Results 121-140 of 245 for speaker:Maura Hopkins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ongoing Fodder Crisis: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (11 Apr 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I will be very brief. I want to emphasises what my colleague, Deputy McLoughlin, has said. We are going through a very difficult period in the west and north west, not just for the past week or so. This has been the case for quite a while, because as the Minister is aware, many of our livestock have been housed since last September. It has been a very long winter and many of our farmers...

Seanad: Declaration of Independence Day Bill 2017: Committee Stage (17 Apr 2018)

Maura Hopkins: Certainly the date 21 January 1919 was very much a pivotal day in modern Irish history. I thank Senator Swanick for his work on this Bill. As we approach the centenary of this important event, it is fitting that we recognise the date of 21 January as Declaration of Independence Day.It is also positive because the public holiday would not have an economic impact but would allow us to...

Seanad: Declaration of Independence Day Bill 2017: Committee Stage (17 Apr 2018)

Maura Hopkins: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Fodder Shortage: Motion (18 Apr 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I thank the Minister of State for speaking to us this evening on the difficult issue of the fodder crisis. Reflecting on my own contact with farmers over recent months, there appear to be two aspects to the crisis. If we look at this year, farmers, particularly in the west and north west, have had to house their livestock early. We had a bad summer which resulted in late silage and...

Seanad: Project Ireland 2040: Statements (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber to resume the discussion on Project Ireland 2040. When Senator Coffey made his contribution, I was very much reminded of mistakes that I am aware of in County Roscommon with regard to poor planning. I live very near an unfinished housing estate that is a terrible legacy of the Celtic tiger.It involves houses that were poorly built, ten of which...

Seanad: CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Statements (3 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I also welcome the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, who has had to leave, and the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to the House to discuss an issue which has involved many women right across the country. The real concern is that it may involve many more who we do not know of yet. This is a very difficult time for many women and their families. Many Senators and Deputies have spoken...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I would like to raise the very serious issues arising from an external, independent clinical review of the maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. I attended a briefing last Thursday evening, when the report was published. This has been and continues to be a very difficult time for the 16 families involved. Many of the challenges highlighted in the report indicate that...

Seanad: Europe Day 2018: Statements (10 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: Like other Senators, I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and thank her for her time in our discussion on Europe Day. Last Tuesday morning in Ballinasloe we had a wonderful crowd in Ballinasloe library to celebrate, discuss and reflect on how Europe has been of huge benefit to us. Mairead McGuinness, our MEP and Vice President of the European Parliament, was with us. Her...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Review of Programmes of the Department of Rural and Community Development: Discussion (16 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: If it is okay to mention something about RAPID funding, I wish to highlight its importance. I have direct involvement with a community group in Roscommon, and RAPID funding has been really important in helping us to apply for CCTV. The point about RAPID funding is that in many ways it can supplement further grant assistance. It is certainly great to see that money has been ring-fenced for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Review of Programmes of the Department of Rural and Community Development: Discussion (16 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I reiterate what the Minister of State said about the importance of volunteerism and how vital it is to every community across our country. We need to ensure there are checks and balances and a code of governance in place and that moneys allocated to certain charities and income from fundraising, etc., are spent appropriately. Changes have been made to ensure checks and balances are in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation Refurbishment (23 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, for coming to the House to discuss the refurbishment of the courthouse in Roscommon town. I raised this matter many times with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, most recently on his visit last week to Roscommon and Galway. I emphasise the importance of the project and the need for it to proceed in a timely...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation Refurbishment (23 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I thank the Minister of State for his positive response. As I stated, the purchase by the Courts Service of the entire Roscommon courthouse building, part of which had previously been used by Roscommon County Council, is a positive development as it indicates a commitment to commence works at the courthouse. I would like to have a timeframe for completion of the building project. I will...

Seanad: Bed Capacity at National Rehabilitation Hospital: Statements (23 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. Senator Boyhan and I were among the first public representatives to raise the issue of 12 beds being closed in the National Rehabilitation Hospital last year. It is deeply frustrating that while half of the beds have been opened, six remain closed. That is not good enough. We hear a great deal about capital development, which is...

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (23 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I welcome the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, to the House. I wish him continued success in his role. He continues to be a flag bearer for rural Ireland at Cabinet level. The importance of his role in supporting rural and regional development cannot be overestimated. I always want to be constructive, but I have to take issue with a number of the points that were...

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (23 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I did not interrupt the Senator. As I said at the outset, I want to be constructive. Senator Daly spoke about rural crime. I am sure he understands that the last time his party was in government, it closed the Garda College in Templemore. How was it possible to have new Garda recruits entering the system? It was not possible. I was in Castlerea with the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, last...

Seanad: National Archives (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I very much welcome the Minister to the House. Through its work in managing and preserving all of the public records in the State, the National Archives is one of our most important cultural institutions. The archives allow people to maintain a link to our past. In addition, the archives contain information that is vital for policy making and research. The reduction in the delay period of...

Seanad: National Archives (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (29 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 May 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I wish to highlight the importance of a campaign led by young people involved in Comhairle na nÓg in Leitrim.The Use Your Brain Not Your Fists campaign is being run in conjunction with the community safety division of An Garda Síochána. The campaign highlights the consequences of assault for victims, but also for perpetrators in terms of prison sentences and the impact it...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Jul 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I wish to raise an issue on mental health services in County Roscommon. I attended a meeting last Friday afternoon on two facilities in County Roscommon, the Rosalie unit in Castlerea and the Ballaghaderreen mental health day centre. I am extremely frustrated at the way in which the HSE is treating public representatives and the public in respect of this issue. We already have had an...

Seanad: Declaration of Independence Day Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2018)

Maura Hopkins: I thank Senator Swanick for his work on this Bill. As he said, what happened on 21 January 1919 shaped this country and, therefore, it is fitting that the date is designated as our independence day. It is positive that the Bill does not propose that the day be declared a public holiday as this will make the designation process more straightforward. The measure will also ensure that...