Results 201-220 of 956 for speaker:Mark Wall

Seanad: Migration: Statements (10 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: The Minister has ten minutes to open the debate.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I add my name to the condolences on the late John O'Mahony. Unfortunately, John and his Galway team broke our hearts in 1998 and again in 2000 with his Galway team and the lilywhites defeat in that All-Ireland of 1998. I cannot share the view with the Senator Carrigy that that was a good day. Unfortunately, it was not a good day but out of that we gained a lot of respect for John O'Mahony...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I welcome everyone and thank them for their contributions, which have fed, as other members have said, into what we are trying to do here. The most important thing is we want a report that reflects all the contributions, but also one that works and does not sit on some shelf as previous ones have. There has been mention of previous reports going back to the 1970s, etc. We want to reform...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the witnesses for the contributions. As Ms Sparks said, the sixth C, cyberbullying, is a huge challenge for us as well and it is something that we need to do a lot of work on and I know the media committee has done that. It is a challenge and it is something that came back to us at the last local elections. We need to challenge it, to call it out at every possibility and to...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I welcome the Tánaiste to the House today. It is fair to say that we have a unique command of our Defence Forces when compared to other defence forces around the world. My colleague, Deputy Howlin, went into the history of that in the Dáil and I know the Tánaiste expressed an interest in it as well. I do not intend to go back as far as to how that command and control...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the Tánaiste for the reply. I have two questions. He mentioned that this is a direct result of the commission report. Can he confirm today that there are no changes from what the commission report outlined in the command and control structure that was discussed at Cabinet yesterday or whether there are changes from the commission report? The second issue relates to...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: There has been much talk about gagging of representative associations and individuals by means of this Bill. Every young person I meet who has joined the Defence Forces tells me that one of the reasons they did so was because they have a representative association, whether it is RACO or PDFORRA. They want the same rights as other young careerists, with someone who is there to represent them...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I just want to take up that last point. I thank the Tánaiste again but that is the point we are all trying to make here. The Tánaiste mentioned that the 1954 Act includes the phrase "political matters". The phrase "Government policy matters" is a new one that has been introduced here, although the Tánaiste can correct me if I am wrong. That is an issue because the...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I move amendment No. 4: In page 9, lines 12 and 13, to delete “in relation to a political matter or matter of Government policy” and substitute “in relation to a matter of political controversy”.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: Section 321(3) states, "The External Oversight Body shall be independent in the performance of its functions." The Labour Party has a problem, as pointed out to the Minister in the Dáil, with the Secretary General, whoever that may be at the time, being an ex officio member of this external oversight body. The simple reason for our objection is we are looking for an independent...

Seanad: Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024: Second Stage (3 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I welcome the Bill and I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As my two colleagues have said, this Bill is very timely given what occurred during the Covid pandemic. It is also very timely for those who have experienced a stillbirth. I have dealt with several families that have unfortunately gone through this process. It is very welcome that such people will no longer have to make...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2024: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank our guests this evening. Obviously, I am interested in this. I introduced a Bill in the Seanad to try to address this matter when we dealt with Johnny O'Meara down in Tipperary. Like Deputy Ó Cathasaigh, I welcome the Government moving quickly to draw up this very important general scheme. I want to talk about arrears. On foot of the Bill we introduced in the Seanad and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2024: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I am sorry. I am back again. We did an awful lot of work with Treoir. As the witnesses said, people coming to us that had gone through hard times. There are many people waiting to see if ex gratia payments or arrears are going to be provided for in the eventual Bill. In whatever way it can do it, the Government has to facilitate such payments. A lot of people suffered as a result of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2024: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I am happy with that response. The important point for me is that the surviving partner has to provide that information to outline whether it was five years without children or two years with children. As has been said, it is already working. We have to be careful that we define that in the eventual Bill. We must also ensure that we do not set about reinventing a wheel. As has been said...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: General Scheme of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2024: Discussion (2 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: The question has already been asked, but I wanted to ask Mr. Duggan again, because I am aware of cases over multiple years prior to 22 January this year. I want it confirmed again that they will get a payment from 22 January 2024 onwards. One case I am aware of has gone on for almost ten years since the partner passed away. Does Mr. Duggan see it happening in that case? Another question I...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (2 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I, too, welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter. It is always important in debates such as this to put on the record the very proud history of St. Vincent's Hospital, Athy. It can trace its history back to the opening of the Athy workhouse on 9 January 1844, an event that came just in time to relieve some of the harshest effects of the Famine in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (2 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. The middle of the reply tells us that it is anticipated that the project could commence on site in quarter one of 2025, which is the news that the people of south Kildare really wanted to hear. I note that this is dependent on the final decision and the review of the tender process, which is standard enough practice for all major...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 Jul 2024)

Mark Wall: I welcome the Minister to the House this evening. The Labour Party welcomes the introduction of a pay-related benefit for jobseekers. It is after all a good workers' rights issue. As a party, we have long called for such a measure to be introduced and we anticipate strong support from various stakeholders, not least from those workers themselves. As my colleague, Deputy Duncan Smith,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jun 2024)

Mark Wall: I congratulate Senator Kyne and wish him the very best of luck in his new role in the remaining term of the Seanad. I wish Senator O'Hara well in the upcoming election. Yesterday, I chaired much of the debate on surrogacy in this country. I congratulate all those who took part in it, particularly Senator Seery Kearney, who is with us this morning and who did considerable work on...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Jun 2024)

Mark Wall: Much like Senator Boyhan, I am on both sides, but I have chosen to stay on the left. I make this presentation today on behalf of Deputy Bacik, leader of the Labour Party, who, unfortunately, cannot be with us today. It has been 125 years since the first local elections were held in Ireland, and there is a case to be made that now, more than ever in those 125 years, we need a fundamental...