Results 41-60 of 431 for speaker:Lorraine Higgins

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Jul 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: Last week I raised the issue of Ulster Bank. At that time we were assured that all the issues pertaining to the whole debacle would be sorted out by the end of that week. We are now in the third week and the problem still persists. It is nothing short of shambolic on the part of the management that people are still not being paid their wages, that their social welfare entitlements are not...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the national stimulus package announced by the Government today. Towns in east Galway, particularly Gort and Tuam, have benefitted significantly from the allocation of primary care centres, with many other towns also benefitting from the N17 and N18 motorway project now going ahead. I welcome Ulster Bank's proposal to compensate customers for inconvenience caused during the recent...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: The bank must now not only provide restitution of the amounts taken from the customer accounts but must also fully compensate their customers-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: -----which means it should make satisfactory payment or reparation to them. This should not be unilaterally decided by Ulster Bank and the institution should engage with customers, the Financial Regulator, the Minister for Finance and the Central Bank in order to arrive at a suitable level of compensation. I echo Senator Coghlan's calls for a debate on banking. I would like the Minister for...

Seanad: Charities Act 2009: Motion (19 Sep 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome former Senator Kathleen O'Meara. Ms O'Meara works for the Irish Cancer Society. I see Mr. Hans Zomer from Dóchas who has been very strong in his efforts to establish a governance code for charities. Well done to him. I am pleased to participate in the debate and to second the Labour Party group’s Private Members’ motion on the Charities Act 2009. This is...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I would like to raise the issue of safety on farms in light of the recent tragic accident involving the Spence family in County Down. While I acknowledge some of the circumstances in this case were unique, we cannot get away from the fact that we need to examine the issue of slurry and farm safety. I understand the difficulties that arise in regard to slurry are a consequence of the crust...

Seanad: Syrian Conflict: Statements (25 Sep 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He has been a regular visitor to the Seanad since he took up his portfolio, for which I commend him. I also compliment him on securing ¤2 million in aid for the war torn area. It is great that he is here to listen to our views and statements on the humanitarian crisis arising from the regrettable conflict in Syria. The conflict appears to be...

Seanad: Syrian Conflict: Statements (25 Sep 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He has been a regular visitor to the Seanad since he took up his portfolio, for which I commend him. I also compliment him on securing ¤2 million in aid for the war torn area. It is great that he is here to listen to our views and statements on the humanitarian crisis arising from the regrettable conflict in Syria. The conflict appears to be...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to the House to debate the constitutional change that is necessary to enshrine the protection of children in Bunreacht na hÉireann. I commend her and her departmental officials on all the great work they have done to ensure it was a priority for the Government from the very beginning of its term. I also acknowledge the role played in this...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Health Services (2 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister for coming in to take the matter of the potential provision of a primary health care facility in Portumna, County Galway. Primary health care is the way forward in the delivery of essential health services. These services are imperative to the people living in and around Portumna and its hinterland. Such a facility would provide a wide range of services essential for...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Health Services (2 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I appreciate the Minister providing further clarity on the matter and I look forward to the facility being progressed in Portumna.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I call on the Minister for Finance to come to the House to discuss the most recent problem afflicting bank customers. Only yesterday a new story broke about data audits having revealed that the credit histories of thousands of customers had been misreported to the Irish Credit Bureau. This is a scandal and an unmitigated mess inflicted on unsuspecting bank customers. It is clear from the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I beg the indulgence of the Leas-Chathaoirleach as I paint the scenarios of payment protection insurance fraud on customers; bad management decisions resulting in hundreds of thousands being unable to get access to their own cash; increasing interest rates unilaterally without consultation with the Government or the Central Bank; the second worst lending record to the SME sector, only behind...

Seanad: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Statements (9 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to hear our views on the SME sector in Ireland and what we think should be done to ensure the sector becomes the engine room of Ireland's recovery. It is a suitable portfolio for the Minister of State given his background and I commend him on all the work he has done in the area thus far. This issue has been widely discussed in the past by my...

Seanad: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Statements (9 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I will conclude shortly. The Government will win as it would bring some much-needed funds into the Exchequer while stimulating the SME sector. I commend the Government on the steps taken with regard to the action plan for jobs, the school building programme, the capital spending on infrastructure announced in the July stimulus plan and the micro-finance fund which was recently announced....

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: Unlike Senator MacSharry and as a single woman, I would be delighted to have anybody call me special at the moment.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I fully support ensuring that each of my constituents has access to the workforce and that boundaries and barriers to work are eliminated by the Government. However, to achieve anything of significance in this regard, we must rectify the delay in applicants receiving Garda clearance. While I acknowledge and understand that An Garda Síochána is providing a great service in ensuring there...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I welcome Senator Keane's comments regarding the children's referendum. A cross party referendum event supported by female Oireachtas Members will be held in Merrion Square Park at 12.30 p.m. I seek everybody's support later.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Vetting (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this issue regarding Garda vetting. It is a central pillar of the Government's objective to have large numbers of those who are currently out of work gain meaningful employment as a means of rectifying our current economic crisis. I commend the efforts made by the Government in this regard, including the increase in foreign...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Vetting (24 Oct 2012)

Lorraine Higgins: I thank the Minister of State for his succinct response on this matter. The system needs to be reformed as it is clear that there is a huge amount of duplication. A person wishing to work in the area of social services must satisfy Garda vetting requirements in this regard. Where such person also wishes to train a Gaelic or soccer team, he or she is required to make a further application...