Results 1,281-1,300 of 1,311 for speaker:Sheila Terry

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

Sheila Terry: I have listened to the debate and to the Minister's comments and do not think we will gain anything by spending further time on the issue. I do not agree with it and do not understand why we need to insert this provision in our legislation because local policies can deal with the problems involved. We also live in different times from those we experienced 20 years ago, when unemployment was...

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

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 11: In page 46, to delete lines 28 and 29, and substitute the following: ""(fa) to perform the functions conferred on the Board by this Act; (fb) give balanced and impartial information to consumers regarding pension products, including, not limited to— (i) tax relief, (ii) operators' charges, (iii) tax implications of leaving a sum of money in place, and (iv) the...

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

Sheila Terry: I did not address amendment No. 12 when I was speaking. I thank the Minister for his response and look forward to the results of the survey. The purpose of my amendment was to ensure the Pensions Board has the authority to compel companies to give this information. I know the Minister said companies are complying with the request on a voluntary basis, but I can show him responses to...

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

Sheila Terry: Why has the Pensions Board not provided me with this information since 1995? Why can it not answer the simple question about deferred members with frozen benefits? It can only lead me to believe that there is some kind of cover-up, as I said yesterday. Why must one become a Member of either House to try to get information from various Departments? It is not good enough that a statutory...

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

Sheila Terry: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: This week, on the Order of Business and during the debate and on the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007, Senators raised the issue of children who go hungry. I ask the Deputy Leader to request that the Minister for Education and Science come before the House to allow me an opportunity to highlight a policy adopted by one school on lunches and the breakfast club, which is unacceptable and...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: Even before the breakfast club started, children were told to eat their lunch at 10.30 a.m. and did not have anything else to eat for the rest of the school day.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: The school, which is located in a disadvantaged area not far from the House, is engaging in unacceptable sharp practice. It is a matter of teachers not being willing to give up some of their lunch time to supervise the children while they eat lunch. The children are not allowed to eat in the playground during lunchtime and will go hungry as a result of this policy, which will have a cost to...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I move amendment No. 1: In page 46, after line 29, to insert the following: Insert the following section after section 10: "Provision of information on deferred members. 10A.—The Board shall have the authority to compel relevant organisations and companies to provide information as to the number of each of their deferred members, and such other information as the board may, from time to...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: While he may be there, I may not be here to keep pursuing it and I seem to be a lone voice. I will do my best to ensure I return to this House to annoy whoever the Minister might be and see through the matter. I am doing this in the best interest of the people who have not been well served and in the interest of all the young people who are being encouraged at every hand's turn to take out...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I thank the Minister for his response. I regret that he is not accepting the amendment today but he has said he will consider it in future if necessary. My amendment should not cause any trouble for anyone, but would strengthen the powers of the Pensions Board. It would be a good provision when and if the board encountered any problems with a company in trying to secure information. I...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I thank the Minister for his work in this area since he took over his current portfolio. It has been a pleasure to work with him as he is always open and willing to listen and has agreed with many of the points I have made. We will need more time to take on board some of the recommendations that will hopefully come from the Green Paper. Beidh lá eile, as they say. I also wish to thank the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2007 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I move recommendation No. 1: In page 159, before section 102, to insert the following new section: "98.—Any property whose value is less than €450,000 shall be exempt from stamp duty provided that the purchaser is a first-time buyer and he or she retains the property as his or her principal private residence for a period of not less than 5 years."." I welcome the Minister to the House. I...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2007 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I thank the Minister for his response. This is obviously not my area of expertise but I will attempt to formulate an answer for him. The uncertainty in the market has not been created in recent weeks by the Fine Gael proposals because it began earlier when the Progressive Democrats announced their proposals. Speculation on reductions in house prices following the implementation of policy by...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2007 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Sheila Terry: I, too, thank the Minister and his officials for the work done on the Bill. Not having been involved from the outset I am not familiar with many aspects of it but I appreciate the effort put in by the Minister and the officials. On behalf of Senator John Phelan and myself, I thank them for all their work.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (3 Apr 2007)

Sheila Terry: I welcome this Bill on behalf of Senator Finucane, who is unable to be present for this evening's debate. He appreciates the work that has been done on the legislation by the Minister and his officials in the Department. I am sure these provisions will strengthen this country's broadcasting sector. I thank everyone who was involved in introducing this legislation and getting it through the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (3 Apr 2007)

Sheila Terry: On behalf of Senator Finucane, who could not be present tonight, I thank the Minister and his officials for the work they have done on this Bill. I recognise the significant number of Opposition amendments accepted by the Minister. We do not see that often enough and it is recognition of the time and effort put in by all Members. This is a good Bill that will stand for many years to come.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Apr 2007)

Sheila Terry: Yesterday, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul made a presentation to the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs. It outlined the supports it provides to families on low incomes or those surviving on welfare benefits. It spends tens of millions of euro every year to provide supports in the areas of food, clothing and heating among others. One particular area mentioned by a number of...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Apr 2007)

Sheila Terry: I wish to add to what a number of Senators stated with regard to Chernobyl. I am also involved with a group in my area which brings in children every summer. The difficulties imposed by the need for groups to provide visas mean organisations such as the one in which I am involved must organise families in January because this much time is required at the other end to obtain visas....

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Apr 2007)

Sheila Terry: In January, people do not think ahead about what they will do for the summer. It has a knock-on effect and it would be wonderful if the waiver scheme were re-introduced.