Results 841-860 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have to put it on the record that the framework document was published.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: It was published in The Irish Times.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday I spoke about the need for fairness and equity in any decisions taken by the Government to address the current economic difficulties. I regret that the measures announced yesterday were neither fair nor equitable. In a radio interview this morning, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, certainly could be said to have refused to apologise for the Government's role in...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are undoubtedly international factors at play but to deny that the poor decision making of recent years, including the reliance on property taxes, the inflationary budgets and the appalling waste, have played a part, and to refuse to apologise for this, is outrageous given that ordinary workers are being asked to put their hands in their pockets and give over their hard earned money....

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I congratulate Senators Norris, O'Toole and Bacik for tabling this motion. There is a similar motion on the Order Paper from the Fine Gael Party which the Minister of State may care to examine. I note his remark that there is an overt and unfair negative tone to the motion. However, in light of the decisions taken by the Government in regard to the Combat Poverty Agency and the Equality...

Seanad: Crime Prevention (4 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am grateful for the opportunity this evening to raise with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the need to outline his views on the need to criminalise the act of grooming a young child for a crime, in light of the many disturbing reports of children being used by criminal gangs to smuggle drugs and weapons. Some very startling and disconcerting information has come to light...

Seanad: Stabilisation of the Public Finances: Statements (5 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the opportunity to speak today and welcome to the House the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh. The tone of the debate has been highly interesting and I found myself in agreement with many points made from different sides of the House. The best thinking from everyone in Ireland must be sought and as many people as possible must be brought with us, because we face an unprecedented...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the decision of An Bord Pleanála to turn down the application for an incinerator in Rathcoole. I compliment the communities of Rathcoole, Newcastle and Saggart on their energetic campaign against this incinerator. I welcome, and I think many Senators will welcome, that costs were awarded to the community groups because if one wants to have an equal playing field in planning, it...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: We thought we had heard everything there was to hear about the banking culture in this country. Senators from all sides will be horrified at the most recent revelations regarding the bail-out, namely, the cooking of the books by which one bank lent to Anglo Irish Bank on the day before its results were to be announced last September. The culture emerging from our banking system is...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: When is the scheme being introduced?

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is an Alice in Wonderland quality about what is going on in Government at the moment when we hear the Minister for Finance say that he did not read the PricewaterhouseCoopers report. We have been asking for details of that report in this House for months. It is utterly extraordinary that the Minister said yesterday that he did not read the critical parts of the report and did not read...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are too many which might be asked.

Seanad: Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Statements (12 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the Minister of Defence, Deputy Willie O'Dea. I am glad to have an opportunity to make a short statement on this matter because it is an historic day for the economy of the country when we underpin the banks from the pension fund to the degree that we are doing. It certainly is an historic day for this country's banking. Potentially, it should also be an historic day in terms of...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is absolute rage, anger and fury among the public at what they see happening in the banking sector. People are outraged and there is considerable concern that we are putting more and more taxpayers' money into what is, essentially, a very flawed and unmanageable system. People are very concerned about the lack of regulation.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: The question is whether we intend to clean up the banks and the regulations by putting in new people and devising stricter regulation. People are extremely concerned. They are also very upset by the golden handshakes they see and the bonuses that people have received. They do not believe this should happen. It is fuelling social unrest and giving rise to a sense of inequity and...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is one thing to talk about banking accountability but we had better start talking about political accountability for these decisions. Many will have seen the very disturbing article in the The Sunday Times which outlined a series of events regarding €300 million worth of Anglo Irish Bank shares which changed hands apparently with the agreement of the Department of Finance, the Financial...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: He is cutting back on the most vulnerable when we are pumping billions of euro into the banks with light regulation. He is taking away €5 million from children with special needs in classrooms who need one-to-one support and who are still not getting it early enough. They are still not being diagnosed and given the help they need early enough, and our schools are struggling to do their...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Did the Minister know?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Hear, hear.