Results 1-20 of 935 for speaker:Mary Moran

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Jun 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome the opportunity to speak for the first time in Seanad Éireann and look forward to working closely with fellow Senators. I have a long-standing interest in disability issues and received a nomination to run for the Seanad by Inclusion Ireland, the association for people with an intellectual disability. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the issues raised on the RTE "Prime...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Statements (14 Jun 2011)

Mary Moran: I extend a warm welcome to the Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, and thank him for coming into the Chamber to discuss the allocation of language support and resource teachers for special needs pupils in the coming school year. Before addressing the issues to be raised, I am honoured to be a Member of the 24th Seanad and proud to have been nominated by the Taoiseach to this esteemed...

Seanad: Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme: Statements (Resumed) (16 Jun 2011)

Mary Moran: I, too, welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, to the Chamber. When introduced, the nursing home support scheme was seen as a solution to a long term problem and an ongoing concern for older people and their families. The former Minister for Health and Children, Ms Harney, stated that it was designed to be accessible, affordable and anxiety free. However, less than two years later...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2011)

Mary Moran: I concur with Senator Mac Conghail who stated that a more holistic approach should be taken to education. As a teacher, I agree that this is the direction in which education must go. I welcome the news that the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, is due to meet book publishers in respect of schoolbooks. That is an extremely important matter, particularly at this time...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome Team Ireland home from the Special Olympics World Games in Athens. The team members, who arrived in Dublin Airport today at 12.30 p.m., made a really successful contribution to the games. I congratulate the 126 athletes, who between them won 107 medals. Many of the athletes recorded personal bests. I ask the Leader to ensure that we continue to support the Team Ireland athletes...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Róisín Shortall, and thank her for engaging with this debate. I congratulate Senator John Crown on his excellent contribution, which I am somewhat reluctant to follow. I only wish the Chamber and Gallery were full because he has made the case clearly. I recall, as a child growing up in Dundalk, the significant cultural...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House again today. I spoke at length during the debate last Thursday on the reasons I propose to support this Bill, which Members have agreed has cross-party support. I do not intend to repeat myself, rather I would like to refer, as did Senator Mooney, to the report from the World Health Organization, which coincidentally was published last...

Seanad: A Vision for Change: Statements (Resumed) (14 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and congratulate her on the excellent work she has done to date. I look forward to working with her on mental health issues. I have a particular interest in this area because I am the parent of a child with a moderate intellectual disability. At this stage, I am well qualified to speak about the lack of services in mental health and...

Seanad: A Vision for Change: Statements (Resumed) (14 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: The psychiatrist eventually agreed to admit the girl to hospital but she was told she would have to wait at least four weeks before she could be admitted to a private psychiatric hospital. She was given an option of two hospitals. On a daily basis, the girl's parents and GP called both hospitals to plead for help but it took four weeks of numerous daily telephone calls to highlight their...

Seanad: Residential Institutions (Redress) Bill 2011: Second Stage (19 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome the Minister to the House and I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Residential Institutions Redress (Amendment) Bill, which facilitates the winding up of the residential institutions redress board. The opportunity for claims under the residential redress scheme has been available since 2002. The closing date for applications was originally December 2005. However it made...

Seanad: SPHE Curriculum: Motion (20 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome the Minister back to the House and thank him for taking the time to attend for this debate. I thank the Independent Senators for proposing this important motion. The SPHE curriculum, as laid down by the Department of Education and Skills, makes impressive reading. In the primary sector, SPHE is delivered to children at all levels, from infants upwards. At secondary level, SPHE...

Seanad: SPHE Curriculum: Motion (20 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I even went as far as to bring the SPHE textbook to work with me today. All of the books on the curriculum are fantastic and there are some excellent publications available. I hope more time can be devoted to educating our children in the non-academic subjects. The latter is extremely important. It is the implementation of the policies relating to SPHE which provides the key to successful...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne: Motion (27 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I wish to share time with Senator Harte.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation Report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne: Motion (27 Jul 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Shatter, back to the Chamber. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and I thank all involved in the preparation of the Cloyne report. The disturbing findings of the report, the inadequate and inappropriate response, particularly of church authorities in Cloyne, to the allegations of child sexual abuse and the intervention of the Vatican to pervert...

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Sep 2011)

Mary Moran: I too would like to welcome my colleagues back to the House and wish everyone well for the forthcoming term. It is worth noting how serious the current Government is and that we have come back two weeks earlier than normal. We are also forgoing our mid-term break and working much closer to Christmas than the previous Government insisted on. It highlights how serious we are.

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Sep 2011)

Mary Moran: I congratulate the 56,930 junior certificate students who received their results today. As a mother and former teacher I understand the anxiety felt by the students and parents in anticipation of the results. It is great to see more students taking project maths, the schools which have piloted it at higher level, more students obtaining honours at higher level in it and the overall increase...

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Sep 2011)

Mary Moran: I do. In the Irish Independent yesterday the worst hospital in the country for waiting times was highlighted as being Our Lady of Lourdes. I ask the leader to ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, to come to the House to debate the lack of services throughout accident and emergency departments in the country.

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2011)

Mary Moran: May I share time equally with Senator Bacik?

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2011)

Mary Moran: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Quinn, back to the House and I wish him well in the new term. I also welcome the Bill and am delighted to hear that it is learner focused. The Minister must be commended on his achievements to date in his role. The learner should always be the focus. I welcome the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, NQAI, HETAC, FETAC and the...

Seanad: Arts Plan: Statements (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Moran: I would welcome a further debate as I have been anxious to speak since the beginning of this one. I am a former music teacher in a secondary school and I taught for almost 30 years. I also ask for music to be promoted, particularly, in Irish schools. If there is a cut to be made in a school today, music is the first to go. With the introduction of extra subjects some years ago to the...