Results 161-180 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Convention on the Future of Europe: Statements. (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I thank the Leader for bringing the Minister of State here today. Senator Ormonde is right to congratulate him on his hard work. However, I do not know if the job is difficult for him because I have not seen a person better suited to a job or enjoying it more.

Seanad: Convention on the Future of Europe: Statements. (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I am delighted the Minister of State is representing us at the Convention. It is good to see someone doing something for which he has such enthusiasm. He has always expressed great enthusiasm for any projects related to Europe. Senator Bradford is right that our attitudes have changed and expanded during the years we have been members of the EEC and then the European Union. However, we got a...

Seanad: Convention on the Future of Europe: Statements. (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: It would be better if we maintained openness and transparency rather than pulling down the shutters. What is the Minister of State doing about the rights of children? I have been getting fan mail asking me to suggest he change the attitude in his amendment regarding removal of the phrase "the rights of children". Apparently, this will now be amended to read "the rights of human beings". The...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator Quinn for sharing his time.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: Please allow Senator Dardis to continue without interruption.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (5 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: The Minister and his officials would be delighted if every Bill from their Department passed through the House with such speed and acclaim. I am delighted the Bill has passed. BUPA still says that risk equalisation is unfair but the VHI would have to keep carrying an unjust burden for another two decades if we did not pass this Bill. I hope now that we have the authority that the risk...

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I have visited prisons on many occasions. I first visited one approximately 20 years ago. One of Nuala Fennell's first visits as Minister of State with responsibility for women's affairs was to the women's prison at Mountjoy Prison. She was shocked by the conditions, especially the lack of medical care. She asked me to visit the prison with her to see what could be done about getting a woman...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: Is this the Minister of State's reward for having so intelligently and sensitively brought through this House the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Bill at very short notice? Did he draw the short straw or did the Government decide, on the basis that he got through that one so well, that it would put him in the firing line once again? I gather on that occasion he had about a...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: We should abandon this discussion in order to allow Members to have at least the advantage of having read the report. I have complained repeatedly in this House that we seem to think that when we get reports, we have done something but that is not the case. They must be read and we have to use the information contained in them. I have never seen more reports from Departments than in the past...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: It is not.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I cannot understand the reason Senator Mansergh appeared to believe that a Member on this side was querying the competence of the Minister of State. I have congratulated the Minister of State on his intelligence already in bringing through a previous Bill. We do not harbour personal resentment towards him. He is a competent Minister of State. The question, however, is whether the Bill was...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I do not think so, and I will quickly explain the reason. This is a very important issue.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I will conclude quickly. We wanted to get information because those figures could be included under deaths in hospital. I could not get them from the Department of Health and Children, so I put in a request under the Freedom of Information Act and it was refused on a technicality. It said I could try the Central Statistics Office but while the CSO would know the place of death of the person,...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: This is a report of major importance, through which I am trying to speed read. I am giving you an example of where I have already had difficulty with the original Bill. The Department said I could appeal the decision, but an appeal would take six weeks to three months. That is one example which I could pick out immediately.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I thank the Leader also. Sitting suspended at 5.10 p.m. and resumed at 6.30 p.m.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I wish I had thought of making a freedom of information request to find out what it costs to run the Office of the Information Commissioner because we are getting very good value no matter what the cost. The amount of work that has gone into this report is incredible but we are to ignore it on Committee Stage. I am worried that the Taoiseach does not understand what is in the Bill because he...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: Why do we bother coming here at all?

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I am delighted with the commissioner. It is the original Act he is referring to on page 75 of the report. Senator O'Toole's amendment, which I seconded, will not be brought up until Report Stage and one must allude to it on Committee Stage. On section 2, the interpretation section, of the original Act, "person" should be defined under the Interpretation Act 1937. The commissioner suggests the...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: The word "person" is not defined in the original Act. Do the Minister of State or his officials have any idea why it is felt such as definition is needed now? Is there a problem?

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: To clarify things for Senator Leyden, the amendments Senator O'Toole and I have tabled are on page 75. Is that the page the Senator is looking at?