Results 941-960 of 1,729 for speaker:Maria Byrne

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I move recommendation No. 21: In page 104, between lines 42 and 43, to insert the following: “Report on Mineral Oil Tax rates 45.The Minister shall within 3 months of the passing of this Act prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the retention of the reduction in Mineral Oil Tax rates until 30th April 2023.”.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I raised this matter with the Minister of State on the previous occasion. It has to do with setting the price of a packet of cigarettes. I wrote to the Department in the meantime. I want to put on record the fact that some packets of cigarettes are on special offer and are being sold at a lower price. We are trying to encourage people to stop smoking. My understanding is that the price...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I move recommendation No. 24: In page 115, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “Report on VAT rates for e-books and audio-books 65.The Minister shall within 3 months of the passing of this Act prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the application of the zero rate of VAT to— (a) e-books, and (b) audio-books.”. E-books...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2022: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I accept the response from the Minister of State. I thank him for his commitment that the matter be considered in future budgets.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2022: Second Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister for coming in to discuss this all-important Bill. I compliment her on the amount of work she has done to date, certainly with regard to the different payments that were geared towards people at the lower end of the scale, as well as working families. I have come across an anomaly with regard to older people. I was speaking to a 102-year-old woman during the week. Her...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mental Health Services (13 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber. More than 100 children and young adults have been waiting for more than a year for mental health appointments in Limerick and the mid-west, and this is not good enough. I am aware there are many problems recruiting consultant child psychiatrists. While some have been recruited in recent times, there are six teams and they are in the process...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mental Health Services (13 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister of State. I apologise because I meant to acknowledge the work she and her team have done to date. The situation has improved a great deal, but we also have a long way to go. I welcome that Limerick is going to be used for a pilot scheme, as the Minister of State highlighted. When I see the figures in this regard, they are stark. I refer to the number of young people...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mental Health Services (13 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach and staff of the Oireachtas on the celebration yesterday. It was very appropriate and lovely to see so many former Members in attendance. I congratulate all involved in such a lovely occasion and we are all honoured to be a part of it. Yesterday the people of the mid-west got good news with the announcment that there will be a new route between Shannon...

Seanad: Credit Union (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: Now.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I would like to raise a number of issues. First, I would like to join with colleagues in complimenting our colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, on her work on and dedication to the issue of surrogacy over the past number of months. I congratulate her. It was a great day for an awful lot of families. The fact that there is now certainty and light at the end of the tunnel is a great...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare (Dogs) Bill 2022: Second Stage (14 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for coming in to discuss this all-important issue. We are all concerned and extremely aware of dog welfare and animal welfare. I wish to follow up on some of the previous points made about control. Wardens are very scarce in some local authorities and, therefore, I am concerned as to whether there is full control. Do wardens follow up on licence to make sure...

Seanad: Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Members of Local Authorities) Bill 2022: Second and Subsequent Stages (15 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: The Minister of State is very welcome to discuss this all-important issue. Congratulations to him and his officials on all that was involved in coming to this day, from LAMA to the AILG, to various councillors and various organisations, such as Women for Election and the Fine Gael women's group, which contributed to this. Well done to all who are out there promoting women. I served on my...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I wish Martin Groves, Bridget Doody and all the team in the Seanad Office, and all my colleagues in the Chamber, a very happy Christmas. I agree with Senator Murphy about the collegiality and the way we work together effectively for the betterment of others. I wish everyone a very happy Christmas. I also wish to be associated with the remarks in respect of Private Seán Rooney. I pass...

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (16 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: Today is the Cathaoirleach's day and I congratulate him on it. I am delighted for him. I knew him long before he was elected to Cork City Council in 2004. We worked together as Fine Gael colleagues before that and we have been very good friends down through the years. I am delighted his family members are here today, including Conchobar, John and Mary, as well as his supporters and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report 42 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Service: Discussion (14 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I welcome all of the participants, in particular, Mr. Kennelly and Mr. O’Brien, whom I know personally, together with Mr. Hourigan, who is sitting behind me. When I heard recently about this, it raised questions in my own mind. Deputy Farrell has asked some of the questions I would like to have asked. In respect of the Secretary General, has he ever communicated with our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report 42 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Service: Discussion (14 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: Is there an example in any other public sector organisation of something similar having happened, or do the witnesses think they are the only ones who have ended up in this situation? Mr. O'Brien asked that we speak to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I have no problem doing that on a personal basis. I certainly will put a question to him on the matter in the future. Is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report 42 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Service: Discussion (14 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: Have the unions given any up-to-date advice to the witnesses? Has there been any communication from them and have they attempted any action recently on the witnesses' behalf?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Report 42 of the Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Service: Discussion (14 Dec 2022)

Maria Byrne: I second Deputy Durkan's suggestion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Challenges Facing Emergency Departments in Public Hospitals: HSE (17 Jan 2023)

Maria Byrne: I thank the witnesses for attending. Most of my questions will focus on UHL because I am from Limerick. When the major internal incident was declared on 3 January, newspaper headlines the following day included terms such as “inhumane”, “inappropriate” and, most strikingly, “national basket case”. It was terrible for the staff who obviously work...