am happy to support the Bill. I hope the Minister does have the same cross-party in this House that he enjoyed in the other House. I acknowledge the input of Deputy Kelly into this Bill. This is a very well thought-out Bill and it is excellent to see it before the House today. As the...

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I will bring the Minister and Deputy Alan Kelly on a tour of these facilities in County Cork.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: That is ridiculous.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: Like Senator Ardagh, I wish to raise the issue of BusConnects, which is a major issue here in Dublin. As a matter of priority, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, should come to the Chamber for a full, dedicated debate on the BusConnects issue. The BusConnects plan proposes a redesign of the bus network in Dublin. This was announced in July, conveniently when the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Role of Women) Bill: Discussion (19 Sep 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I suggest to the Minister that the reason it has not been dealt with in 25 years is that it was not really on the political agenda. The Government saw the strength of the "Yes" vote last May and that is what got it onto the political agenda after 25 years, rather than the fear of constitutional challenges in the court. If this article is deleted, how does the Government propose to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Role of Women) Bill: Discussion (19 Sep 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: The issue of childcare is very real. We do not need a Citizens' Assembly to dissect it. We know it is a problem and we can see the solutions but will this Government realistically provide for gender equality by addressing the childcare issue? It locks a huge number of women out of the economic workforce and the women I talk to who are caring for their children in the home are there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Role of Women) Bill: Discussion (19 Sep 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: I would like to direct this question specifically to the NWCI, but if anyone else has any views, I would like to hear them also. Given that the vast majority of care in the home is performed by women, will shifting everything to gender-neutral language do anything to shift the cultural default setting whereby care in the home falls to women to the detriment of their own economic independence?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Role of Women) Bill: Discussion (19 Sep 2018)

Lorraine Clifford Lee: By putting in the gender-neutral language, will it be almost a recognition of the fact that the care should be distributed among the genders? Will that add to the process of it?