Results 961-980 of 1,214 for speaker:Ann Ormonde

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Ann Ormonde: Like Senator Ó Murchú, I am interested in the revival of vibrant rural communities. There was an interesting conference on the subject in Kilkenny that, unfortunately, I could not attend owing to the death of Senator Tony Kett. It is an issue we must discuss because we must strike a balance in society. There has been too much movement to cities and towns; we are leaving rural Ireland in...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Ann Ormonde: Sit down.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: That is wrong.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: This is a serious issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I note the points raised and I agree with many of them. The Seanad is under intense scrutiny. I take umbrage at the suggestion that the Seanad is irrelevant and should be abolished. The majority of Senators do an excellent job. They are committed to their work on legislation at all stages. I reject the suggestion that we are irrelevant. It is up to all of us, particularly the Leader, to...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: We are all, including Senator Coghlan, capable of doing a good job. He should stand up and be counted, as we all should. I have no doubt he will.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: The Seanad must fight for its role. I want this reform to take place as quickly as possible. We must show we are relevant, have a role to play and that we know our stuff. We are professional people when we go out there and discuss issues, whatever the subject matter. Members in the Seanad and the Dáil are as good as anybody when it comes to speaking on issues.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: Let anyone out there deny that or take us on board because I am not in favour of stooping. I hold my head high and I know I can deliver. I intend to ensure the Seanad will hold, will be reformed and will be in existence for a very long time to come.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I welcome the Minister to the House once again and second the motion. I acknowledge the international endorsement of the Government's overseas aid programme. I was delighted to attend the launch of the Development Assistance Committee's review of Ireland's overseas aid. The DAC carries out reviews of the programmes every four to five years. It acknowledged Ireland's contribution and that...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: There should be a more coherent approach to the implementation of these programmes. The Minister of State must ensure we do not deprive the most needy. We must call in our partners overseas, such as our embassies, to see where we can cut back without scaling back on the programmes. The review is excellent. It recognises our work and I look forward to seeing how the programmes work, even...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I endorse the points raised by other Senators. I would love for us to have this debate today, I am so ashamed of what has taken place. My stomach curdled today when I read the horrific accounts in the The Irish Times. I thought of myself as a child and realised the abuse was going on when I was growing up and wondered whether my parents or society knew about it. This is a major issue that...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I do not know if a Minister is available. I am so stirred up about this I want to speak about it today. I do not believe we will be able to get that debate today, but we want it.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I accept that, but it is up to the Leader. I am ashamed to have to stand here as a legislator, knowing that we, successive Governments and the religious authorities have let Ireland down. It is time to call stop. It is time to deal with broken marriages and child abuse. We must find a way out of this situation and create a better society.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: Senator Leyden should sit down.

Seanad: Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Statements (27 May 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to listen to our contributions on this awful subject. I also welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. It was heartbreaking to read the details of the savage abuse meted out to defenceless children who had been in the organisations' care for years and to whose assistance no one came. They were hidden, ignored, rejected and denied...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I congratulate all those who put their names forward at a time when it is most discouraging for anyone to put their name on a ballot paper. Senator Alex White put up a good fight. We met him many times and there was a healthy rivalry, which I like to see. I hate gloating - there is nothing as unattractive as gloating.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I do not understand this. We are in swings and roundabouts. Fine Gael went through this in 2002. From the time of my childhood I have known of the swings and roundabouts of our party. Let there be no doubt about it, we are not going away.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Ann Ormonde: I stand here today and I will be back today at another time but I will not gloat. It would be great to have a debate on where we are at present, but we need a period of reflection.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jun 2009)

Ann Ormonde: This is a speech.