Results 161-180 of 669 for speaker:Grace O'Sullivan

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Apr 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Apr 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Apr 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Apr 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment. The plan has been written by Dr. Una FitzPatrick in the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford. It is an excellent plan. She has consulted a huge number of stakeholders, particularly the Bee Federation of Ireland, to input into the pollinator plan. When we talk about pollination, we are talking about a number of different species that pollinate and the...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Apr 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: As Senator Norris just outlined, it has really shocked us to see this amendment to the Bill. We had felt we had made progress over the course of the past months, and then we see this, which we feel is absolutely regressive. I would like to hear from the Minister exactly what she intends by tabling this amendment. The amendment reads "Disapplication of section 40(1) of Act of 1976 to...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (13 Apr 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: When I saw the expression "etc.", I asked myself what it meant. We are on Report Stage of the Bill and there is a proposed amendment referring to "cutting etc.". What does it mean? This is absolutely regressive. I am very concerned that every step we felt we had made with the Minister over the course of the past few months has now been obliterated. I very much hope she can give us some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Discussion (4 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is great that Deputy Collins has brought this Bill forward because it keeps the water issue on the agenda. Whereas most people wish the water issue would go away because of the discussions over recent months, for me it is something that should remain on the agenda forever. There is one aspect which I feel is a potential weakness and I wonder if could the Bill be strengthened. That is in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Discussion (4 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank Mr. Ó Tuathail.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Discussion (4 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I fully support the initiative of Deputy Collins to bring this legislation forward. I spoke to her earlier and said it could be strengthened through amendment. I echo the frustration raised by Deputy Ó Broin. This issue has been on the agenda for a long time and I am afraid the Minister will test the public's patience if he does not deliver a response to the Attorney General's advice....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Discussion (4 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Can the Minister be more specific? We have been given no specifics whatsoever. I will walk out of here with no answers to any of the questions raised other than we have to wait for the Attorney General's advice. I would like to push the Minister on a date.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Currently, 30 or 40 wild fires are burning across Ireland. They are focused in the Cathaoirleach's county, Cork, as well as Kerry, Mayo, Galway, the north west, along the Border, the Dublin and Wicklow mountains and many other areas, including my own county of Waterford. Millions of euro in damage has been done by the 5 km wide fire in the Cloosh Valley in Galway in one of the worst fires...

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (9 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (9 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment.

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

Grace O'Sullivan: I offer heartfelt thanks to Senator Warfield for taking the initiative and putting the work into this important step towards full equality in gender recognition. His eloquence and dedication in this matter are a testament to himself, his party and the cause. I am most delighted to have been asked to co-sign and second this Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017 with the father of the...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with Representatives of the Transport Sector (11 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the witnesses for attending. Having regard to what Senator McDowell said, I feel we have to prepare for all scenarios, including a hard Brexit. At what speed are the witnesses working on these issues with the Departments and other stakeholders? To be prepared, we must communicate and plan. What scenarios are being planned for and with whom are the witnesses engaging? Aside from...

Seanad: Childhood Obesity: Statements (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I appreciate that point and I will rush through my contribution as quickly as I can.

Seanad: Childhood Obesity: Statements (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is great to see the Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy in the Chamber. We are hearing of the growing problem of childhood obesity and the ways in which we might begin to tackle it. The issue is complex, with part of the problem being access to good nutrition and part being a balance of physical activity. I would like to focus on girls and young women's lack of involvement in...

Seanad: Childhood Obesity: Statements (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I can see the fall-off in interest among girls and young women from the age of 14 up to 18 years. The emotional and social pressures of puberty and school life as well as the big picture social pressures from magazine, popular culture and their own peer network seems to orientate to one thing, that physical activity, organised sports in particular, are not things that girls in their teens...

Seanad: Autism Spectrum Disorder Bill 2017: Second Stage (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I welcome the proposal from the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to set up a working group to progress this legislation and collate data to support an autism strategy. I thank Senator Reilly and commend him on introducing this important Bill. Senator Reilly, myself, the Minister and many others in the Oireachtas have personal experiences of dealing with the often-disconnected services...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Breach of EU Urban Wastewater Directive: Discussion (18 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I echo the points made by both of my colleagues on the lack of a Government representative from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government at today's meeting. In the end, the buck of compliance stops with the Government. As the Government is ultimately responsible, it is a bit of a failure that someone from the Department did not attend today. In general, when do...