Results 2,981-3,000 of 5,129 for speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (28 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I will ask a few questions and I would like the Minister to respond at the end. First, I acknowledge all our workers who have been working so hard throughout this Covid-19 pandemic. I have also been thinking of all those families who have lost loved ones because of Covid-19. Some 70,000 front-line workers have yet to be vaccinated, however. I have seen the concern this causes in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Enterprise Support Services (27 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: 523. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to reopen the enterprise support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4292/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Treatment (Abstractions) Bill 2020 and Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (22 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I am here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Treatment (Abstractions) Bill 2020 and Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (22 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I have just a few questions. I can hear but there is a bit of an echo on mine. I do not know if there is an echo on other attendees' side. I welcome this legislation. I welcome that it is looking at online transparency, which is really important. I will also mention the postal vote for people who have gone abroad. That is important. It is something I have addressed on several...

Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (Resumed) (20 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: Before I begin, I wish to take a moment to congratulate the most Irish US President since JFK, Joe Biden, and the Vice President, Kamala Harris, on their inauguration and wish them a successful term in office. In a speech yesterday Mr. Biden said "To heal, we must remember...it's hard sometimes to remember but that's how we heal". The report, which is 3,000 pages long, is a map but there...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: In the programme for Government, the word "housing" is mentioned 68 times, "home" 35 times and "homes" 29 times. Two of the five-year housing objectives are to tackle homelessness and to ensure that local authorities are central to delivering on the housing for all mission. The Prime Time Investigates programme on Monday night reported that a 59-year-old homeless Carlowman in Dublin was...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (20 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: 512. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for funding the life-changing gene therapy voretigene neparvovec, also known as Luxturna; if his attention has been drawn to studies that reveal early administration of this medicine leads to greater life-enhancing benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2415/21]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: 724. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has investigated the possibility of amending the criteria of the Covid-19 stability fund to ensure that community and voluntary organisations that may not be in a position to open their premises due to the current level 5 restrictions can still avail of the fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2512/21]

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I wish everyone a happy new year. We are in worrying times and yesterday there were 46 additional deaths related to Covid-19. This is such a difficult time for families. My sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a life through Covid-19. Today we will have more high numbers. We have 172 people in intensive care and 1,750 in hospital so it is a worrying sign for us all. GPs around the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Support Services (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State. It is excellent news that new accommodation will be found. Things happen but we have to compliment all the staff. Everyone is doing their best. We are living through Covid. Communication was the biggest issue here. I raised the issue to get clarity and establish the fact that it was definitely not closing. I needed to get that for the families. I am...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Support Services (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State for giving me the opportunity to ask about the concerns raised about fire safety at Camphill Community Dunshane, Naas, County Kildare, and plans to ensure that residents with intellectual disabilities and other kinds of special needs are not evicted. My indications are that this could come to pass. Families have contacted me. I know that officials in the...

Covid-19 Task Force: Statements (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I thank the Minister and Minister of State for their statements. We have long talked about needing tools to live with Covid. Now we can begin to look forward to using vaccination as another tool in the Covid-19 battle. It really has been a battle, and 2020 will go down in the history books as such. It has been a battle for all the people who have gone through so much, between sickness,...

Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I, too, welcome amendment No. 5. It is important that we strengthen this Bill as much as possible. With regard to my own amendment on consent, it is important that we look at education and learn from this. It is important that this Bill is passed by the House as quickly as possible. I thank the Minister of State.

Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I move amendment No. 5: In page 3, line 22, after "of" where it firstly occurs to insert "what is, or purports to be".

Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has been calling for a law to criminalise images of sexual abuse for years. It must be welcome that there has been a fine scrutiny of this Bill on Committee Stage, and amendments are always welcome to strengthen the Bill. I welcome the Minister of State's acceptance of amendment No. 5 which allows us to stand over the final legislation. It is vitally...

Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I have tabled amendments Nos. 4, 5 and 7 and I hope they have been drafted in such a way as to not impede passage of this important legislation. It is vital that consent is given to the subject of the image. Safe Ireland is the national social change agency working to end gender-based violence and it made a lengthy submission. Other Members have discussed deepfakes. We have to talk about...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: I, too, want to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a safe 2021. This Christmas will be challenging for all of us and while I welcome the lifting of the more stringent restrictions on family visits due to come into effect this week, I ask that we be very careful in our messaging. Now is a good time to encourage the fast-tracking of the Loneliness Taskforce's five principal actions. There...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: My own area of Carlow-Kilkenny has had a huge spike in Covid-19 cases so I ask everyone to stay safe.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: With the new lifting of restrictions starting tomorrow our messaging is very important in terms of doing our best and playing our part to stay safe.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Dec 2020)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: As I said, we have seen a spike in my area of Carlow-Kilkenny.