Results 1,061-1,080 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Perhaps it is the case that it is a wee bit more complex than that. Having engaged in a conversation with the Minister, Deputy Howlin on this matter, he has explained and will explain to anyone who asks that it is not a deliberate thing but rather, that when making that measure on a single piece of paper, there are some people for whom one size simply does not fit all. However, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I wish to welcome the One Young World Summit 2014 to Dublin. Members may be aware that Dublin put in a bid and the aforementioned summit is being held here. Members are in the presence of a group of young people this morning and really, this is about bringing leadership and encouraging young people to take their place in the world and to allow their voices to be heard in respect of...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: We could help with a few names.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Not enough schools were built.

Seanad: Penal Reform: Motion (5 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank my colleagues Senators Bacik and Hayden for proposing and seconding this motion. It is yet again an opportunity for the Seanad to show that penal reform is not a political football but that we have an interest in improving the system at heart. There has been no disagreement, or at least there will be no disagreement on the motion today. The difficulty facing any Minister, and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (5 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: We are always grateful to members of the public who take the time to bring their petitions to us. These petitions were brought to us by people with disabilities who have difficulty getting grants under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations. Given the difficulty that arises here and given that the original legislation and any subsequent amendments date...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I wish to ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to discuss the future of the technological university. The subject has come up time and again. It is important to have the debate at this point because we are still not making progress on technological universities.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: There are a number of questions we ought to ask about how we want technological universities to be and even whether we want them. If we do, should they be markedly different from existing universities, and if so, how we make them different? We have a new Minister, and we agree there is probably a need for such universities. I live in Sligo and Sligo IT would like to be a lead partner in...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I too wish to be associated with the sorrow expressed on the passing of Mr. Brian Farrell. He was a journalist who cared about journalism. He was a journalist who cared about politics. He wanted people to understand the political system. He wanted people to be informed. He did not chase car crash headlines. He was not interested in personality politics, the sort of journalism that...

Seanad: Suicide and Mental Health: Statements (11 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Like Ivana Bacik, I thank the Minister of State for her personal commitment to tackling what is a difficult issue. We are always fighting about funds. I would go further than Senator Mary Moran and say that as well as splitting suicide from mental health, culturally, we also seem to want to split mental health from health. I do not understand why we persist with this because it involves...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: It is interesting that Senator MacSharry has a remarkable capacity to know what happened at meetings at which he was not present. I did not realise he had the capacity to be in places where we could not see him. There is no denying that Sligo County Council is in crisis and has been for some time. The Minister did not have a secret meeting on this. If it had been a secret meeting, Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: The fact the Senator was not at it does not make it a secret meeting. We are in a serious position. The Minister has said he wants a solution to the finance issue in Sligo County Council. I have made clear that I believe we need a collaborative and coherent response to the debts of Sligo County Council. I do not believe we need a deadline, although I know why the deadline is in place. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: The Senator was "told" he said that.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I know that.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Let us be clear. I asked him and he said he was not minded to abolish the council.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I believe he will come in.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: The suggestion that the Minister and the Government are not concerned about Irish Water is a cheap shot.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I call on the Leader to arrange for a debate on the serious findings of the Garda Inspectorate report. I thank the inspectorate for the work done and believe a debate with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, on the findings of the report would be timely. It is timely because, as we look for a new Garda Commissioner and independent commission, if we are to make progress...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Senator Comiskey has just explained that there was a legitimate reason he was not invited.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: That is rich advice from Fianna Fáil.