Results 21-40 of 1,195 for speaker:Erin McGreehan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Tests (7 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I thank the Minister of State and I accept that there has been a great increase in the availability of testing. The main problem with the testing in Ardee is not the capacity or sustainability, or the service itself, but the fact that it is so far away from a lot of the constituents of north Louth. I will not be satisfied until there is a testing centre in Dundalk, which is the main town in...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Second Stage (14 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I welcome the Minister of State. I reflect on this opportunity to speak here today on the mother and baby homes as an honour and a great responsibility. What the State, the country, the church and our people did to these women and babies was disgusting. It was wrong and I am ashamed that this is the story of our nation in terms of it treated women, girls and children. It is incredible...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I would like to request a debate on equality, or more importantly inequality. In the programme for Government we have a commitment to a national strategy for women and girls. I would like to invite the Minister to the House to discuss this issue, to set out when work on the strategy will begin and to clarify when it will report. In light of the debate we have been having this week, it is...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I have a few brief comments. First, I wish to thank the Minister. Clearly, he has listened. There have been many conversations and back-and-forth between me and his office, and I have been bothering the Minister for the past week or so. I appreciate his candour and his listening to the debate. I enjoyed the excellent discourse today. I echo Senator Fitzpatrick's views on the anonymised...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I thank the Minister. He listened to all our concerns throughout the week. We are all worried about the impacts this Bill could have on the families, mothers and children involved in this story. The Minister listened to our concerns and took them on board. The remit of the Bill was narrow. We extended what it was meant to be for the better of the record of the mothers, families and...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: There is an incredible body of legal experts taking one side or the other side. The Data Protection Commissioner is now saying that this Bill could potentially break the law. We have the Attorney General with one-----

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: My apologies. I retract that.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: Yes, of course.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: Perfect. I thank the Senator.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Erin McGreehan: My point is that there is an incredible body of legal experts with a diversity of opinions. A question arises over people having to take the Government to court. Why can the Government not pursue a test case? We all agree across this House that the women in question own their histories. We have all heard the testimonies. I do not know how many buckets of tears I have shed this week over...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Sustainable Development Goals and Departmental Priorities: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (3 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I welcome the Minister and thank him for joining us today. We have a huge body of work to get through. The Department and the committee has a huge and diverse range of issues in our work programme. I welcome what the Minister has said about the childcare sector. It is a huge priority. As someone who did not get to work because of a lack of childcare when my children were younger it is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Sustainable Development Goals and Departmental Priorities: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (3 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Sustainable Development Goals and Departmental Priorities: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (3 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I ask the Minister for a guarantee that the balance of rights will be ensured between mother and child and the personal information of the mother will be accessible within her rights. From listening to survivors and mothers I know they are very afraid their personal details will be handed out when they do not want them to be. This will be very difficult for some adoptees. It is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: National Disability Inclusion Strategy: Discussion (4 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: There is a question of where to start and where to end on this issue. I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for attending and I welcome their commitment to looking at the entire disability services as a rights space, in particular a human rights space. As a society and as a world, we have excluded people with disabilities from taking part in the normal day-to-day things that we all...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Travel Trade Sector (5 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I seek an update on the unique and dire situation of travel agencies. The companies are operating at a loss of about 130% in refunding all revenue for a year and a half, pretty much without Government assistance. Moreover, with 3,500 staff throughout the country, the sector is by no means insignificant.The Irish Travel Agents...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Travel Trade Sector (5 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I thank the Minister of State for the clarity on the Covid restrictions support scheme. He and I are in complete agreement. This is a unique industry that is not at all like normal retail. The doors of travel agents are open virtually at the minute and the money is constantly flowing out. I appreciate the Minister of State's time and the clarity he has provided. I understand the refund...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I echo Senator Wall's call for more changing places, toilets and facilities. He is dead right that the northern part of this country does these things an awful lot better than we do and we need to improve. It would be remiss of me, as a Member of this House and proud County Louth woman, not to mention our proud son, Joe Biden. I must also take umbrage at the fact that County Mayo is...

Seanad: Disability Day Services: Statements (11 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House today to discuss disability matters and disability day services in particular. As she highlighted in her opening remarks, difficulties with the provision of disability services arose during lockdown but great efforts have been made to reopen the services. I extend my sympathy and condolences to the 14 families that have lost loved ones....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: National Disability Inclusion Strategy: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: The witnesses are welcome and I thank them for their contributions. The implementation of the CRPD is something that screams common sense. As a sister of someone with a disability, I have seen at first hand how she is put down at every step. Senator Seery Kearney mentioned employment rights and every step along the way, she is disabled and my sister is very abled in every sense of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (18 Nov 2020)

Erin McGreehan: I thank Professor Quinn for attending. It is a great pleasure to have him with us. It is an extra pleasure for me as I am a graduate in law from NUIG. For the many years I was in Galway his reputation among students and staff was high, both academically and personally. It is fantastic to have him here. I congratulate him on his new role. His opening remarks were most inspiring. They...