Results 921-940 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Those in government should at least accept responsibility.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is mismanagement.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Everyone in this country is appalled by the brutal murders we have just witnessed. It is with a sense of shock and dismay that people hear the news bulletins once again full of stories of murder on the streets of Northern Ireland. To see two young men, Mark Quinsey, who was 23 years of age, and Patrick Azimkar being brutally taken from their families in this callous way is outrageous. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is no room for ambiguity, political ambiguity or any other explanation other than that this was a brutal murder. To hear of Stephen Carroll, a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, being shot dead last night as he carried out his duty is equally appalling. In a democracy every life must be valued. There is no Irish life or British life; there is human life. There are no...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday we saw unanimous and widespread condemnation of the brutal murders of two soldiers and a young police constable, whose wife said this morning that she felt her life was over as well. It was good to see the political unity of all parties, North and South, and I ask the Leader to arrange time for an all-party motion in this House to express our condemnation and outrage at these...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I want to ask the Leader to ensure there is adequate time before the emergency budget in April to debate our views on what it should contain. It is really important to have such an opportunity, as requested by many Senators, to debate in this House what we believe the priorities should be and where action should be taken. I want to focus in particular on one area today, namely, the...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: We had some discussion on this earlier. Basically, a number of criteria in the Bill regard the mother or guardian as to the effect of adoption and this is an amendment to ensure the woman has been fully counselled. At this stage there has been some debate on this and I would like to hear the Minister of State's response as to whether he would consider inserting this provision.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 28 indicates that the mother should understand the nature and effect of the consent and of the adoption order. My amendment would strengthen that in section 14. It is an elaboration of the issue and a safeguard, given what we have seen in the past. People have found themselves in positions where they have clearly stated they did not understand the consequences of the various legal...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Sometimes, when going through procedures, there is a series of statements that must be signed. It can often be done in a ritualistic way and they may be handed over to people who are asked if they understand it and then sign it. My amendment uses the phrase "fully counselled", which is different to asking if a person understands a form and can sign it. It is an attempt to ensure there has...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move amendment No. 19: In page 28, before section 31, to insert the following new section: "31.—(1) In this section, "a contact order" means an order requiring the person with whom a child lives, or is to live, to allow the child to visit or stay with the person named in the order, or for that person and the child otherwise to have contact with each other. (2) Where the father is...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Adoption practice is changing quite dramatically and there is the concept of open and closed adoption. The Minister of State in his response is speaking about a closed adoption system whereas the truth is that practice has gone ahead of——

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: We will say full adoption. My point is that practice has gone beyond this in the sense that many adoption agencies and those working with mothers would set up a situation where birthday cards and letters and photographs are sent to the natural mother and significant events are recorded for her in letters. This is the practice and there are also examples of actual contact between natural...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will withdraw the amendments. I understand the Minister of State will consider some of the points that have been made and we will return to them on Report Stage.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I ask the Minister of State to clarify in the case where countries which have not signed the Hague Convention but with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement whether this agreement is affected in any way by this section of the Bill?

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is about the transfer of a child from the State to another contacting state, in accordance with the Hague Convention. Does it apply to countries with which we have a bilateral agreement? Does it work the other way? If a country is not signed up to the Hague Convention, does this mean that a child could be transferred to those countries with which we have a bilateral agreement or does...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: This afternoon I pay tribute to our great sportspeople——

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: ——who brought such pride and joy to this nation over the weekend. The Irish rugby team won the Grand Slam, ending a 61 year wait for such glory and giving us more than a few heart-stopping moments in the process. The whole country was clearly delighted and it was wonderful to have such a reason to celebrate. I also congratulate my constituent and Palmerstown resident Bernard Dunne on...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am sure the Cathaoirleach does.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am sure the Cathaoirleach would not expect me to refrain from commenting on those wonderful sporting achievements that have brought so much pride to the country. Turning to the Fine Gael team, I welcome my new colleague, Senator Ciaran Cannon, the former leader of the Progressive Democrats, who has joined Fine Gael today.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is a credit to the leadership of Deputy Enda Kenny and the strong team he has built that Senator Cannon is joining us today, and it is a vote of confidence in an alternative Government and the alternative economic policies of Fine Gael and Deputy Kenny.