Results 2,121-2,140 of 4,931 for speaker:Mary White

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Mary White: It is more important. A vote was taken at the end of the debate. The 120 people in attendance were discerning followers of history. The majority called for reform of the Seanad rather than its abolition. I ask the Leader to pass that message on to the Taoiseach, who impulsively sought cheap political gain without telling my colleagues. I ask the Leader to tell the Taoiseach that when the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Mary White: -----it should be about Seanad reform.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Mary White: I said "all parties".

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Mary White: John Boyle O'Reilly was a democrat.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Mary White: On Monday, 28, it will be 48 years since John F. Kennedy addressed the Dáil. I was not in the Dáil personally but I had the pleasure of seeing him and I followed his career assiduously for the rest of his life. His assassination at the end of 1963 was a tragedy for us in Ireland. President Kennedy emphasised the interdependence of nations and pointed out that no nation, whether large or...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Mary White: It is more serious than that. My argument was that since 1937 some 12 reports have been produced on reforming the Seanad and in 1979 some 500,000 Irish people supported the seventh amendment to the Constitution to expand the university mandate beyond NUI and TCD. Successive Governments ignored their decision, however.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Mary White: The majority of my colleagues here in the Chamber would not be aware of the 71,000 hidden child carers who are looking after alcohol dependent parents. This is the fifth National Carer's Week. It is estimated there are 71,000 children who have a reverse role in that they are looking after their parents. They are actually being the parents of the alcohol-addicted parents. They must feed...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Mary White: Not if we have anything to do with it.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Mary White: My specific point concerned the 71,000 hidden child carers looking after alcohol-dependent parents.

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

Mary White: It is my pleasure to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House. Having participated with her on the former Committee on Health and Children, I know she will efficiently address the issues that need to be resolved. I also know how passionate and genuine she is in dealing with people in need, including those who may have been forgotten. The new fair deal scheme was...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Mary White: He was Secretary General.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: Why did the Senator not------

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: I thank the Independents for tabling this motion. When I was first elected to the House in 2002, I was frustrated by people entering the Chamber, making speeches and then leaving. That is impossible to understand. If a person makes a statement, other people can respond when they speak. It is nonsense that we call these "debates". They are not debates.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: It is not our fault that more is not known about the Seanad. There have been 11 reports on Seanad Éireann, but no Government has made any attempt to implement their recommendations.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: I will make the criticism I tried to voice to Senator Quinn. The 1979 referendum was to allow the university vote to be extended to other third level colleges in the country. Many of the most articulate Senators in this House were from the university panels. Although there were six such Members in each Seanad, not of one of them drove that change, as voted for by the people. All political...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: Some of the greatest critics are those who do not remain in the House to hear colleagues speak. Second, why has the provision in the 1937 Constitution, which allows for two Members of this House to be appointed Ministers, not been utilised? Third, why did the university Senators not drive the change voted for in the 1979 referendum? Perhaps it is because they did not want to put themselves...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: I would like to respond to a point made by Senator Landy. It is difficult to get elected to the Seanad. Do Members think I would have been elected had I sat on my hands for the past eight years? Neither I nor my colleagues would have been elected had we not worked morning, noon and night during the years we were previously Members of this House.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: I am sure that many of the new Members, in particular the Independent Members, are not aware that county councillors are the closest to democracy. Senators should study what they do. Our bureaucratic system is hopeless, inefficient and incompetent. County councillors look after the people. They live in the community and look after the interests of the people. No more than us, they are...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Mary White: Hear, hear.

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

Mary White: I told the previous Acting Chairman that Senator Reilly may speak ahead of me.