Results 281-300 of 880 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Dec 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I join my colleague, Senator Malcolm Byrne, in calling for the full implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act and the introduction of Irish Sign Language as a second-level subject. Senator Fitzpatrick was able to give us a lovely presentation on one of the reports done by her constituents who are studying politics and society, which was not available when I did my leaving certificate. We...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I congratulate my colleagues on Dublin City Council who approved the scheme to build 853 homes on the Oscar Traynor site. It includes 40% cost-rental, 40% social and 20% affordable housing and is a physical manifestation of the legislation that was passed in these Houses, so we should congratulate the Minister on that. It is a hugely welcome development but there are other really important...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (18 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: It is a genuine honour to be on the Taoiseach's Fianna Fáil team in the Seanad. I have a few small issues to raise. I commend the Taoiseach and his team on all the women's health initiatives. The shared island unit is a huge part of our tradition as members of Fianna Fáil and a huge part of our republican ethos of treating children equally, but it would be remiss of me to stand...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I want to talk about antigen testing. This is an issue I have raised on many occasions in the House. I welcome the extension of antigen testing to schools, but I feel it is not going far enough. In the UK an individual can order seven antigen tests and QR codes for a household and report the results of the tests. We are just not going far enough. I realise there is a great cost involved....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: Today, I wish to raise two issues. First, I seek a meaningful debate on the St. Michael's House rejuvenation project. This is not just any development; it is one of the State's flagship cost-rental developments. At this stage we do not have a meaningful update from the Minister on where exactly we are with the project in terms of the budget envisaged and the timeframes. I would like the...

Seanad: Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People: Statements (9 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I thought her speech was very honest and informative. I wish to convey some positive news about the way we treat people with disabilities. There are 12,700 people with autism and learning disabilities in the education system and €9.2 billion was put into education funding in budget 2022 with additional special education...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Deputy Leader for attending. I wish to raise the matter of disability services in Dublin 12. The first service to which I wish to refer is the Employ Ability service in Dublin west, which is based in Bluebell. Service users were told in November that the office would cease operating next month and that it would continue to give support until then. When I made my own inquiries...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I ask you to bear with me for two minutes, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. The group has told me that not one child in Dublin 12 is receiving therapy. We know that the three-month assessment rule applies and that children are getting assessed within that time, but there is no point in a child having an assessment of need if he or she is not going to get the therapy arising from it. It makes no...

Seanad: Budget 2022: Statements (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. We know that no budget is a panacea. Each budget has to be ambitious and try to change people's lives. Our representative in the Department, the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and his counterpart, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, have come up with a progressive budget that lays the foundations to ensure that people have better lives,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I will raise the issue of early-school education and after-school education. I raised the issue last week in the context of the national childcare scheme and how it is disadvantaging children from lower socio-economic areas of the city and country. I support those providers, and parents, who were outside Leinster House yesterday in their campaign to get clarity. They hope the employment...

Seanad: Situation in Belarus: Statements (5 Oct 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for attending the House today. This is a topic on which many of us are ad idem. Many of us had the opportunity meet Ms Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya when she was in this country. We know Sviatlana, along with her compatriots, have unceasingly and courageously stood up for human rights and basic freedoms. As others have outlined, they have sought democratic elections in the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Josepha Madigan, for coming to the House today. As we all know Fianna Fáil has a very proud tradition in education. Famously, and radically, in September 1966 Donogh O'Malley announced plans to introduce free second level education, something we take for granted now but at the time was very radical. In 1996 our former colleague, Niamh Bhreathnach,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: The Minister of State indicated that this work is under way. Can she give me a timeline for its completion in months or years? I would appreciate if she could be a little more specific for the benefit of the schools that would like to be included. I seek a timeline.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I would like to get a timeline.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I raise the issue of crime on our streets. We have seen a surge since the pandemic of groups of teenagers terrorising people on our streets. There has been a substantial increase in homophobic and xenophobic attacks. Every second day, we see a video go viral on the Internet of people being attacked. They are shared widely and it is terrifying. It puts people off going into the city to...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, for coming to the House to introduce this legislation, which I very much support. Immigration is one of the biggest challenges facing European nations, including this country. It is important that we have legislation like this to tackle the smuggling of persons. Interestingly, one of the first sentences for involvement in human...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: Next Tuesday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Appointment of Special Envoys: Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank Mr. Fraser for coming today. I want to disassociate myself from some of the questions from a member who I very much respect, Deputy Brady, at the beginning. I do not think his questioning was appropriate, although I have huge respect for him as a member of our committee. He is one of the most active members on the committee. I do not think many of his questions today were...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I raise the lacuna in the national childcare scheme. This issue may have been raised before but thousands of children, especially in the inner city of Dublin, are going to lose out on after-school places because of the October 2019 changes. Many childcare providers are still staying afloat because of the current wage subsidy schemes, which will end in September. Those schemes have given...