Results 21-40 of 4,563 for speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Can I have two more minutes, please, a Leas-Chathaoirligh?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: To give a rough outline, Tír na nÓg was set up in 2005. It is a respite service for the children of Carlow and was opened for 11 years. It first opened with ten children and then it had 42 children attending it. It was a weekend service with a waiting list of 30 or so. It was closed by the HSE in December 2015 and because of the need for the service, a weekend one was put in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: That is right.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Yes. I welcome the Minister of State's response but I think we are both suffering from a bit of confusion. The respite service was closed in December 2015 because it was in a private house in a housing estate and the house required improvement works, such as changing the doors, in order to comply with HIQA standards. That is a reason it closed. The facility had great staff. The children...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I spoke on the pay-by-weight issue last week. There is confusion. The Minister needs to clarify this for us, especially for the people using Greyhound and other facilities. I would like the Minister to come to the House to explain the situation. I believe it will be sorted but we need confirmation of what the situation is. In the last local elections, the name of the Leader programme...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I am very disappointed to realise that the pay-by-weight system the Minister agreed to a week ago has not been clarified. My Fianna Fáil colleagues and I will agree to the Sinn Féin amendment. I proposed yesterday that the Minister address the Seanad. A week ago, we agreed there would be a 12-month freeze for everyone and that there would be information and consultation so that...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: May I raise a point of order?

Seanad: Waste Disposal Charges: Statements (30 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I thank the Minister. I have to say I am a little confused. I spoke to the Minister about this issue last week. I have three or four questions for him and I want him to answer them for me. I thank him for coming in to clarify these matters. The Minister said last week that it had been agreed that there would be a 12-month freeze from 1 July 2016 to 1 July 2017. He said there would be an...

Seanad: Waste Disposal Charges: Statements (30 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Yes. It will be available in January 2017. I am trying to get my understanding of these issues confirmed. I understand that as part of these arrangements, the transitional 12-month period for the operation of the pay-by-weight system and of the wider waste market will be reviewed. I also understand that when a decision is being made on the arrangements beyond 1 July 2017, the intention...

Seanad: Waste Disposal Charges: Statements (30 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Yes.

Seanad: Waste Disposal Charges: Statements (30 Jun 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Absolutely.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I wish to propose an amendment in line with non-Government motion 6 on the Order Paper. The Fianna Fáil group proposes: “That Seanad Éireann calls for a Seanad committee representative of all the political groups to be established in order to examine councillors’ terms and conditions, including PRSI class K status, pension rights and other related matters and that...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Yes. Following the 2014 local government reforms, the areas served by councillors have expanded and their workload has increased. In counties with a small population, like Carlow, councillors are faced with a shortage of funding to carry out even basic works like grass cutting, for example. This leads to a lot of frustration. Councillors have to deal directly with communities who are...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Senator O'Donnell is correct that the noise was very loud.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Absolutely. It is not only important but essential that the Minister sets up this committee to liaise with AILG, LAMA and all of the political groups. Councillors deserve a proper stamp and pension rights. I was a councillor for 19 years on Carlow County Council, and like other councillors and Senators who have been councillors previously, I was honoured to represent my community....

Seanad: Local Authority Members' Terms and Conditions: Motion (5 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I move:That Seanad Éireann calls for a Seanad committee representative of all the political groups to be established in order to examine councillors’ terms and conditions, including PRSI class K status, pension rights and other related matters and that this committee consult representatives of both the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and the Local Authority Members...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Water Services Infrastructure (6 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, to the House. I am seeking clarification and a commitment from Irish Water to allay residents’ fears with regard to systems installed by county councils in housing estates over the past 50 years where main water and sewer lines pass through households, gardens and yards. In October 2015, the then Minister for the Environment,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Water Services Infrastructure (6 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I welcome the Minister's of State reply. This issue must be addressed seriously and urgently. A timeline is important. The old age pensioner I mentioned cannot come up with €2,500 for this work and every house on his road is affected because they are all experiencing problems relating to their water and sewerage systems. Will the Minister of State come back to me as soon as...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Like previous speakers, I welcome the publication of the Cassells report and the recommendations for addressing the funding crisis in the higher education system. This report makes it clear that there is a funding crisis across our third level education system and that more funds need to be invested in this sector to accommodate the young population. There has been a decrease in Exchequer...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Tenant Purchase Scheme (13 Jul 2016)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I wish to discuss the need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to amend the terms of qualification for the new tenant purchase scheme so that people on social welfare are not excluded. It has been over two years since a tenant purchase scheme was brought back to local authorities to enable tenants to purchase their homes. I am very disappointed in this. How...