Results 5,581-5,600 of 7,123 for speaker:Mary O'Rourke

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: I will endeavour to give time to their Bill. It is odd the Opposition is taking responsibility and credit for it.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: They have moved it and it is on the Order Paper.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: I beg to differ. Senator Morrissey made a request in the House and I gave approval for the Bill to be printed——

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: That was said in this House.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: If so, it is great that he did.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: I do not understand why the Opposition Members are parroting that it is their Bill when it is not their Bill.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: Senator O'Toole asked that the trafficking Bill be brought forward. He was very critical of the attitude of compulsion requiring semi-State bodies and State organisations to have everything as Gaeilge agus as Béarla. I am in two minds on this question. He stated that the Government Publications Office had no customers requesting an Irish version of the Budget Statement, which is telling...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: ——but we will move forward with the Defamation Bill. We hope to have statements on the subject of privacy. This is the procedure followed previously when the House had statements on a subject and a Bill was then formulated. We hope to have statements before Christmas. Senator O'Meara also asked when the referendum on children's rights would be held. This is a matter of discussion. It...

Seanad: Official Languages Act 2003 (Section 9) Regulations 2006: Referral to Joint Committee (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following regulations in draft: Official Languages Act 2003 (Section 9) Regulations 2006, copies of which regulations in draft were laid before Seanad Éireann on 28th September, 2006, be referred to the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in accordance with paragraph (1) (Seanad) of the...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Order for Second Stage (22 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on the Estimates, which will be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business and conclude no later than 2.30 p.m., with the contributions of Senators not to exceed 15 minutes each and the Minister to be called upon to reply no later than ten minutes before the conclusion of the statements; No. 2, Prisons Bill 2006 — Second Stage (Resumed), to...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: We are having such a debate this morning.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: It will be debated next week.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: Senator Brian Hayes need not fear that the issue he raised was parochial. It became a national issue, as reported by RTE. We all know someone caught in the gridlock for four hours because of a hole in the road. Senator Hayes asked about legislation for the Dublin transport authority. I will make inquiries. The Senator also asked why work cannot be done on roads 24 hours a day. We see...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: As Minister for Education I intervened a number of times, pointing out that the Department would not win. It requires such intervention. Senator Ryan referred to senior public administrators. I was struck by the man to whom he referred, who sounded like a nice person. He was caught out badly because they had not told radio stations or alerted the Automobile Association of Ireland.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: People drove home without knowing what was ahead of them. The senior administrators do not take into account the fact that ordinary people will be discommoded. Senator Ryan stated that an update of the communications system was needed. The Senator also seeks a debate on ethics because we are losing out on funding due to the ethical regulation of our medical trials. Long may they remain in...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: The National Pensions Reserve Fund is under the aegis of the Department of Finance. With regard to Senator Leyden, I do not wish to smile either.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: The Senator sought a debate on adult education, which we will endeavour to have. Next week is the last week the Minister of State at the Department of Education, Deputy de Valera, will be in the Houses and it would be good to have someone of her calibre here. Senator Finucane referred to the closure of post offices. The European diktat insists that the service must be put to tender....

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: It is very positive. I hope the European knife does not fall this year because it will have an awful effect on post offices. Senator Ormonde argued that we could look at how State examinations are assessed and possibly take away the likelihood of the damning indictment relating to dyslexia. So many very worthwhile people in the public arena have dyslexia and have made a great success of...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2006)

Mary O'Rourke: Stop that. Senator Mansergh spoke about road deaths, road safety, justice and the evenness of the scales of justice. It seems that in the case to which he referred the technicality weighs more heavily than the offence. In respect of one of the issues raised by Senator John Paul Phelan, I am informed that for people such as those who are disabled or ill who wish to vote by post, the date...