Results 1,321-1,340 of 28,162 for speaker:Catherine Murphy

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: I welcome the Bill and intend to support it, as it goes a significant way towards recognising, acknowledging and providing for same-sex couples in law. I see the Bill as positive, clear-cut and practical and its enactment would make a significant difference in areas such as parental rights, property rights and even the right to visit a sick partner in hospital. The Bill's passage to...

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: This Bill is concerned with giving legal recognition and equality to a legally invisible, but sizeable portion of our society. It is clear-cut, progressive and long overdue. Increasingly, we are seeing heterosexual couples opting for informal rather than legal relationships and when these relationships fail, the difficulties become apparent with everything from the rights of fathers in...

Written Answers — Rail Network: Rail Network (21 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 92: To ask the Minister for Transport if it is envisioned that following the implementation of the Kildare route project all commuter services on the Kildare line will be electrified and made compatible for use along the proposed interconnector; the impact the four tracking of the Kildare line between Heuston and Hazelhatch will have on the frequency of service to Sallins, Newbridge...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (21 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 166: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in order that the needs of public transport users are met in full, he will add to the Transport 21 project an element that deals with the customer service and service quality elements of public transport provision; if, in view of the fact that numerous service providers are involved in the delivery of public transport, he recognises the...

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: The broadcast media plays a major part in all our lives. Hardly a day goes by without every household in Ireland turning on the television or the radio. This Bill clearly represents a milestone in the delivery of broadcast services. There is no point in having very good technical quality if it is not matched by good content. It is clear that vision is needed in that regard. I regret the...

Social and Affordable Housing. (22 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: I can speak from experience of the social and affordable housing scheme only in County Kildare and I do not know how the mix of affordable housing units is panning out in other parts of the country. There is great interest in the affordable housing scheme. Of all the issues about which people contact me, housing is top of the list. People who apply for affordable housing have an expectation...

Water and Sewerage Schemes. (27 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: The same question on assessing the needs of local authorities was asked some years ago and Kildare County Council provided information on its needs in 2002. It is now 2007 and because there has been no action in this regard, particularly in the Osberstown treatment area, applications for planning permission are being refused. What is the point of merely asking for assessments? There should...

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31 (27 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, that there is no obligation on any State authority to inform the victims of the former national Olympic swimming coach of his imminent release from prison, together with the lack of consideration, concern and preparation for the impact his release will have on those who suffered...

Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: While I welcome many aspects of the Bill, I will focus on several areas in which it could be strengthened. I examined the legislation from the point of view of whether its application in practice will resolve certain serious problems. For example, I examined the provision to amend the Competition Act 2002 to enable the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, to investigate...

Domestic Violence: Motion (27 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: The one place in the world where most people would expect to feel safe is at home. For a significant number of people, the one in five Irish women who experiences domestic violence, that is not the case. One in three of those who picks up the telephone to seek help finds the call is not answered. In a country as wealthy as Ireland we have our priorities wrong if this issue is not seen as...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (27 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 174: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the factors that determine the type of housing units that are acquired by local authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Act, 2000; if there is a requirement that local authorities acquire a variety of housing types and sizes; the level of discretion that is allowed to local authorities in...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (27 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 205: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there is a national strategy on the establishment of new recycling facilities and the improvement of existing facilities in order that all persons are facilitated in recycling; if his Department will or does provide specific and ringfenced funds to local authorities for the establishment and running of...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (27 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 220: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will specify what "no provision to grant visa" means on a letter of refusal to a visa applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7128/07]

Carbon Fund Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: I wish to share time with Deputy Connolly. The National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, was successful at managing the national debt, a fact no one disputes. However, the fact that this agency takes responsibility for carbon credits and this is not connected to ecological concerns demonstrates that it is seen as an economic matter rather than an ecological one. We are taking the easy...

Carbon Fund Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: There are many good measures in Transport 21 but it is also short-sighted. In Kildare North, there will be commuter services from Maynooth to Dublin city centre and Hazelhatch to Dublin city centre in ten years' time. At that point, when one tries to board a train in Sallins or Kilcock one will find that only the peak time service is of the standard it should be in a "commuter belt". If we...

Carbon Fund Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2007)

Catherine Murphy: In the medium term when people question why so much is taken from their taxes and there is a mismatch between policy and delivery, they will look back on this debate as a shameful approach to a serious issue on which we could have done much better.

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 31. (1 Mar 2007)

Catherine Murphy: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 31 to debate the following urgent matter: the systems in place to monitor convicted sex offenders, especially those convicted of charges relating to minors and systematic sexual offenders following their release from prison and those convicted offenders who have been placed on the sex offenders' register and to further debate what...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (1 Mar 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 110: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made on an application by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare to remain here on humanitarian grounds; if the applicant's considerable time spent here will be taken into account when deciding the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8238/07]

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (1 Mar 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 144: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of court actions regarding the provision of resources such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychological services and multi-disciplinary teams for children with special needs in which she or her predecessors have acted as respondents that are pending and which took place each year since 2002 to date in...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (1 Mar 2007)

Catherine Murphy: Question 167: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, in view of the Government's stated intention to eliminate poverty here and the very real exposure to poverty faced by many children, he will amend the child benefit eligibility criteria to ensure that all children living here are entitled to a child benefit payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8073/07]