Results 161-180 of 228 for speaker:Déirdre de Búrca

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (25 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I will wrap up. I also mentioned concern about some of the statements in a recent article published in an Irish psychiatric journal, which supported the appropriateness of the use of electroconvulsive therapy on people with Down's syndrome, intellectual impairments and so on. This issue must be considered. The Minister of State appeared to accept the proposal pertaining to an advance...

Seanad: Prison Development (Confirmation of Resolutions) Bill 2008: Second and Subsequent Stages (26 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the opportunity to debate this Bill. Senator Boyle has already spoken about the prison at Thornton Hall in the Seanad several weeks ago. He made it clear that the Green Party has qualms about the location of this prison. We accept a decision has been made and we are prepared to live with it. We agree there is a need for a new prison and we are very aware of the Victorian...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: It is hard to concentrate on other issues given the turbulence in the international financial markets and the impact this is having on financial institutions, taxpayers and consumers in Ireland. I welcome the action of the Minister for Finance on protecting Irish banks because the interests of Irish taxpayers and consumers will as a result be protected in the longer term. However, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I look forward to the debate on the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008 later this evening. As my colleague, Senator Ó Murchú, said yesterday, we have a choice in this regard. We have seen the political response to this issue in the United State in terms of the bail-out proposed there. It would appear that a certain party responded more in a highly populist and political...

Seanad: Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I congratulate Senator Quinn on his Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008. He has taken the opportunity in Private Members' business to advance draft legislation in this House to prompt the Government to accelerate the preparation and enactment of legislation in this area. Judging from other speakers in the House today there is a widespread consensus that such legislation is badly...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House. While I will not throw any bouquets in his direction, like my fellow Green Party colleagues, I am satisfied to support the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008. If we are prepared to be honest, the Government had little alternative but to act in this way.

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: To have not acted swiftly would have led to a very serious disturbance of the economy. As other speakers have said, it would have moved out beyond the banking sector and have had a much wider economic, social and employment impact. As the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, outlined earlier, this Bill is necessary to protect the stability of credit institutions and also to maintain the...

Seanad: Hunger Task Force Report: Statements (7 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am pleased to have an opportunity to discuss the report of the Hunger Task Force.Other Members have spoken eloquently before me, so it is difficult to find the right words to describe the sense of hopelessness out there. Even in the 21st century, we see examples of chronic hunger and chronic food insecurity in parts of the world, specifically...

Seanad: Volunteering in Irish Society: Statements (14 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the important role of volunteering in Irish society. We cannot emphasise often enough the importance of the volunteer. I came across an interesting definition of volunteering which captures its spirit. It states: Volunteering is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society, local communities, individuals outside the immediate family, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I will comment briefly on the budget, about which many Senators have spoken. We were all prepared for a budget that would not be easy. In difficult economic times hard choices have to be made. It will be helpful in the coming weeks and months, when various Ministers come before the House, to question them about the priorities they highlighted in their budget allocations and choices. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: The Opposition would be much more credible if it showed a willingness to acknowledge the positive aspects of the budget in areas such as public transport, the roll-out of broadband to secondary schools and so forth as well as highlighting concerns about certain areas.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Major public transport projects such as metro north are proceeding. This is welcome in the current climate and given the cutbacks we are facing elsewhere. I call on the Opposition to be more balanced in its comment.

Seanad: Report on EU Climate-Energy Package: Statements (16 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State and welcome the opportunity to discuss the scrutiny report on the EU climate-energy package produced by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. I remind Members that the Green Party was instrumental in having that committee established. It has been an active presence on the committee, as have all the committee members. The...

Seanad: Child Care Services: Statements (21 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, to the House and the opportunity to make a statement on the provision of child care services. There is little disagreement in the House that a considerable challenge faces this country in terms of developing a quality child care infrastructure, but there is a clear need to establish a workable, flexible, equitable and affordable model of...

Seanad: Health Promotion Priorities: Statements (23 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to discuss health promotion priorities. Health promotion is a central interest of the Minister of State's portfolio. What is most important in setting priorities in this area is the basic model of health care that underpins our health care system. Obviously, health promotion is about prevention and early intervention. It is about trying...

Seanad: Nursing Home Standards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her for her statement. I welcome the opportunity to make a statement on the nursing home support scheme and the standards for residential care settings for older people. There is much concern about the issue of care for the elderly. Many of our population are ageing and this presents people with questions about how best to look after...

Seanad: Development of Green Technology: Motion (5 Nov 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: As the second speaker for the Green Party, I second the motion before the House. It is timely for us to debate such a motion, which calls on Seanad Éireann to recognise the importance of the development of green technology for economic growth. Given the current economic conditions we are experiencing, our case is all the more compelling. Even before the crisis became as deep and obvious...

Seanad: Stem-Cell Research (Protection of Human Embryos) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Nov 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, and the opportunity to discuss this Private Members' Bill. I congratulate Senator Mullen on bringing it forward. There is a need for comprehensive debate on stem cell research, especially the merits of embryonic stem cell research versus adult stem cell research. Unfortunately, due to the lack of debate, there has also been a lack of...

Seanad: FÁS: Statements (2 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House and the opportunity to make statements on FÁS. To put my statement in context, FÁS is an extremely important agency in this State and, given the economic downturn, its role will be all the more important for this State. It is our national training and employment authority. It has had an overseas budget of €1 billion and an advertising budget of €9...

Seanad: Report of Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the EU: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I also welcome the opportunity to discuss the report of the Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the European Union. As a member of that sub-committee, I am delighted that both Houses of the Oireachtas are debating this excellent report. It is excellent because in the short time available to the sub-committee, it managed to interview,...