Results 141-160 of 786 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Apr 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I support those protesting for better services for children with disabilities. On 2 April, we had World Autism Day. I join in the support for those involved in the Enough is Enough campaign who have been protesting in recent days. The HSE responded to a parliamentary question tabled by my colleague, Deputy James Browne, and confirmed that in Dublin South-Central and Dublin South-West alone...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Apr 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I would like to again raise the issue of housing, in particular the Government's failure to meet social housing needs across the country. New statistics are alarming because they show that only one new modular home has been built in this city. As much as €40 million has been spent on hotels and 300 houses had been promised up until 1 July yet, as we know, only one has been built....

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I rise today again after a significant adjournment of this House. I would like to raise again the escalating housing and rental problem in the country. This is an issue I have raised over a dozen times in this House and it seems to be getting worse by the day. The sector has been described by some as in extreme distress. With reports from Daft.ie and the PRTB showing a steady climb in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Fine Gael has been in government for six years.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: It does not take six years.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I rise today to call on the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to attend this House and explain what she knows about the current saga of the alleged misappropriation of millions of euro at the Garda training college in Templemore. There appears to be a huge disparity between the evidence given by a senior civil servant within the force, Mr. John Barrett, and that of the...

Seanad: Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I congratulate Senator Warfield on introducing the Bill. I was delighted to meet members of TENI yesterday and get the proper lowdown on all of the Senator's hard work. Fianna Fáil supports the Bill, the purpose of which is to amend the Gender Recognition Act 2015 to provide a right to self-determination for persons who reach the age of 16 years, to introduce a right to legal gender...

Seanad: Litter Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Many people have asked me what exactly this Bill provides for. Substantively, it increases fines in accordance with inflation to correspond with the seriousness of the offences involved. It further provides for a civil claim to be taken against an individual who causes damage to a person or property where section 22 of the original Litter...

Seanad: Litter Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for coming to the House to address this legislation. I also thank him for taking the time to do so. I am glad that we are ad idemon the nuisance that is dog fouling in the city and the scourge many people face daily on opening their door. Many dog walkers tend to have the same habits. Many people we have met wake up every morning to a little gift at the gate. It does...

Seanad: Litter Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to discuss the issue of homelessness again. I would like to discuss the fact that very urgent reform is needed for people who live in emergency accommodation. On a daily basis there are evictions and the human rights of the people who live in emergency accommodation are encroached. I call on the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to establish an office or...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I send my deepest sympathies, and those of the Fianna Fáil Party, to the families of those victims murdered and injured in yesterday's brutal attacks in Manchester. It is hard to fathom the extent of this depravity. Why anyone would attack innocent children at a concert is beyond the realms of belief. The people of Manchester, as we know, are resilient and will not stand for this type...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Psychiatric beds.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I congratulate our colleague, Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee, and her husband, Mr. John Lee, our colleague in the press, on their birth of their son, Edward Anthony Lee, on Monday. She will be back with us soon. The Ombudsman for Children, Dr. Niall Muldoon, published his annual report this week in which he raised his concern that homeless children and children with disabilities are not...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: It is with further horror that I raise the issue of the continued neglect of our children who are suffering at the hands of this State. I raised the issue last week in light of the report of the Ombudsman for Children.Today, I highlight the report by Government rapporteur for child protection, Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, who commented that there was a much greater co-operation needed between An...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to raise the pending retail IPO of AIB. It is the view of the Fianna Fáil group that the Minister, Deputy Noonan, should press the EU for a relaxation of the fiscal rules to allow the proceeds from the sale of the stake in AIB to be used for capital investment. Not a day goes by in this Chamber when one of us does not raise the issue of homelessness, substandard maternity and...

Seanad: Domestic Violence Bill 2017: Committee Stage (31 May 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for attending the House and for her dedication to the Bill over the course of this Seanad term. I thank also the Women's Council, Women's Aid, Barnardos and Safe Ireland in particular for aiding the Fianna Fáil group in tabling some of its amendments. As many of my colleagues have pointed out, those groups have done a good deal of the hard work on the Bill for...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jun 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the establishment of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution and hope its work can take place as soon as possible. I wish to raise two issues, the first of which relates to the maternity services group which was charged with developing a maternity strategy for 2016. It has met only once in the past 18 months. It was set up by the Taoiseach-in-waiting,...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Today I would like to use my time to raise the issue of the appointment of Máire Whelan to the Court of Appeal. What we have seen in the past week is ducking and diving by the Taoiseach and members of the Cabinet. All they seem to pivot back to is the line that Máire Whelan is that eminently qualified for the post. I am sure that the three High Court judges who formally expressed...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I would like to address that matter and the Leas-Chathaoirleach's refusal in ruling it out of order and the Leader's offer.