Results 1,561-1,580 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (29 Jun 2006)

Mary Henry: But Senator Bannon can ask them on Committee Stage.

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 Jun 2006)

Mary Henry: Like Senators O'Toole, Ó Murchú, Fitzgerald and Ormonde, I wish to express my concerns about the effect of alcohol and drugs on young people. Whereas several Ministers have been called for, I would be grateful if the Leader could get the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children to come in to explain why she decided not to implement the report from her own Department on the abuse of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 Jun 2006)

Mary Henry: This report suggested that we had to bring in legislation to prevent advertising by the drinks industry. Nearly three years ago a departmental committee, headed by Dr. Ann Hope, brought forward recommendations but the Minister decided instead on a voluntary code for the drinks industry. This is not working because the incidence of alcohol abuse among young people has not reduced. The Minister...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2006)

Mary Henry: I welcome the Minister to the House to debate this largely sensible Bill. People living in poorer areas who, as Senator Brian Hayes noted, are acutely affected by crime, have long sought some of the measures proposed in this Bill. Any measure that helps to convict criminals is welcome. The Minister has addressed that issue, although I doubt increased penalties will make a difference to...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Second Stage. (30 Jun 2006)

Mary Henry: That is not a proscribed party. The provisions on the misuse of drugs and the increased penalties for crimes in respect of prisons and detention centres will be difficult to enforce, unless walls of glass are erected between people. I have seen the nets erected to prevent drugs from being thrown into prison yards, which is a pretty amateurish strategy. While I wish the Minister well in his...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: I support Senator O'Toole's call for a debate on human rights in China following the summer recess. I referred previously to the issue of organ donations involving those executed in China, a state in which capital punishment is widespread. I would like us to address another issue when we return. I still have not managed to obtain a copy of the health report in which Ireland scored so badly.

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: I accept that the Leader has done so. I am particularly concerned that we seem to have scored badly on our care of neonates. The report recommending the fortification of bread with folic acid to attempt to reduce the number of children born with neural tube defects in this country was to be published at the end of last year. Apparently, it is due to be published shortly. Would it be possible...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: I support this amendment, which is in line with a motion tabled previously by Senator O'Toole, which I also supported. We had a ridiculous incident where a prisoner had to be freed despite the fact that the garda warned the judge involved that the warrant would run out. For practical reasons, it is most important that this amendment is accepted.

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: I am interested in the area of DNA evidence. The Minister is correct in saying that such material could be useful in the future. However, a person's DNA exposes not only a great deal about that person but a great deal about other people. The DNA of the Minister's brother would be very similar to the Minister's DNA.

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: One can build up a profile of a family and a great deal of information can be gained about people who have had no involvement in the crime committed. This issue is already a problem in the case of insurance companies. Therefore, information is not only exposed about people detained in Garda stations but about their families. One can pick up a great deal of information about a family from the...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: He is dying to do this.

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: I had better spring to Professor McConnell's defence as he is my seconder for the Seanad. I would not share his view that everyone's DNA should be on-line because it depends on who has access to this information. I would not share all his views on the position of the fertilised egg, an issue which is quickly coming down the tracks. It is important to point out that issues of paternity do not...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: I think I can live with that. This is a very difficult area which does not simply affect the families of criminals.

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: There are many factors relating to DNA screening which have not been examined. Section 14 makes no mention of who has access to this DNA and does not mention whether it will be codified or whether it will be examined for signs of inherited diseases or dominant and recessive genes. The human genome is being unravelled around us much faster than we expected. Can one examine a DNA sample to find...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: How much information will we look for?

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: This has been a useful discussion. Even with the limited provisions we are making in this Bill, it shows how important introducing DNA legislation as quickly as possible will be. Senator Quinn was right in his point about innocent people, a recently important matter among those on death row in the United States. I hope rapists do not believe that by using a condom, they will get rid of all of...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: The condom would provide some protection to the unfortunate victim. While we cannot underestimate the value of DNA evidence, this matter should be advanced in a properly controlled way. Access to view the information is an important matter. I hope the Minister agrees.

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: Yes.

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: I remember when Saddam Hussein was arrested. I wonder if the American soldier involved asked his permission before he started taking the DNA samples from his mouth, because he was certainly videotaped. There was not undue force——

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jul 2006)

Mary Henry: On the subject of protecting members of the Garda, if somebody refuses a sample while the worse for wear due to alcohol are gardaí advised to wait a number of hours before taking the sample, or will they have to get the suspect in an armlock to extract it? It is not an infrequent occurrence for people to be very drunk when arrested.