Results 921-940 of 1,467 for speaker:Geraldine Feeney

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Oct 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: I welcome the Minister and commend the Bill to the House. This is a short Bill but it is important legislation. It aims to validate 209 renewal orders which are in force under the Mental Health Act 2001 and to make lawful the detention of those patients. The need for the new Bill has arisen from High Court proceedings concerning a patient detained under section 15 of the 2001 Act. This...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: I ask the Deputy Leader to ask the Minister for Health and Children to come to the Chamber to have a debate on eating disorders. I was shocked to hear a discussion on a radio programme this morning by two experts in the field, who will hold a public meeting tonight, which is free of charge, on obesity. They said it is viewed almost as a norm as we have reached such high numbers and people...

Seanad: Medical Cards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: I welcome the Minister to the House and I hope she will listen. The Minister is a great attendee to the House. She listens and, if there can be compromise, she is open to it. It is a measure of the woman she is and where she is today. She is a reforming and caring Minister and her caring and listening side has come across in recent weeks regarding the medical card scheme. The decisions...

Seanad: Medical Cards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: The only thing the VHI asks them to do, and it is perfectly entitled to ask, is that they pay the premia outstanding from the time they left. It is a business. The Opposition must get real.

Seanad: Medical Cards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: It is a very fair scheme. I smiled when I heard Senator Fitzgerald. She and Fine Gael are very precious regarding Deputy James Reilly. He held the country to ransom when he went out and——

Seanad: Medical Cards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: He bled the taxpayer dry.

Seanad: Medical Cards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: Fine Gael and Senator Fitzgerald are very precious regarding Deputy Reilly. In his role as president of the IMO, he bled the taxpayer dry.

Seanad: Medical Cards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: He bled the taxpayer dry in the interests of his own profession. The Opposition cannot have it every way. He cannot be the champion and they cannot be the champions behind him for the elderly. The Opposition needs to get real. He robbed the State and now he wants to be all things to all people. They cannot have it every way. Deputy Bernard Allen, on 29 November 2007, criticised the...

Seanad: Medical Cards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: It is from the Dáil record. I congratulate the IMO. I hope talks will come to fruition. It is a much more agreeable fee than that negotiated before. I would like to see the IPU come to the table and look at generic drugs. I wish the Minister well and look forward to having the deal done with the IPO and the IPU.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: I, too, support the call for a debate on the cervical cancer vaccine. I would like to see a wider debate on the whole cancer area, although I know we have had such debates. If resources were available, the provision of the vaccine programme would be going ahead. I hate to hear provocative language being used on the Opposition side, such as "U-turns". I would much prefer the word...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: It is a postponement; that is all it is.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: If the Senator listened, she would know it is a postponement.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: The Government is committed to the treatment and prevention of all cancers, and we have had that debate many times in this House. One only has to look at the appointment of Professor Tom Keane and the extra €55 million that has been allocated in the budget for the centres of excellence. If the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, had money, the provision of the vaccine...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Nov 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: Will the Leader organise a debate on a recent publication from the National Consumer Agency dealing with buying and living in multi-unit development properties in Ireland. I support the comments of Senators Kett and Hannigan in seeking a debate, especially on management charges. I have met with many young people in recent months who have, unfortunately, found themselves made redundant....

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: That was the point I wished to make. I heard Senator Wilson, the Chief Whip, say to his two Opposition colleagues that there would be a walk-through vote.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: They heard it and I heard it. It was none of my business but I heard it. He indicated bright and early.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: I take this opportunity to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, to the House this morning. I am delighted to have an opportunity to have a few minutes to contribute to the debate on the Health Bill 2008. There is no doubt that this is very important legislation. It is fair to say, after listening to my colleague, Senator Frances Fitzgerald, that the Bill will not have a very...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: If yesterday's proceedings in the other House are anything to go by, we are certainly in for an eventful day. Everybody is keenly aware of the current economic climate. The first item on the news this morning was the Minister for Finance telling us that the first half of 2009 will be even bleaker than we imagined. Having listened to Senator Frances Fitzgerald this morning, the Opposition...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: Around the same time, Deputy Michael Noonan of Fine Gael said in the Dáil that in these circumstances, he did not think it was justifiable to extend the automatic entitlement of a medical card to all our citizens over 80 without reference to being means tested. He was not even talking about those aged over 70 but those over 80. I have not heard any Labour spokespersons contribute yet, but...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Geraldine Feeney: I met Fine Gael people from Sligo at the protest in Dublin who, although they were not losing their medical cards, told me they were up for the crack.