Results 381-400 of 1,082 for speaker:Emer Currie

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Voices of All Communities on the Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland: Discussion (30 Sep 2022)

Emer Currie: I thank the Cathaoirleach for all of the work that has gone into today. We read the submissions, went through them and decided who was coming, but it was the Cathaoirleach who made sure this room worked today, and we are very appreciative of that. I do not think the Good Friday Agreement asked the constitutional question; I think it left it open-ended. I believe the values that underpin it...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Psychological Services (5 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I thank the Minister of State for stepping in today. This is a Commencement matter on education addressed to the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I hope the Minister of State can relay my messages back to her. We need more psychologists in the HSE. We need them working in schools, in primary care, in child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and on our children's disability...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Psychological Services (5 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: The last paragraph is my update. I welcome the high-level working group to look at this in the round, but the issue of fees is urgent and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible for equity and for these people to feel valued. I ask the Minister of State to bring that back to the Ministers if he can. Something else that has come to my attention is the good news that the Minister of...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by the Rt. Hon. Lord John McFall, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords (5 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I am honoured to thank Lord McFall and to do a summary not only because I am a Senator or because I am chair of committee A at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, but also because I am from County Tyrone. I am a proud Tyrone woman. Lord McFall is very welcome. The theme of today has been relationships. I reassure Lord McFall that is on the agenda of BIPA. On the sovereign...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Second Stage (5 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber for the second time today. I have never spoken on this Bill but I recognise, as the barristers in the room have said, that we have a strong record of judicial excellence and independence. This is about opening a more transparent process, which is welcome. The Minister mentioned diversity many times in her speech. It is obvious much thought has gone...

Seanad: Passport Office: Motion (5 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: It was most definitely the summer of the passports. All of us had nail-biting moments and long telephone waits. I thank the brilliant Passport Office staff who went out of their way to help people as much as they possibly could. An incredible 1 million passports will be issued this year. This, in itself, is good news and something to be welcomed. We must also thank the Minister of State...

Seanad: Consumer Rights Bill 2022 - Second Stage (11 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I am standing in for Senator Ahearn who has been leading on this legislation in the joint committee. As the Minister of State noted, this is a good day for consumer rights with regard to goods and services, and also digital services. I hope today is the day our consumer rights catch up with the digital transformation. This Bill has been a long time in the making. As the Minister of State...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: Last night, I felt so much pride as an Irish woman and as a mother of two girls to see Ireland's women's football team reach their first ever world cup. It was touching that a Donegal woman scored the goal. It came against the backdrop of one of the most traumatic weeks that we have experienced in a long time. We saw the PSNI and Garda working side by side in Donegal, we saw emergency...

Seanad: Breastfeeding: Motion (12 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I thank Senator Pauline O’Reilly for this motion which I wholeheartedly support. The figures really illustrate how startlingly different Ireland is when it comes to breastfeeding rates. At birth, the rate here is 62% but in the UK it is 81%, in the US it is 79% and in Australia it is 90%. By the time women leave hospital, the rate has fallen to 37% but the fact that at three months...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Services (13 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I welcome the Minister of State. I hope she can catch her breath now. In August, it was announced that a new multidisciplinary primary care assessment hub for children under the progressing disability services, PDS, programme was to open in Castleknock. That is very good news and is much welcomed. Obviously, it has prompted a lot more communication from parents to me about the children's...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Services (13 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I would like to see the progress the Minister of State is seeing. I do not know how I will get to see that by tabling a parliamentary question to the Minister every month. I need to see it so that I can tell the parents who are in contact with me. The communications they are receiving indicate it will be three years. They are not getting the communication they used to have and need and...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Young Voices on the Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I agree with my colleagues that the standard of the contributions has been incredible. It shows once again that the people, especially young people, are ahead of the politicians. Reference was made to the importance of getting the Assembly up and running. We talk about how we can work more closely together on North-South and all-island issues and that is not helped when the institutions...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Young Voices on the Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I thank Evan, Niamh, Karina and Ashling. I totally agree with Niamh about digital transformation. I do a lot of work on creating digital first workplaces so that we can allow people to work remotely, empower our local villages and create hubs and opportunities throughout Ireland. This democratises the workforce and is better for equal opportunities and for people who have difficulty in...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Young Voices on the Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I thank Kim for putting the important issue of direct provision firmly on the agenda today. I do not think anybody wants to see the direct provision system continue. Direct provision does not work and that is why we need to change it. In addition, we must look at it in the context of now and the bigger picture. All the witnesses spoke with so much pride. It was good to hear that there...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland - Public Policy, Economic Opportunities and Challenges: Discussion (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I will not overwhelm the witnesses with questions. Could Dr. McGuinness elaborate on what he said about the peace dividend? How much of a peace dividend has there been? On the subvention and trying to pick into the subvention, I have read lots about how it is not €15 billion and about removing parts of it like the defence spending. When it comes to the debt, is there a risk that it...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland - Public Policy, Economic Opportunities and Challenges: Discussion (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I am still cooking my questions. I thank Mr. Thumann and our other guests for their remarks, the feedback on debt and subvention, pointing out that there is so much we can remove and that, from a historical perspective, the precedent is there in respect of debt. My question relates to citizens' assemblies. In the view of Professor McEvoy, what is the best approach, taking on board that we...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland - Public Policy, Economic Opportunities and Challenges: Discussion (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I have two practical questions. What are the differences in the age demographics? We are we 25 years into the Good Friday Agreement. The progress we have seen has been very positive and I do not want to appear to be criticising it. Professor Heenan referred to the people who are doing that incredible work such as the all-island cancer strategy and initiatives like that, the work in...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland - Public Policy, Economic Opportunities and Challenges: Discussion (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I have a question for Mr. Carlile. I congratulate him. I was there on Saturday. Does he distinguish between the language of calling for a border poll and planning and preparing for a constitutional change in the future? Does he understand why the former is something that people can have fears or be hesitant about but that having a conversation about constitutional change is different to...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland - Public Policy, Economic Opportunities and Challenges: Discussion (7 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: I thank the guests very much. In response to the last two contributors, I agree that language has to be protected, obviously along with gender rights, equal rights, climate justice and access to education. They all made really good points. We have an opportunity to make sure, from a trade union and employment perspective, that we deliver in a better way. I do not want to ask any more...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Other Voices on the Constitutional Future of the Island of Ireland: Faith Leaders (14 Oct 2022)

Emer Currie: What is reconciliation? I put that question to four MLAs at the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly because we do not have an agreed version or vision of reconciliation. As time goes on, reconciliation is becoming different things to different people. I agree that it would be hugely valuable to have a wider discussion about what reconciliation is and where we want to get to. I also agree...