Results 1,181-1,200 of 1,311 for speaker:Sheila Terry

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: We spend a lot of time here discussing parents' experience in this regard. It must be recognised nothing meaningful has been done to address the problem.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: I wish to add my voice to that of other Senators who expressed their horror at this morning's killing and also at the murder of an innocent man in Kilkenny who was merely going about his business. The way these people were killed has been a shock to everyone. On many occasions, we have expressed our horror in respect of events of this nature. However, there really has not been an...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: Statements on the tribunals.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (13 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon. I regret that this important Bill has taken an undue amount of time to come before the House. That said, I welcome it. For all the reasons outlined by previous speakers, the Bill is urgently required. We need it now more than ever. More and more newspapers, especially British ones, are coming to this country carrying scurrilous articles. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: The Central Statistics Office has published a report entitled The Women and Men Study 2006 the findings of which are interesting if not very surprising. Once again, it highlights the fact that women lag behind their male counterparts in terms of their representation at regional and national level, namely, in county councils, the Dáil and Seanad, and generally in securing senior positions in...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Second Stage (14 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: I compliment the Minister for Social and Family Affairs on the many increases provided for in the Bill. Increases have been provided in the past several years which have made a difference to many people on social welfare benefits. I recognise the work the Minister has done in this area since he took up his portfolio. The moneys are available to the Minister to achieve these increases. In a...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: I, too, want to raise yesterday's court verdict. It is more important than ever that we speedily deal with the legislation. We are fortunate that Senator Norris's Bill is before the House as well as Fine Gael's publication on civil partnerships. We have had debates in this House on it. We must proceed speedily. As Senator Brian Hayes said, these two women were brave to take this case....

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: He may be on a higher rate after the election.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: At the risk of annoying the Minister——

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: ——benefits for older people such as contributory and non-contributory pensions, carer's allowance and fuel allowance are extremely well deserved. Will the Minister tell the House how much is spent on contributory and non-contributory State pensions? I believe it is approximately €2.4 billion or €2.5 billion. I will focus on the relationship between this and what we forgo in tax in...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: The Minister said he wished pensions were taken up by more people on low incomes. I disagree with this because they get very bad value for money if they take out pensions. They only receive tax relief at the lower rate as against individuals on the higher rate, so there is inequity in that. If the Minister were prepared to give them tax relief at the higher rate and afford them equity, it...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: The Minister should say that to pensioners who have deferred or frozen benefits. He should compare the income of a pensioner who has been retired for ten or 20 years with that of a civil servant. If he does so, he will get an indication of whether it is good value for money.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: How many of those 900,000 people are outside the tax net? What benefit will they receive in the context of tax relief?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: Is it not then very bad value for money?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: I welcome the extension of the maternity leave and hope it continues to widen. I agree with Senator Cox that we must work towards enabling as soon as possible a mother to have one year at home with her child. The male member of Fine Gael who said yesterday that the mother and father should share the maternity leave spoke with the best will in the world. He was saying that men want to take...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: In Denmark how many weeks is the maternity leave from which the last ten are transferred?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Dec 2006)

Sheila Terry: I thank the Minister for the work he put into the Bill. He is lucky he is in the job at a time when there is plenty of money to give back to people. His predecessor made many cuts and the Minister, Deputy Brennan, has been playing catch-up since he came to the Department. We have been through the bad times and we are all very lucky there is money around now to give to people to make their...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2007)

Sheila Terry: It is a Government claim.

Seanad: Appropriation Act 2006: Statements (13 Feb 2007)

Sheila Terry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is clear the Government knows how to spend money, but that is not news. It is easy for one to spend money when it is available to one. Funds are available to the Government because the success of the economy means that people are paying more tax. The Government knows how to tax people — 50 stealth taxes have been introduced since the last...

Seanad: Appropriation Act 2006: Statements (13 Feb 2007)

Sheila Terry: In 2005, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, purchased a site for a proposed new prison intended to replace Mountjoy Prison and the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. The Minister spent €30 million for a 150 acre site at Thornton Hall in Swords. This price was estimated by valuers to be more than eight times the going rate for land in the area. Is this value for money? I...