Results 201-218 of 218 for speaker:Tony Kett

Seanad: Health Services: Motion. (26 Mar 2003)

Tony Kett: That was not necessarily the correct thing to do. I am glad that the Minister, Deputy Martin, is examining the problem and I hope the new health strategy, when it emerges, will address that issue and others. Nobody is denying that there are still major problems in the health sector. When we are being put in the ground, it is probable that Senators will still be talking about such problems. I...

Seanad: Health Services: Motion. (26 Mar 2003)

Tony Kett: From 1997 to 2001 our spending per capita on health rose from fifth lowest in the European circuit to being above the European average. That is an achievement in itself. Waiting lists have decreased by 14%. The number on waiting lists represented only 2% of those people discharged from acute hospitals in 2002. A sum of €44 million is being spent on the treatment purchase scheme in 2003. I...

Seanad: Health Services: Motion. (26 Mar 2003)

Tony Kett: Senator Burke's party was in power and it did not do much better. It did not spend anything like what we are spending. I welcome the thrust of what the Minister is doing and hope he will be in office long enough to bring all our plans to fruition.

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

Tony Kett: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and join with my colleagues in wishing the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell well in his talks with the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs. I wish to second the amendment tabled by Senator Jim Walsh. The motion and amendment recognise that an excellent contribution has been made by the visiting committees...

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

Tony Kett: I am not suggesting that would be the case. Let us look at the appointments made by the Minister since taking office. Since the end of October, the Minister has appointed six people to Arbour Hill, three from Dublin and three from other regions. That is a 50% representation from the Dublin region. That, in my opinion, is a fair proportion. Great play was also made of the €600,000 expended...

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

Tony Kett: I am sure Members on the opposite side would not begrudge them such a measly payment for the excellent work which we all agree they are doing in a voluntary capacity. We are also told of the political bias in regard to such appointments. All parties do this. Senator Hayes was honest enough to admit it is something all parties do. It may not be the best way to do things but I am sure the...

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

Tony Kett: The best laugh of all and the Minister alluded to this was the statement made by a senior spokesperson who said that the system should be put under a microscope to see if money could be better spent. He also stated that many people were appointed not to committees of prisons geographically convenient to them but as far away as possible. The same person was reported in a letter in a newspaper...

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

Tony Kett: That was a dreadful inconsistency on his part. The motion also suggests certain skills should be brought into play. That is an insult to the ordinary housewife and man on the street.

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

Tony Kett: The positions should not only be open to people with degrees. Ordinary people make up juries. They are the ones who put many of the people into our prisons. Why then should they not be good enough to adjudicate on their welfare while they serve their sentence? I do not agree with that point. I welcome this debate. Debate is always good and if the system is reformed as a result of our...

Seanad: Health Services: Motion. (26 Feb 2003)

Tony Kett: I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate him on the fine job he is doing. Without a shadow of a doubt, he has the toughest job in the political spectrum and faces demands on a daily basis. He is man with the commitment, drive and ability to deliver in this area. I welcome the motion put down by our colleagues in the Progressive Democrats. It would not have stood up six years ago...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002: Second Stage. (19 Feb 2003)

Tony Kett: I welcome the Minister and thank him for introducing this important legislation. Many elements of the existing legislation have probably been there since the 1800s when words such as "moron" and "imbecile" were used in medical terms and a criminal could claim lunacy as a defence.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2002: Second Stage. (19 Feb 2003)

Tony Kett: Absolutely. It has taken considerable time to update the law and the Minister is to be congratulated on doing it so early in his term of office. A plethora of legislation faces him but the fact that he has prioritised this indicates the need he has seen for clarification and for the development of this area of the law. It is a long time since psychiatrists referred to the mentally ill as...

Seanad: Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Second Stage (Resumed). (17 Dec 2002)

Tony Kett: I welcome the Minister of State and the Bill to the House. The Minister must be congratulated on the speed with which he has brought the Bill before us because the issue was the subject of a court judgment just two months ago. It indicates the necessity to deal with this horrible crime which is part of our daily life. When preparing for today, I was gobsmacked when I read some of the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Nov 2002)

Tony Kett: I know it is highly unlikely we will have the Minister for Health and Children or the Minister for Finance in this House before budget day. I therefore ask the Leader to convey to both Ministers the real need for a focus on the transformation that has taken place in the area of financing disability. I ask the Leader to assist me in ensuring that that focus is not lost and that even in bad...

Seanad: Report on Immigration Policy: Statements. (27 Nov 2002)

Tony Kett: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Deputy Aylward, to the House. I welcome the report of the task force. I heard the Minister of State begin his deliberations by saying Ireland has suffered more than most countries from emigration. Over the past 50 years we have seen our share of emigration, particularly in the 1950s and 1980s. I was surprised to read...

Seanad: Report on Immigration Policy: Statements. (27 Nov 2002)

Tony Kett: Successive Governments have made efforts to tackle this problem, with limited success. The commitment given by the previous Government in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to helping emigrants who are marginalised and socially excluded has led to the setting up of the task force whose report we are discussing. It is right and proper that we should look at how our emigrants are faring...

Seanad: Crime Levels: Statements. (24 Oct 2002)

Tony Kett: I welcome the Minister and I am glad of the opportunity to speak on this very important issue. I am delighted that the debate thus far has been so constructive and positive. Given the seriousness of the issue, we need to put all our heads together to tackle crime. It is a statistical fact that we have made significant progress since 1997 with a major decrease in the level of serious crime,...

Seanad: Recognition of Domestic Partnerships: Motion. (16 Oct 2002)

Tony Kett: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am happy to be here – it is my first time to speak since the election – and I am sure the Minister of State is of a similar mindset. I congratulate Senator Norris on bringing forward this motion. The Senator has been an ardent supporter of the marginalised, including those with disabilities. He spoke on many occasions in the last Seanad on...