Results 501-520 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman's Report on Nursing Home Care: Discussion with Department of Health (29 May 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I welcome the Secretary General and his officials. We appreciate them being here. I also commend the fact that they are in the process of restructuring the Department and have made that appointment as a liaison point for the Office of the Ombudsman. All of us present would agree that improving relationships between the Department and the Office of the Ombudsman is key and is, in effect,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman's Report on Nursing Home Care: Discussion with Department of Health (29 May 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I would like to know the number of cases involved. If Dr. McLoughlin cannot give us the figures, is he providing them to the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health or the HSE? Who knows about the number of cases? Given the broken relationship between the Department and the Ombudsman, what is he going to do to repair it? The committee is responsible for investigating that relationship.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman's Report on Nursing Home Care: Discussion with Department of Health (29 May 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: With regard to redress, the Ombudsman said she was not recommending compensation and she proposed a limited redress scheme. Why was it not taken up? That might have avoided litigation. The Ombudsman clearly said the settlement of these cases is obstruction on the part of the Department. As Senator Ó Clochartaigh said, the committee has dealt with other ombudsmen and the language in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman's Report on Nursing Home Care: Discussion with Department of Health (29 May 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: The Ombudsman recommended such a scheme. Why did Dr. McLoughlin not respond to that recommendation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman's Report on Nursing Home Care: Discussion with Department of Health (29 May 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Would the situation not be eased by allowing a case to go to court and having the court rule finally that what the Department has upheld-----

Seanad: Order of Business (30 May 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I, too, welcome the new arrangements for the new clusters and the new technological universities, as announced this morning by the Minister for Education and Skills. I ask the Leader for an early debate because I am sure there will be much interest in this issue. Between the 21 institutions, universities and institutes of technology, there will be four clusters across the country, including...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Like others, I am concerned about the revelations about the leaving certificate examinations. One of the flaws of the leaving certificate is that young people only get one opportunity. They work hard and a great deal of advice is given to students and parents about preparing for the examinations such as about getting enough sleep, drinking water, not staying up half the night and not...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: No one has stood up and said, "That was my fault: I did that".

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: The thousands of children who struggled all last year and this year in respect of this examination have been let down. I cannot find words to described how upset I am. I do not know how we can ensure this does not happen again but we should at least have an opportunity to discuss the issue with the Minister. Perhaps the State Examinations Commission should be called to appear before the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Disease Eradication Programmes: Discussion with Animal Health Ireland (11 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I share the concerns about BVD. The target cell count for mastitis was set out but what is the cell count at present if we want it to be 200,000 per millilitre by 2020? What are the ramifications of the count being higher than 200,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Disease Eradication Programmes: Discussion with Animal Health Ireland (11 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Clearly, mastitis is not a new problem. I appreciate the dilemma Ms McCoy has with the figures. She can only work with what she has. However, based on her figures, almost half are above what she would ideally like them to be. After all the years and with all the knowledge we have about mastitis, why are we still at this level? It is not a new disease that farmers are struggling to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Disease Eradication Programmes: Discussion with Animal Health Ireland (11 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I know it is, but it is an indicator. Based on those figures, 52% are where we would like them to be. How confident can we be about the other 48% reaching the target?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Disease Eradication Programmes: Discussion with Animal Health Ireland (11 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: If I may go back to SCC, I note the witnesses have their 2012-2014 strategy. As I should know but I do not, I ask their forgiveness for asking what they lay down in that strategy for that count. As it seems 2020 is a generous time by which to achieve this, I ask how confident they are they will achieve their target. What did they lay down to be achieved by 2014 and are they confident that...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: As I am sure others have done, I welcome the First Lady of the United States and her family to Ireland. I hope they have enjoyed their brief stay. They have done the country a service by raising its profile and drawing attention to our tourism product. I thank the US President, Mr. Obama, for having had the foresight to quote William Butler Yeats while he was here and for never missing an...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: It was not incorrect.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: We will forgive him. Even I will forgive him. Following a very successful Yeats day in Sligo last Thursday, I thank Senators for their good wishes. In advance of the visit of Prime Minister Abe of Japan to Dublin tomorrow and to cement the links between Ireland and Japan which promise enormous economic, tourism and cultural benefits, I thank Ambassador John Neary who will host a Yeats'...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Management of Upland Habitats in County Wicklow: Discussion with Wicklow Uplands Council (18 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the delegates for their presentation and great enthusiasm. What is Wicklow Uplands Council's relationship with Coillte? Does the designation of the area to which they are referring as a national park assist or hinder them in their efforts and, if either is the case, will they explain why? The delegates spoke about recreational use. Have they anything more to say on that matter?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Management of Upland Habitats in County Wicklow: Discussion with Wicklow Uplands Council (18 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I apologise for my not having been present to hear some of the replies given. I was trying to be in two places at the same time. Mr. Brown said that various people suggested changing the breed of sheep. He stated this would require research and that he hoped to do this. I would have believed that with all the various organisations involved in farming, research and education, it would not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Management of Upland Habitats in County Wicklow: Discussion with Wicklow Uplands Council (18 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Is the economic information not available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Management of Upland Habitats in County Wicklow: Discussion with Wicklow Uplands Council (18 Jun 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Mr. Byrne is saying that if he had research-based evidence of that, it might encourage farmers to engage with the idea of changing their stocking patterns.