Results 3,721-3,740 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Jimmy Walsh for the enormous effort and dedication he has shown to this House through his journalism. I wish him well in his retirement. I hope he will write his memoirs because such observations on this House would make interesting reading. I have told him that I look forward to seeing his memoirs. I am sure he will always be welcome in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (27 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I echo Deputy Healy-Rae's concerns about this case. Obviously, Mr. O'Sullivan has had an extremely traumatic experience. The drug Roaccutane has been on the market for 30 years, and there have been a number of events such as those described. The matter this committee should be considering is oversight in so far as it relates to the Irish Medicines Board. I see from the petition that Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (27 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: This petition is from Mrs. Neary, who is concerned that data on the tissue of patients who attend public hospitals can be used for medical research purposes without proper patient consent. That is one aspect of her petition. This is obviously a very complex matter concerning how tissue is controlled, who has access to it and where consent is, or is not, given for its use. She has raised...

Seanad: Mobility Allowance: Statements (21 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Rural Ireland is not just two words. It is a real place where 40% of the Irish population live. We are increasingly hearing the expression "rural Ireland" in the context of a place where all problems occur. We all know people who are having difficulty accessing their homes in their own cars because of poor roads and infrastructure. People living in rural Ireland are suffering to a far...

Seanad: Mobility Allowance: Statements (21 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: As I recall, Senator Moloney stated on the Order of Business that even if there is no Minister available we should have the debate.

Seanad: Mobility Allowance: Statements (21 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Yes. I do not see this event today as a slap back to Senator Moloney for asking for that debate, which I think is what Senator MacSharry was suggesting. As a member of the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions I am concerned at the approach being taken by the Department of Health as set out in the presentations to that committee by the Ombudsman, Ms Emily O'Reilly. The...

Seanad: Mobility Allowance: Statements (21 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Like Senator Ó Clochartaigh, I have concerns about the Department of Health's calculation. It may have given the absolute worst-case scenario, which people are paid to do. However, in reality the additional cost will not be anywhere near ¤100 million. That statistic is, I suppose, being used as a tactic in the war over whether we should be abolishing those particular schemes. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Like Senator MacSharry, I refer to the high salaries earned by banking executives although I point out that there were different rules for people who were close to Fianna Fáil during the last Administration. We should not forget that. I thank Senator Conway for yesterday's debate on restorative justice although I was disappointed that there were so few people here. It was a very...

Seanad: Restorative Justice Process: Motion (20 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I welcome the opportunity to agree with this motion and to thank Senator Conway for bringing it to the House. It was not my intention to speak but when others were speaking about restorative justice, I was minded about two visits I made to two young offenders' institutions in the UK when I was working as a journalist. I always remember the lingering sadness of those places where people were...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Like others, I welcome the initial movement on the CAP negotiations. I am sure the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has been working extremely hard to try to get countries to agree to anything at all. I would like to join with others to say "Well done" on that front, particularly in regard to the ending of the quota for sugar beet, which raises a very real opportunity for the Irish sugar industry....

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I am proud to be present with my Labour Party colleagues to support this Bill. We often thank people as a tradition of the House but this is a day to say "Thank you" to many people. I thank the Minister for Education and Skills for his efforts and his support in this area and Neil Ward in his office for helping to draft the legislation. I also thank Senators Bacik and Moran for leading the...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I understand white smoke has emerged from the Vatican.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I ask the Senator to conclude, please.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I call Senator Bacik and she has ten minutes.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Sligo Institute of Technology is having its innovation and enterprise week. I am pleased that tomorrow evening I will host an event for parents, one could call it career guidance for parents, specifically concentrating on the STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This is an area of huge growth. The US council on science has recommended to President Obama that it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Mobility and Motorised Transport Allowances: Discussion (6 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: No. This is a-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Mobility and Motorised Transport Allowances: Discussion (6 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: This is a specific response to the motorised transport grant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Mobility and Motorised Transport Allowances: Discussion (6 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: Please.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Mobility and Motorised Transport Allowances: Discussion (6 Mar 2013)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank Mr. McCabe.