Results 41-60 of 1,308 for speaker:Maria Byrne

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): Cancer Screening Programmes (24 Nov 2016)

Maria Byrne: I propose a suspension of the sitting until the conclusion of the division in the Dáil.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Funding: Discussion (24 Nov 2016)

Maria Byrne: I apologise to the two witnesses for leaving during their presentation. I had to speak in the Seanad. I concur with much of what has been said. Every family fears the introduction of student loans because people are concerned about how loans would be repaid. The education of their children is the priority of families and I know many couples who had two or three children in college at the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2016)

Maria Byrne: I compliment mathematics teachers and acknowledge the new finding that there has been a major improvement in the teaching of mathematics. Ireland has been ranked on a list of high achievers and has come in ahead of Finland, which is one of the highest achievers. Low achievers have actually done very well but the pupils who are high achievers are still in the risk category, which is...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Second Stage (29 Nov 2016)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Acting Chairman for the opportunity to speak on this Bill today. I welcome the Bill. It proposes a host of measures, including paternity leave, the restoration of farm assist, protection for the self-employed, which is most important and has never happened before, increases in the back-to-education allowance and the provision of over 50,000 school meals. These are all very...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2016)

Maria Byrne: University Hospital Limerick was raised here today. While there are concerns about the hospital, I would hate the story to go out that it is falling apart at the seams. As recently as last month, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, was in Limerick for the opening of the new €16.5 million development unit to deal with cystic fibrosis, the Parkinson's Association of Ireland was...

Seanad: Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016: Second Stage (30 Nov 2016)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and commend her on this very worthy Bill. Having served on an enterprise board for 15 years, having dealt with many small companies and coming from a small business background, I am very aware that it is very important to incentivise and encourage development, especially in the research and development sector. I served on the board of Limerick Institute...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: I wish to highlight a good news story by welcoming the announcement at the weekend by the US Department of Transportation that it will grant a foreign licence to Norwegian Air, thereby facilitating the development of a route from Shannon and Cork to the east coast of the US. I also welcome the 30 jobs announced this morning announced by Acacia Communications in Limerick. The company is from...

Seanad: Cystic Fibrosis Treatment: Statements (8 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris, here this afternoon. I compliment him on the interest he has shown in the provision of the drug, Orkambi, to cystic fibrosis sufferers. When the Minister was in Limerick in early October to open the cystic fibrosis unit he saw it at first hand and met many of the patients who were there. The main thing that a number of people who have come to my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Funding: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the witnesses and congratulate them on their presentations. I have met many of them in the past and listened to their different views. We all support keeping student fees at the lowest rate possible. I do not think any member believes they should go up by a significant amount. In saying that, we have to be practical to work within the resources available at the moment. We are...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the announcement yesterday from the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, on the Shannon Estuary drive following calls from me for the inclusion of Limerick in the wild Atlantic way. I am glad the Minister has announced the initiative. It will be a touring route and a pilot scheme will be run in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland. It will involve an...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: I did not do that.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: It is not appropriate for the Senator to question my intelligence level.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: University Hospital Limerick is always getting negative publicity around here but there was good news in the announcement yesterday that the opening date of the new accident and emergency department may be brought forward following the significant upgrade of the software systems there. This includes the integration of the patient and clinical management systems which allow consultants and...

Seanad: Be Winter-Ready Campaign: Statements (15 Dec 2016)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister of State to the House for this discussion on the very important Be Winter-Ready campaign. The key issues are to be prepared, stay safe and know where to turn to for help. These are the key messages that must be communicated, especially to older people in the community. As others have said, people must ensure that they have an adequate supply of water and food in...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jan 2017)

Maria Byrne: I congratulate Limerick woman, Ruth Negga, on her nomination for best actress in this year's Oscars. Even though she was born in Ethiopia, all her family live in Dooradoyle in Limerick. The Malone family is absolutely ecstatic about her nomination. Ruth has always said that she is from Limerick. Ruth's mother was a nurse in Ethiopia when she met her father and Ruth lived there for a...

Seanad: Junior Cycle Reform: Motion (25 Jan 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister. I congratulate my colleague, Senator Conway, on introducing this motion. We should think back to the celebrations that we have had in 2016 commemorating the events of 1916. The many organisations that organised events both for our young and our not so young have been outstanding. It has been a way of highlighting our history. It is something that is very much to...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the action plan to expand apprenticeships and traineeships 2016 to 2020. I attended the launch of the document this morning with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, and the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy John Halligan, and it was a very positive event. During the recession, the number of apprenticeships declined by...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2017)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Cathaoirleach. In today's edition of The Irish Times, I read about the talks between the HSE and Vertex on pricing and the pricing agreement on Orkambi, the drug for cystic fibrosis sufferers. There are over 500 patients in Ireland who are dependent on this drug. Unfortunately, the HSE and the company involved failed to reach agreement in the past 24 hours. The HSE negotiating...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (2 Feb 2017)

Maria Byrne: Last week when the Minister, Deputy Harris, was here in the Chamber, he referred to the budget for this year, of €14.6 billion, as being the highest ever health budget. He also referred to the distress of patients and their families and the impact to the staff caused by cramped and overcrowded conditions and high numbers of patients on trolleys. University Hospital Limerick has been...