Results 1,241-1,260 of 1,311 for speaker:Sheila Terry

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: True.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: We have done so.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I do not want my words to be misrepresented.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: Next week is National Pensions Awareness Week. As we will not be present in the House next week, I wished to raise my concerns about it today, as I have raised concerns about this campaign on other occasions. I notice that this year, the campaign to entice or encourage people to take out pensions will be even more aggressive than before and will target people between the ages of 25 and 35....

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I welcome the Minister and his officials to the House. I welcome this Bill, just as my party did in the other House last night. Fine Gael has been very strong in its support for measures relating to child protection. It supports the zone of absolute protection and retaining the current age of consent. We have called for a referendum on the important issues regarding child protection. The...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: The alternative is our having to introduce emergency legislation overnight. I will not go back over all that, since what is done is done. I appreciate what we now have. We are all human, and I hope that the legislation is watertight. I also welcome the provision regarding Internet grooming and appreciate the fact that the Government has taken on board Fine Gael proposals. My only...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: While I appreciate the point made by Senator Norris and we spent much time discussing it in the committee, I fully support what the Minister has said. We are in the business of protecting children and we have to set high standards. I know it is easy to think a 15 year old child is 17 or 18. I even notice it, as I am sure we all do, when I knock on doors while canvassing.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I will now always assume the person who answers the door is the voter because I have been caught out too many times when I have been wrong about his or her age. It is very easy to make a mistake. That is the point. It is so easy to make a mistake. Therefore, the onus must be on the adult to ensure he or she discovers the age. If there is any doubt, the adult does not get involved. If we...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I wish to be associated with the remarks thanking the Minister and his officials in dealing with this matter, particularly in taking on board suggestions from the Fine Gael and Labour parties. That is the way I like to do business and would like to see more of it done this way. Keeping in mind the impending general election, the Minister took the matters on board in a good-spirited way....

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I join the Acting Leader of the Opposition, Senator Coghlan, and others who expressed serious concern about the Government's abdication of responsibility for people who have been abused at the hands of schoolteachers. I was shocked by last night's excellent programme. It is unacceptable that the Government would take the stance it has taken. This will have serious repercussions for the...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I also want to highlight the report published today on the treatment of cancer in this country. It is clear, if we did not already know, that one's chances of surviving cancer in Ireland depend on where one lives in the country. We have known this for some time and it has often been discussed in this Chamber. One of the best ways to treat cancer is to detect it in the early stages....

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I hope he will not be in a position to implement his proposal to cut PRSI because it is tantamount to raiding the social fund.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: The Taoiseach proposed a reduction in PRSI contributions and an increase in pensions. How would the Government pay for its plans?

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: While I welcome proposals to increase pensions, I have never heard anyone argue that we pay too much PRSI.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: People are willing to pay their PRSI contributions provided they receive proper services. Perhaps that is the problem. Cutting PRSI would mean raiding the social fund. My party has been lectured about raiding the National Pensions Reserve Fund. The Fianna Fáil proposal is another form of raiding the fund.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: After five years.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: It is very sad that we watched something like that on Saturday night.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Second Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. His speech was very well read — 45 minutes is perhaps a record. That does not leave much time for the Members of the House to speak on Second Stage, but hopefully everybody who wants to speak will get the opportunity to do so. The Bill is welcome. It is difficult to be critical of many of its provisions. It would be churlish of me to...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Second Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: On a point of order, I wish to ensure the record is correct. The survey being carried out by the Pensions Board is not a survey of 1,000 members — the officials may be clear on that. It is a survey of 55 schemes each of which has more than 1,000 members.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Committee Stage (28 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, before section 1, to insert the following new section: "1.—The Minister for Social and Family Affairs shall, within 3 months of the commencement of this benefit to all Act, lay before each House of the Oireachtas, a report on the extension of child benefit to all children in the State.". I welcome the Minister to the House. This amendment refers to...