Results 261-280 of 459 for speaker:Phil Prendergast

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I move amendment No. 57: In page 36, line 41, after "oath" to insert "or affirmation". The Interpretation Act 2005 does not state that the oath includes affirmation. However, it contains the rider that it includes affirmation only for those entitled to affirm. The law should be clarified in this regard and that is why we have tabled amendment No. 57. On amendment No. 58, the relevant...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I ask the Leader to request the Minister to make a statement on those children who will be affected by the proposed closure of ward beds in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin. While in some cases elective surgery might mean a planned cosmetic procedure, in this case it means life-saving surgery. It takes place in two stages because a little baby can only have so much done at...

Seanad: Corporate Governance: Motion (13 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh. I second the motion proposed by Senator Hannigan. My colleague outlined the reason the Labour Party is moving this motion and spoke in detail about our corporate governance proposals. We must have an accountable economic system but we also need an accountable social system. One of the ways of doing that is to remove any suspicion that...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I move amendment No. 1: In page 13, line 14, to delete "SIGNED" and substitute "DONE".

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I move amendment No. 2: In page 16, line 5, after "text" to insert "in the English language".

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I move amendment No. 3: In page 16, line 30, after "Convention" to insert the following: "and includes an adoption from a country other than one a party to the Hague Convention or a bilateral agreement if the Authority considers that the adoption can be effected from a third country in a manner compatible with this Act".

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: Having worked for many years as a midwife, I approach this issue from a slightly different angle because I have seen at first hand in my professional capacity incidences of people enduring long and tortuous attempts either to become pregnant or to go through all the investigations and the upset they felt in this regard or equally in cases where babies were lost. My concern was that Russia,...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I join with what previous speakers said in regard to yesterday's embarrassing incident. I feel privileged to be a Member of this House and I am proud to be here representing viewpoints and doing what I need to do. What happened yesterday is bad press that we do not need given the calls for reform of the Seanad. This type of behaviour sends out the impression that we do not take our job...

Seanad: Mental Health Services. (6 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, to the House. I raise the issue of the Befriending Service in south Tipperary. It is a community-based service of South Tipperary Mental Health and Voluntary Housing Association. The mission statement of this befriending project indicates it supports and empowers the people using its services to identify and achieve their goals and it offers...

Seanad: Swine Flu Outbreak: Statements (6 May 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I extend a warm welcome to the Minister for Health and Children and thank her for coming this afternoon. She will begin to wonder what is wrong with us as we have nothing but praise for her today. I wish the gentleman who contracted the virus well and hope he continues to enjoy good health. I will wait to hear the Minister's answers to some of the questions that were put, but I join the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I move amendment No. 1: 1. In page 6, before section 3, but in Part 2, to insert the following new section: 3.—The Minister shall as soon as may be after the passing of this Act prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the implications of new control measures to make it compulsory for a registered nursing home (public and private) to notify the Department if a...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: My party is opposed to this entire section because there is a complete lack of clarity with regard to how the new section 62(5)(a)(iv) will operate. The Minister failed to answer any of the questions put to her in this regard on Second Stage.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I oppose this section for the same reason I opposed section 5. There is a complete lack of clarity with regard to how the new section 141(4)(d) will operate. Again, the Minister did not provide clear answers to the questions put to her on Second Stage.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I wish to make only one comment on section 7 because it was discussed very well on Second Stage. The new proposals on the rent supplement put many people at risk of homelessness.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I do not know what happened there.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: Yes. The new proposals will put many people at risk of homelessness.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I oppose the section because it halves and eventually abolishes the early child care supplement.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I move amendment No. 11: In page 12, line 22, after "benefit" to insert the following: ", including information relating to a claimant's language skills, educational attainment and length of residency in the State,". We are opposed to this section because it appears to provide for a reduced rate of payment for social welfare allowances and jobseeker's allowance for under 20s without...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Committee Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I oppose section 12 because it introduces extra taxes on people with low and modest incomes.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister and thank her for her attendance. The Government has a track record of not understanding the theory of unintended consequences, and that is being charitable. Each time the Government introduces a budget, there are implications it fails to consider. This has disastrous results for the Government's accounting and, more importantly, for the people who are affected. In...