Results 1,301-1,320 of 1,827 for speaker:Jillian van Turnhout

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (17 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: We all know about the first time voting experience and that people who are brought to their first vote by their parents, more traditionally, are much more likely to vote throughout the lives. On the other hand, it is much more difficult to encourage those who are not registered and who do not vote to engage in the democratic process. The vast majority of young people want to vote but they...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (17 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: Therefore, we are excluded a cohort of people. I am also concerned about the young people but also people aged 40, 50 or 60 who have never voted. There could be literacy or access issues.

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (17 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: There are big issues for people on how to vote. There have been improvements. I use checktheregister.ieto check the register and I will check that all my family and nephews and nieces are registered to vote but I do that because I have a strong interest in it. If young people do not have somebody in their lives with a strong interest in encouraging them to vote, we have to ensure that the...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (17 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: We need to look at ways to ensure-----

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (17 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: -----in the electoral commission, so it would not be political, but if one is entitled to vote, one should know how to register to vote. This is important for the democratic process. It is not just about setting up the commission, we need to give it the staff, the resources and the time to reform. We are working with a 19th century system in the 21st century. We need everybody to be...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (17 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: Even better.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, and his officials. I particularly like his constructive engagement with the House and I appreciate it. The Members of the House appreciate it. It is good to be in a position to be supportive of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill and to see some changes. However, I reiterate the point I made on Second Stage that we need to look...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank the Minister and welcome him to the House. I have read the Bill carefully and listened to the Minister's open and constructive speech. Since my appointment to the Seanad in May 2011, I have taken my role as a legislator very seriously and voted with my conscience on an issue by issue basis. As I prepared for this debate, the Irish proverb, "I wouldn't start from here", sprang to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Regulation of Cosmetic Surgery: Discussion (18 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank our guests for raising this critical issue with the committee and Senator John Crown for ensuring it was included in our agenda. I agree with Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin that our guests' presentations were very clear and that they should be forwarded, unedited, to the Minister and his Department. I become very concerned when people refer to Groupon offers and patient...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Regulation of Cosmetic Surgery: Discussion (18 Dec 2014)

Jillian van Turnhout: It is wrong.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Developing a National Strategy for Coeliac Disease: Discussion (15 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank the witnesses for their presentation and note their recommendations. I do not want to go through each of the points but there are three specific areas I would like to raise. My understanding of coeliac condition would be mainly from my involvement as a volunteer with the Girl Guides in organising events. Dietary requirements come up and we have many discussions on the issue. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Developing a National Strategy for Coeliac Disease: Discussion (15 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I would like to know about screening.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Coping with Challenges of Huntington's Disease: Discussion (15 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank the witnesses for their presentations and for the submissions they made in advance of the presentations. I know a family friend who has Huntington's disease. The case studies provided touched on the point raised by Dr. Pender, the fact that one rarely hears about fund-raising or awareness raising outside of the circles where Huntington's disease is present. Therefore, it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Accident and Emergency Departments: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (15 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Perhaps everyone knows the answer to my first question, but I could not find it. Nine hours has been mentioned as the length of time over which someone in an emergency department should not remain on a trolley. From where does this figure come? In preparing for this meeting, I read the HSE's June 2012 report on the national emergency medicine...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I ask the Leader the procedure for withdrawing a motion from the Order Paper, because I am delighted that just before Christmas, at the eleventh hour, the Government stepped in to support the Childline motion that was put forward by my colleague Senator Bacik and myself but supported right across the House. I thank all my Seanad colleagues. This is, yet again, an example of how the Seanad...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I very much welcome the Bill but note that Ireland has lagged behind. There are issues that concern me. Subject to the time limitations in this Second Stage debate, I will confine my intervention to three main areas of concern to me, arising out of this Bill. I say "of concern to me," but that is not strictly true; my life will not be directly impacted by the legislation we will bring...

Seanad: Improving the Quality of Early Years Education: Statements (21 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I welcome the Minister to the Seanad. She is particularly welcome as she is dealing with the issue of early years education. I know her personal commitment to and experience of the issue. The steps she made in the early days in terms of examining the early years and setting up the work she will do in this area are welcome. We have had many excellent debates in this House on the importance...

Seanad: Direct Provision: Statements (22 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I hope the Minister of State has a little bit of latitude given the lack of Members in the House. We are approaching the 15th anniversary of the system of direct provision, a system that places asylum seekers apart and away from the community in conditions described by some as warehousing and others, who have made their way out, as open prisons. Therefore, it is not an anniversary that any...

Seanad: Direct Provision: Statements (22 Jan 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I agree with the Minister of State.