Results 301-320 of 459 for speaker:Phil Prendergast

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I wish to highlight the circumstances surrounding the proposed closure by the Health Service Executive of St. Brigid's elderly care ward in St. Patrick's Hospital in Waterford. The reason given for the closure, as reported by the media, is to address health and safety concerns in the ward which is situated upstairs in the hospital. However, these health and safety risks have been already...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Phil Prendergast: Future financial planning for our health service should take into account the need for service provision for older patients, not only for those now in the beds but for those who will need it in the future. Why is the HSE closing a ward in which so much public money has been invested? Where will the frail and elderly dependants in Waterford and surrounding regions go now? St. Patrick's has...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (3 Feb 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome and support this enabling Bill which is designed to increase the borrowings of Bord Gáis Éireann. We are suffering the effects of the recession with job losses and contraction of business activity and many are struggling. The investment to which the Bill will give rise and which the Government is overseeing and safeguarding is extremely important. We rely heavily on fossil...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I rise to ask the Leader again to arrange for the Minister for Health and Children to come into the House. I am concerned about the effect the national service plan will have on the HSE plans for reconfiguring maternity services. It seems there will have to be a minimum number of births per unit. It is suggested that this is necessary to ensure comprehensive and safe services for all...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I will be parochial by referring in particular to Clonmel, which has had more than its fair share of torment in recent times. The people of the town have had to deal with floods and snow, etc. The relocation of breast services to Waterford was a welcome development. The decision will predominantly affect women. Under the new configuration of services, gynaecological services will be...

Seanad: Job Losses (27 Jan 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply to the question. I continue to be concerned about a review that is linked to share price performance and I hope the matter can be raised again should that review result in another round of significant job loss or a rise in the unemployment levels in south Tipperary. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come into the...

Seanad: Job Losses (27 Jan 2009)

Phil Prendergast: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I raise a matter causing grave concern to the people of south Tipperary, namely, job losses. I am sure it is a concern to people throughout the country. As the Minister of State is aware, Tipperary has suffered very significant job losses in the past year and unemployment has almost doubled in the past 12 months. The closure of Moy...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I take issue with the comments made by the Minister of Health and Children yesterday on the three accident and emergency units for children in the Dublin region. The Minister stated these units have an average of only 20 admissions per night. It can take six people up to six hours to stabilise one child. Accident and emergency unit needs should not be measured by numbers but by dependency...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I support Senator McFadden's comments and I echo her request. How many people are having their houses repossessed each week? As the Minister said, it will be a far greater strain on the Government to have more people in need of rent supplement or being put on the RAS scheme, while the banks will have houses they cannot sell or use. It makes more sense to have some type of system whereby...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I support what my colleagues have said about this excellent agency, which has done immense work over the years. I regret the Government's proposal to abolish the agency, which provides a great service.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I support Senator Norris in this.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I support my Seanad colleagues regarding the carer's allowance. Carer's allowance is not always needed for an elderly person. I know a relatively young man in his 50s who is severely disabled and is having awful problems getting the allowance. In south Tipperary no home help has been allocated since August despite the same money having been allocated for the service. Is there any reason...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: There were thousands there who were not there for the craic.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I support Senator Fitzgerald and the Fine Gael Senators on the amendment. I would support her party in regard to the points she articulated.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I support this amendment. Reports which will in any event be prepared for the Department should be made available to all Members so that we can meaningfully assist the people who look to us for guidance.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: This Bill is the document that lets loose the Government's plan for making pensioners pay for its economic mismanagement. It is a cynical measure because it is deliberately vague, attempts to undo a political blunder, and is a punishment for good sense and prudence. For years, working people have been warned about the pensions time-bomb. They have been advised by successive Governments not...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: The Labour Party agreed with them then, we agree with them now, and so do many Government backbenchers in the Dáil. In fact, they saw their political life flash before their eyes when they saw those protests. They realised the electorally disastrous effects of one of the most callous Government cutbacks in 30 years, and so did the Cabinet. In response, the Government came up with a...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Second Stage (9 Dec 2008)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister to the House, although I concur with Senator Norris about her speech, which is quite difficult to read. I do not have a problem with my eyesight but it is difficult to follow the text. The Bill is framed in the context of rapidly rising numbers seeking assistance to make ends meet. This factor is a sad reality for many people every day. Public representatives are...

Seanad: Stem-Cell Research (Protection of Human Embryos) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Nov 2008)

Phil Prendergast: The Bill addresses a complex and evolving area of medicine that can have great benefits for humankind. However, stem-cell research also raises moral questions, as has been evidenced by the contributors to the debate thus far. The Bill seeks to address these questions from a particular religious standpoint. While it is perfectly legitimate for this approach to be taken, those of us who...