Results 861-880 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality Budgeting Petition: Equality Budgeting Campaign (2 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Is there a country that has long championed equality budgeting yet has a large gap between the top and bottom incomes? I am not trying to disagree with the Equality Budgeting Campaign.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality Budgeting Petition: Equality Budgeting Campaign (2 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I remember it well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality Budgeting Petition: Equality Budgeting Campaign (2 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Do not be too disheartened by the Minister's response. The very fact that the witnesses are present and debating-----

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I take the opportunity on this historic day to join with colleagues in wishing President Higgins and Mrs. Sabina Higgins well on their trip to the UK and share in the optimism generated by this trip. I spent a large portion of my adult working life in the UK and my children were born there so I very much appreciate what this visit might mean. I very much saw the change in attitude to Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Overview of Land Use: EPA and Teagasc (8 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I must leave in a moment to vote. Does the Chairman mind if I ask a simple question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Overview of Land Use: EPA and Teagasc (8 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Chairman. A lot of information has been given and I ask the delegations to forgive us because it will take us a moment to get our heads around it. With regard to the 32% rate for agriculture, what is the reduced target we must aim for? Is 32% okay if we change other things? How might the GLAS scheme help us to reach our target? GLAS was mentioned but it did not get a big...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Overview of Land Use: EPA and Teagasc (8 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Chairman. I must leave because I have to vote.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Overview of Land Use: EPA and Teagasc (8 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Yes. I thank Dr. Cotter. I also asked whether GLAS or the GLAS proposals will go some way towards improving the situation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Overview of Land Use: EPA and Teagasc (8 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I interpret that to mean not yet but maybe. I appreciate the answers supplied.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: We will miss Jody very much. I know that her dog, her garden, her friends and her family will be the beneficiaries of her time away from us. She has been more than helpful, particularly to those of us who are new not only to the Seanad but to the Houses of the Oireachtas. I greatly appreciate her kindness and common sense. We will miss her very much. We hope she will take the opportunity...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Certain Matters relative to An Garda Síochána and other persons) Order 2014: Motion (16 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I welcome the Taoiseach to the House, and I welcome the commission of investigation under the stewardship of Mr. Justice Nial Fennelly, the Supreme Court judge. For Senator Darragh O'Brien to call it some class of cloak is just ridiculous. I do not believe any Government would normally subject itself or allow or encourage a Supreme Court judge to sit over an inquiry for such a length of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Design of Ballot Papers: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (16 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank Mr. Deering for his presentation. I am a little disappointed the presentation did not reflect the gravity of the research. He is absolutely right that any referendum is an important matter and the language ought to reflect this, but the research suggests a huge number of people found it difficult or very difficult to understand and a considerable number of people apparently voted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Design of Ballot Papers: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (16 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: It is never as simple as people sitting in a pub might say, that they ought to have been asked one sentence. However, there is still some mystery surrounding the papers. One does not see the paper until one gets there, so one has no idea. It is not fair to say that there is not enough information because a great deal of information is given to people, but they do not read it. Would there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Design of Ballot Papers: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (16 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: What I want to hear is whether we are defending the status quoor are going to move. That is my key question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Design of Ballot Papers: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (16 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Is there an acceptance that the research that was done is significant?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I join Senator Moran in welcoming the funding that has been made available for the schoolbooks scheme in primary schools. It is a very practical way of supporting parents and children in schools and reducing the cost of schoolbooks and the cost of going to school. More importantly, it introduces efficiency. We have long complained about the waste of schoolbooks and the number of...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Irish Compliance with International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Discussion (6 May 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank Professor O’Flaherty for his contribution. How much should we concentrate on Ireland or where do we start to connect with our membership of the European Union and our responsibility as Europeans? How do we express that or help in it? Is that the role of this committee and, if so, where does it begin and end?

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Along with fellow colleagues, I would like to send my best wishes to Senator Norris. I also send my best wishes to Senator Harte who, I understand, went back to Donegal yesterday, which is a good sign. We wish him well and hope the airs of Donegal will restore him to health. Like others, I welcome the appointment of Deputy Fitzgerald, as Minister for Justice and Equality, and Deputy...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: Second Stage (13 May 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I welcome the Minister to the House. I welcome the substance of this Bill in relation to Shannon Airport and its continuing fortunes. It is worth repeating the credit given by the Minister to the management at the airport, who have reversed the decline of traffic at the airport, which for some years was an issue of great concern. The board, headed by Ms Rose Hynes, and the management and...

Seanad: Abduction of Nigerian Children: Motion (13 May 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Senator Bacik has five minutes.