Results 421-440 of 459 for speaker:Phil Prendergast

Seanad: National Paediatric Hospital: Statements (17 Nov 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I listened carefully to what has been said in this debate and I am glad to have this opportunity to contribute to it. The criticism of Crumlin hospital as a facility is perhaps justified but the staff, ranging from the porters to medical and nursing staff, and the care that is given to children in emergencies and to those in need of tertiary care is without question of the highest standard....

Seanad: Business of Seanad (30 Nov 2010)

Phil Prendergast: No.

Seanad: National Recovery Plan 2011-2014: Motion (30 Nov 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I second the motion. Its main focus is jobs. From the beginning of the economic crisis the Labour Party has emphasised that jobs are the key to recovery. Every person who loses a job is another person on the dole queue, another person who might have a difficulty in repaying his or her mortgage, and many people have that difficulty. Every time a job is created the Exchequer benefits...

Seanad: National Recovery Plan 2011-2014: Motion (30 Nov 2010)

Phil Prendergast: We facilitated the House twice today.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I question the relevance of any legislation put through by a Government which has called time on itself. We have very important legislation to deal with and amendments have been tabled to many Bills, particularly the Nurses and Midwives Bill, which require careful consideration and should receive our full attention without, as Senator O'Toole said, Members having a go at each other. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: In that event, will the election be held on a Saturday?

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I also asked about the Student Support Bill.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: The scenes depicted on "Prime Time Investigates" last night were very distressing and will have upset many families. We no longer have an option not to regulate the care area, where we saw untrained and overworked carers mistreating elderly people and unscrupulous employers facilitate this by neglecting their obligations. We can no longer opt for a situation where the HSE pays millions of...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Barry Andrews, although I regret that the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, had to leave for another engagement. We are debating the Social Welfare Bill 2010 but never in the history of this State has the word "welfare" been more out of place in legislation. It should be called the social harm Bill because that is what...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: It is true.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: The Labour Party is also opposed to it because of the cuts made.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: Like the other speakers, I want to say that budget 2011 is really an unmitigated disaster for hundreds of thousands of families on low incomes and it fails the fairness test. The public was certainly prepared for harsh measures in this budget but just like every other Lenihan budget, the wealthy are protected by piling the pain on low and middle-income earners and cutting services. Carers,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I listened carefully to the Minister's explanation for his decision to cut the carer's allowance. Like the Minister, I have a relative in need of care but fortunately my family is large enough to rotate carers without needing to apply for carer's allowance. Many people who earn six figure sums have seen a decrease in their tax rates and nothing has been done about getting tax exiles to pay...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: The Department of Finance reported today that one of its officials took part in 16 trips abroad with the HSE skills training fund. These trips included Australia and New York, and some of the trips took place over the week around St. Patrick's Day. An audit has found that there was no particular reason for these trips. Let me inform the House of the situation in some of our hospitals this...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: There is a legitimate cost to this. In Limerick Regional Hospital, 17 people are awaiting beds, five in South Tipperary General Hospital, nine in Waterford and 26 in Galway. This amounts to quite a number of people awaiting services. These people are sick, have been seen by a doctor and are awaiting beds at a time when millions have been spent on trips abroad to conferences on issues such...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister. There are some excellent initiatives in this Bill. We are largely supportive of these measures, although I hope the transfer of functions from FÁS to the Department of Social Protection will not delay the improvement of jobs and training initiatives. We have made the point many times that there has been a slowness in this regard but we look forward as best we can....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I acknowledge this is a person-centred policy but I also know that some people would not chose to have the landlord paid directly but would prefer to go somewhere else with the money. I have in mind a particular cohort of tenants, older men in their late 60s living in flats in the city centre who are very content with their arrangements and would not wish to go into accommodation supplied by...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: Perfect. I thank the Minister as this was not quite clear. Like Senator McFadden, on many occasions I have been called to visit people who are living in very unsuitable accommodation. I called to see a young mother with a two-year old child. She accessed her flat by means of an iron stairwell at the back of a premises. The lower ground level window was broken and rats were running around...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: From Tipperary.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: Yes.