Results 801-820 of 3,652 for speaker:Michael Collins

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: What about the survey?

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It proposes the transfer of part of the administrative area of Cork County Council to Cork City Council. The recent proposed boundary changes which involve the transfer of a significant number of people from the county council to the city council will have a detrimental effect on the county. The loss of areas such as Glanmire, Blarney...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: Some 12 months ago we were assured that a consultant who was retiring in Bantry General Hospital would be replaced by a full-time consultant. We have now found out that no full-time replacement has been acquired and that the standing consultant is leaving Bantry General Hospital. This, coupled with the retirement of one of the two local injury doctors who has not been replaced either,...

Older People: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: Last month, my Rural Independent colleagues and I spoke on the Vulnerable Persons Bill 2015, where we highlighted the vulnerability of elderly people. We are here again speaking about elderly people and the difficulties that they face. Is it not clear to the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, that issues of the elderly are coming up every day, sometimes several times a day, in the...

Brexit: Motion (21 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. My Rural Independent Alliance colleague, Deputy Harty, made a valid point earlier this year when he pointed out that the Government is dedicating a lot of time to preventing the impact of Brexit from causing damage. Deputy Harty was right when he said closing the post offices in rural areas is like encouraging an "internal Brexit". I could...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: In response to questions I asked in the House in 2017, and in March of this year, during my engagement on Leaders' Questions with the Taoiseach's stand-in, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, I was told the Department of Education and Skills had given a green light on 2 December 2017 to four mainstream classrooms and two resource teaching rooms for St. Brogan's college, a secondary school...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (27 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: I am glad to get an opportunity to speak on this amendment, which I fully support. I will try to outline the reasons for this. I am delighted to get the opportunity to speak because it is part of democracy to get to speak in the Parliament. Many have tried to stifle that here tonight, but they certainly will not stifle me. Having spoken to many people on the issue, I put it to the...

Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It provides for the growth of electricity production for microgenerators through a supplier obligation to provide a tariff for electricity exported to the grid. In layman's terms, that will mean that this Bill will allow for householders to produce renewable energy from solar panels or wind turbines on their own homes or land. Energy...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: In the programme for Government under health the Government stated efforts to increase access to safe timely care as close to patients' homes as is possible would be a priority for the new partnership Government. In west Cork, Bantry General Hospital is a modern vibrant hospital providing a wide range of services to 80,000 people in west Cork and many in Kerry. This year, more than 1,600...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: I spoke on this amendment last night and I felt that, following a poll that was carried out after the referendum, it was clear that the people did not fully realise that the taxpayer would have to foot the bill. I raised questions on this last night and the Minister did not answer them. The questions were about the large numbers in the UK who have a second abortion and the many cases of...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: When we consider whether this Bill should explicitly ban abortions on any discriminatory grounds - disability, race or gender - it is instructive to recall some of the statements the Minister made on this topic. During the referendum campaign, when he sought to reassure the public that this Bill would not allow shockingly high levels of abortions on the ground of disability that occur...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: On 1 February, the Irish Independent reported the Minister as saying that if the electorate votes to repeal the eighth amendment in the referendum, the proposed legislation widening the grounds for abortion would not include grounds for disabilities such as Down's syndrome.

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: On 14 May, the Irish Independent reported the Minister reiterating this promise when he stated: "We've specifically excluded disability for grounds for abortion in the legislation." On Newstalk, on 22 May, just days before people were asked to vote, he said the people are grappling with this question and they want to be sure they make the right decision. He said that he can tell the people...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: What are we to understand from that? When the Minister made those claims, were we to understand that it would be illegal under the new legislation to abort the baby on the ground of disability? Many voters certainly did, and many reluctant "Yes" voters have said that reassurance was a big factor in the way they voted. It must be made very clear at this point that at no stage and in none...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: Had they searched the legislation, they would have quickly discovered that the Bill makes no mention of disability. Unfortunately, the majority of the media also chose not to challenge the Minister on the spin that was put out. He would like all of us to believe that if it is not specifically legal to abort on the ground of disability, it will somehow not happen in Ireland. That view is...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: Many Deputies present are looking for assurances. That is obvious from listening to what they are saying. They want assurances that babies with disability will not be aborted. We have not been given those assurances other than verbally whereas we need it in writing in the Bill. Otherwise, we will end up like Germany, Denmark, Iceland and the UK. Every Deputy must think deeply about this....

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: This is about following through on what most Irish people understood. The Minister promised that disability as a ground for termination would be excluded specifically. The Minister should note that this is no laughing matter.

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: A lot of things are laughing matters in here but this is certainly not one. The Minister can hang his head in shame in time, perhaps. Currently, the Bill is silent on disability and other discriminatory grounds. I ask Members to add the protections the Minister promised and failed to deliver. Will they support the amendment or open the door to eugenics? The choice is theirs but I urge...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: Put that man out.

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 Nov 2018)

Michael Collins: It is hard to understand why anybody would be opposed to providing pain relief to a human being about to undergo a painful procedure. I am not sure any Member is actively against pain relief in principle. Sadly, however, many have spoken out against this amendment in recent weeks. When this was raised at the recent health committee meeting, the Minister said this type of detail is best set...