Results 261-280 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Health (Nursing Homes) (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (7 Dec 2006)

Mary Henry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The legislation has been brought forward because we have legal advice once again that primary legislation is required to give these provisions a statutory basis. I support the Government's aim to keep people within the community and in their homes as they grow older, and this is what most people want. However, I have not found in practice that...

Seanad: Health (Nursing Homes) (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (7 Dec 2006)

Mary Henry: While I do not have a problem philosophically with public-private partnerships or with private nursing homes being set up, we must note that these are being set up to make a profit and that they are businesses. The people who received the tax breaks to set them up have set up businesses and it is a hard business in which to make a profit. Some nursing homes charge as little as €650 per...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2006)

Mary Henry: I add my voice to those who called for a debate on the report from UCD on our prison population. Perhaps we could combine that with a debate on the lack of access so many children have to psychologists at school, as Senator O'Toole mentioned, and the issue of access to child and adolescent psychiatrists. It is clear that poor educational attainment is a very important factor on the road to...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I welcome the Minister of State and the Bill. Regarding the establishment of a new draft electoral register, none of us could have believed that the register was in the mess it proved to be. I am glad that the Minister took the initiative by trying to address the matter before the next election and that he gave the facilities and money to local authorities to do so. We should ensure that...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator Bannon for summoning a crowd for my words of wisdom. I was talking about electronic voting. Events in Florida remind us that such systems are not infallible. We all remember the dreadful spectacle in Florida in 2000, when George W. Bush was first elected President of the United States, of a vote which lasted for six weeks, while there were discussions on hanging chads and...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (30 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: We have a few. Some of my constituents are in prison, although I do not know about Senator Quinn's. They are in prison and other places of detention for serious crimes so why should they be given preferential treatment? Is it because they have a third level degree? Those in Mountjoy Prison or Portlaoise Prison were not in a position to vote. The governor of Mountjoy Prison, Mr. John...

Seanad: Domestic Violence: Statements (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator Norris for sharing time with me. I was astonished to note the recent lack of understanding of domestic violence by a District Court judge. On a Wednesday he told a woman, who withdrew her case for assault within the home, that he had come across a similar case on the Monday, that he was fed up of women crying wolf and that he was going to take action against them in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: With regard to debating reports, on Committee Stage of the Prisons Bill yesterday we discussed establishing the Inspector of Prisons as a statutory position. I expressed my disappointment to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that we had been unable to debate the report of the Inspector of Prisons even though the Leader had asked several times for such a debate...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I hope the inhabitants of Thornton Hall do not read Senator Jim Walsh's comments. They would not be enthusiastic for no environmental impact statement to be carried out. It is important it is included. I understand his comments on how they can vary, but I am sure we will find some honourable people will produce a sound impact assessment.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: Would this cover a designated centre, such as the Central Mental Hospital being moved into the complex?

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: In support of what the Minister stated, the Dóchas Centre — the women's prison — is very good. It looks well from the outside as one goes up the North Circular Road and it also looks well inside, proving that it is possible to achieve a balance in building prisons to make them look as attractive as possible, as Senator Tuffy stated. I also agree with the Minister about not having...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I disagree with the Minister on that point. It is big enough.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: Perhaps some of them do not need to be there.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I support the amendment. Were the Minister to accept it, it would show him in a very good light. To recognise a person's independence, even though it may have been troublesome at certain times, is well worthwhile. I am glad Senator Tuffy tabled this amendment.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I wish to speak to amendment No. 59. Sometimes we believe we have done something once a report has been produced. However, unless we discuss it and ascertain how we should act on it, it is useless. We get report after report on a variety of topics, 98% of which are never discussed in either House of the Oireachtas. When I was first elected to this House and discovered that the reports of...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I move amendment No. 64: In page 25, subsection (1)(b), line 24, after "prison" to insert the following: "or in the designated centre (within the terms of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2003)". I am of the view that the Minister has recognised my concerns about this matter. It would be very useful if videotaping were also allowed in respect of people who might be in designated centres....

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: The text of section 33 makes it clear that it is not aimed at people who are seriously psychiatrically ill, so that would not arise. As stated earlier, mental illness can be episodic. It would be so much easier for the people to whom I refer, particularly before the advent of a trial, to be in a position to give evidence by video link. Video link evidence is a good development and that is...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I support the amendment. I am sure the Minister does not want to deny inmates medical treatment and the amendment would make sure this could not happen.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: The proposals in these amendments to prevent delays are important but I am much taken by amendment No. 18. If we are to transfer people to designated centres using a prison escort group we should include a definition of designated centres, because the definition of prison in the Bill does not cover the Central Mental Hospital, nor should it.

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2006: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Henry: I support the amendment. Sometimes it might be six months before a report is laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. There is no good reason that this should happen. Two months appears to be long enough.