Results 861-880 of 4,295 for speaker:Catherine Noone

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2014)

Catherine Noone: I would also like to support and commend Senator Eamonn Coghlan on his Point for Life initiative. The situation has not changed. I raised the issue of a ban on running in schools and that is when I got involved in speaking on this. It is a huge issue and a case of monkey see, monkey do. Leaders will have to get involved in this. It will not simply happen by accident that the problems...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2014)

Catherine Noone: Yes I am supporting that call but we need something real. We need the Ministers to come into the House to discuss the implementation of a plan to address the issues of alcohol pricing, marketing and sponsorship in the very near future. This is a serious issue and we need to do more than discuss it. We need to implement a plan to address it.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2014)

Catherine Noone: I wish to raise the proposal on introducing a sugar tax in the next budget. A survey by the Irish Heart Foundation found that more than half of the public are in favour of a tax of 20% on sugary drinks. It is time for us to seriously consider such a measure and I hope the Minister for Finance will investigate the matter. It has been claimed that such a tax would only affect more vulnerable...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I welcome the further reduction in roaming charges today thanks to the European Commission. Ms Neelie Kroes, the Commission's vice president, has done the right thing, as it will benefit tourism and business. In our digital age, it is important that businesses continue to thrive at home and abroad. This is a step towards the realisation of a vision of an interconnected Europe and I...

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I welcome the Bill. The Bill, as other Senators have alluded to, has caused considerable angst among the medical community prior to the agreement with the IMO, which I commend. From recent polls, it is clear that 80% of the public are behind the proposal. This Bill is the starting point for a new universal GP service. This first step will...

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I commend Senator MacSharry on his hard work and the commitment to this issue that he has shown over the past few years. I welcome the discussion as I believe we need to spend more time in this House focusing on mental health strategies. To be fair to the Government, it has shown its commitment to providing mental health services in a number of ways such as through the National Office for...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Inter-Country Adoptions (2 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I welcome the Minister.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I welcome the announcement by Diageo yesterday that it will be abandoning Arthur's day. The cancellation of that day, which is essentially an anniversary marking the birth of an alcoholic beverage, has been welcomed by many organisations, including Alcohol Action Ireland, which recently revealed that ambulance calls were up by 30% on that day. That organisation also recently highlighted our...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I am sure everybody is aware of the recent controversy about the Garth Brooks concerts. What has happened is rare because an artist like Garth Brooks would rarely attempt to do five shows at a venue such as Croke Park. However, there is an urgent need to amend the outdoor licensing process to ensure that events for which more than 10,000 tickets are sold to people obtain a licence prior to...

Seanad: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I ask the Senator to conclude as he is about a minute over his time.

Seanad: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: The Senator is nearly two minutes over.

Seanad: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: Yesterday was a bad day for Dublin, particularly, I suppose, if one was a Brazilian Garth Brooks fan. Not to be flippant about it in any sense, Mr. Brooks followed through on his threat to cancel all five concerts and it is a considerable blow to the Dublin economy. For a variety of reasons the tentacles of 400,000 fans attending a particular event in the city are far-reaching and affect...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: It is not about blaming. The process is flawed. I said the same yesterday. Clearly, the nod and wink approach that has been applied to this area of outdoor event licensing is not acceptable and needs to be amended.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: The Garth Brooks debacle has continued and I sincerely hope we will not have to talk about it next Tuesday. The reality is that there is a willingness on the part of the performer to do the five concerts. I agree with Senator Crown's comments on the city manager in the sense he ruled definitively on this issue, indicating there was no flexibility and the law seems to be the law in this...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I shall not go into the fiasco that we all spent time talking about last week. The issue highlighted, above all else, the need to revisit the proposal of a directly elected official to whom the Dublin city manager would be accountable. Recent issues showcase the urgent need to revisit the proposal for a directly elected Lord Mayor of Dublin. In recent months this proposal was agreed by 75%...

Seanad: National Treasury Management Agency Bill 2014: Second Stage (15 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him on his elevation and no doubt he will do a superb job in what is a senior junior Ministry. I am sure it is a great day for him and his family and I wish him the very best of luck. I welcome the Bill, as the purpose for which it is being introduced is an important one. It goes without saying that in the past the National Treasury...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: The issue I wish to raise, namely, Alzheimer's disease, is related to an issue raised by Senators White and Landy. A very interesting study published earlier this week showed that a walk three times a week can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. It has been much publicised. What was not highlighted in the report was the fact that research presented to the Alzheimer's Association...

Seanad: Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Jul 2014)

Catherine Noone: I welcome the Minister.