Results 841-860 of 2,414 for speaker:Fintan Warfield

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: Sinn Féin's message today is very simple. This Bill - the draft legislation attached to this report - should be put to the Dáil. The Bill is not perfect but it is free to be amended by any party. The Taoiseach specifically asked for legislation to accompany the report. Why would he do so if he did not wish to put the legislation to these Houses? Let us put the Bill to these...

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: As far as I am concerned, we are all paid well for doing this job. The Taoiseach set up the Seanad reform implementation group and 20 or so people sat around a table on around 15 occasions. I thank the staff, the civil servants and the guests who helped us in our work. The cost would be significant if one did the calculation and yet I feel mugged as I stand here. On behalf of Sinn...

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: Every time Senator Buttimer speaks on this issue, he suggests that Sinn Féin, like Fine Gael, produced an alternative and diverging report. The report of the Seanad reform implementation group report includes all of our legislative ideas-----

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I agree. I thank Senator Higgins.

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: These were supplementary notes. They were presented as such largely because the terms of reference did not allow for suggestions relating to constitutional change. Although we support the legislation, the suggestions we made which might be looked at in future-----

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: The report was produced in line with the Government's terms of reference. Our additional notes at the back of the report relate to constitutional change, the abolition of nominees of the Taoiseach, the holding of Seanad elections on the same day as general elections to the Dáil, the abolition of a requirement of postal votes, the provision of equal gender representation and the...

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: It is not down enough.

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: We are paid enough.

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Mental Health: Discussion (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I have a question, Chairman, but I wish to make a contribution as well. To return to Mr. Martin Reilly's contribution, nobody should have to share their personal stories in order to advance an issue or sort out a problem but this seems to be the direction of our politics in recent times, be it marriage equality or repeal of the eighth amendment of the Constitution. He said it time and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Mental Health: Discussion (24 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I do not want to say I understand where our witnesses are coming from on some of the issues but I understand what some people might describe as minority stress that is taken on board not because of personal events but because of society's attitude. I got through my youth with music and the arts. My family is probably better known for music than for politics. When I was growing up and was...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report Stage (25 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I am happy to support amendment No. 1. My understanding is that blanket bogs were not part of the public consultation, which is the consultation that has brought us to this point and the proposed legislation. It undermines somewhat the process of the public consultation if we suddenly make seismic changes to the scope of the Bill with no consultation having been completed. As a result, I...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I add Sinn Féin's support to the amendment. It should be a matter of threshold for policy in this area that we manage the carbon sequestration of the State and that we have tangible data on its loss. For too long, the State has formed policy without regard to the cumulative impact on our environment. The carbon storage of peatlands in this regard is not something we should easily...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I would like to raise an incident that took last place last Friday night in Dublin city, as reported on dublinlive.ieyesterday. Danilo, a Brazilian gay man, was saying goodbye to his boyfriend after a night out in town at around 3.30 a.m. when a gang of two women and four men, having seen him kissing his boyfriend, set upon him and battered him with a steel bar. He managed to get to his...

Seanad: Budget 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2019)

Fintan Warfield: Notions of grandeur.

Seanad: Budget 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I am absolutely horrified by the lack of funding for culture in the budget. In particular, only €1.25 million in new funding is allocated to the Arts Council. I am sure we will discuss the broader issues with the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the coming weeks, but I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, is here today, so that I can focus specifically on...

Seanad: Budget 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2019)

Fintan Warfield: It takes no account of ability to pay.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Decisions on Supervision Measures) Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I am speaking on behalf of our justice spokesperson. The Minister of State will know that Sinn Féin supported this legislation, which will have the effect of allowing an Irish resident who is sentenced to a period of probation while temporarily in another member state of the EU to return home and be supervised by the Irish probation service. It is a prudent measure that makes sense for...

Seanad: Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019: Second Stage (9 Oct 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I would like to refer to an article that was published in The Irish Times on 23 April last under the headline "Adoptive benefit to be paid to gay couples under new law" and the subheading "Legal anomaly left male same-sex adoptive parents unable to claim State benefit". It states:An anomaly in the law that prevented male same-sex couples from receiving adoptive leave and benefit is set to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (9 Oct 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I second that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2019)

Fintan Warfield: I thank everyone for accommodating our request for five minutes. I know it is a difficult request but it is a discussion we had last week. We thought there was a benefit in having as many voices at the table as possible and I hope the conversation will be able to flex out. I thank the witnesses for the work they do in supporting our young people. I must apologise because I will have to...