Results 661-680 of 2,078 for speaker:Mary Seery Kearney

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I associate myself with the remarks from Senator Ward on China and the Winter Olympics next year. I rise today to speak to two related matters, both concerning our attitude to public transport, its provision and how the National Transport Authority, NTA, engages with communities. On 28 November this year there are changes in bus routes being effected under BusConnects in Dublin city. One...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: Last Friday, Senator Ruane and I had the honour of participating in the launch of a short film called "Turning Down the Volume", which was produced by our respective drugs task forces. Senator Ruane is the chair of the Canal Communities Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force and I am the chair of the D12 Local Drug and Alcohol Task force. First, we must remind ourselves the drug task forces, as...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: That adds to the problem.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (23 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I completely agree with the Minister. To express carbon emissions so thoroughly within a Bill is inappropriate. However, it would be remiss of me, as a member of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters, not to highlight the fact that witnesses have come before the committee to report that building regulations are not centred on their needs. Their ability to visit properties is catered...

Seanad: Children in Care and Children Leaving Care: Statements (23 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I was hoping Senator Ruane would be before me. I thank the Minister for coming here today to take these statements. I thank Senator Ruane for raising this matter and giving us this opportunity. There is no doubt that there are exceptional foster families, individuals, couples and family situations that are fantastic. There are many people who would probably like to be foster carers....

Seanad: Children in Care and Children Leaving Care: Statements (23 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: There is a definitely something there we need to address. Strangers are caring for a child and can terminate that placement within 28 days. When we review, and clearly we are in a review phase, we must also review what happened before, what leads to that point where a child comes into care. Twenty-three years ago a group of us who were new people working in the City of Dublin YMCA came...

Seanad: Paediatric Scoliosis Services: Statements (23 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: It is lovely to see the Minister of State. I hope he is on a good road to recovery. All the eloquent speeches in the world are not as good as the words of a mother so I will put on the record of the House an email I received this week. I am writing to you as an upset, anxious parent of my child, Callum ... living with scoliosis waiting for spinal rod treatment. The delays in treatment...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: In March 2000, the then Minister for Health and now Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, launched the commission on assisted human reproduction, which reported. In 2009, we had a decision in the Supreme Court regarding assisted human reproduction with regard to surrogacy. In 2012, the then Minister, Alan Shatter, produced guidelines for international surrogacy. In 2015, we had the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I rise to support you, a Chathaoirligh. It began with a specific instance where, perhaps, a specific victim might have been referenced. I listened carefully and agreed with Senator Crowe's statement to the House, to be fair. He moved it to the policy issue. I would extend that to say that perhaps we need mandatory requirements regarding specific categories, home invasions and so forth....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: Hear, hear. Well said.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: And they want to.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I wish to associate myself with Senator McGreehan's remarks. We need to do everything we can to highlight gender-based violence. The problem is that, in many instances, we do not know. There is a culture of masking it and pretending that everything is right when it is not. As such, it is good that we have 16 days to highlight it. Every Thursday morning, I come to the Chamber and give out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank all the witnesses. I appreciate that they are sharing their very personal experiences. As Deputy Canney said, the committee is very united in supporting and advocating and very respectfully treating everything that is exposed to us. It is a very vulnerable experience for the witnesses but it is very much appreciated. We really value it. If I were to look for a trend across all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I am sorry for cutting across Ms Ulpe. When that is ready to go I would urge MEAI to contact us as a committee and we will go out to the gates of Leinster House and receive it on Ms Ulpe's behalf. I believe that would be an important thing to do and I know our committee would be only too delighted to support that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: It is irrelevant but it is good to quantify it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I think Ms Wehrly is being very kind. It is no excuse for forms to have a presumption of guilt built into them. There is no excuse for jargon in law either. I have been a barrister for only nine years and we were taught plain English and not legalese. A Department should do the same and there is a directive on that.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: Now.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: Next Tuesday at 12 noon.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the witnesses before us. I am very grateful to Ms Bardon and Ms Farrell for so generously sharing with us their experience so that we can learn from it and figure out the best way to serve their needs by advocating and by calling for debate. I have a general habit on Thursdays of going to the Seanad after these meetings and calling it out. To be fair, the Leader, Senator Regina...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: Who wrote the national stroke strategy?