Results 3,821-3,840 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: It will be difficult to follow that one. Senator MacSharry and his colleagues may have forgotten how difficult it is to be in Government and to try to govern responsibly, or perhaps they never knew. The Labour Party is one third of the Government and not the whole Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: The balance of power is exactly that. In the budget, the Government has managed to reduce the cuts in social protection by ¤150 million, not an insubstantial sum, and by another ¤150 million in the health budget. What has happened is exceptionally difficult but that achievement is worth noting.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: We are sick and tired of being called the Government when we are one third of it but are working, in fact, as 50% of the Government. I add my voice to those calling for a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. I pay tribute to his wife, Geraldine, for the dignity and fortitude she has shown over 23 years. She is still fighting the fight. She understands that the only way is to...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: In the middle of this very difficult debate it was good to be in a room last night surrounded by entrepreneurs, people who are battling the elements and doing their bit to create jobs. I cite a man named Michael Murphy, who now lives in Moville but has travelled the world. He was originally a dairy and food scientist before setting up a company called Moolicious Foods. Forgive me stating...

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second and Subsequent Stages (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: It is a good day. I thank the Minister for coming to the House and, as the Senator has said, reorganising the Bill to ensure it meets all the requirements, including being watertight, that humanists and others would have wanted. Drafting legislation is difficult. Having seen the Bill initiated here and come to fruition in a year is evidence of how difficult it is to get legislation right....

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: That concludes statements.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: The Senator is out of order.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: I have ruled the Senator out of order.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: The Senator must conclude.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: I am not allowing it. We are not having that argument at this time.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: This is not the place for that argument.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: Both of the Senators are out of order. I call Senator Bradford.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: The Senator must conclude as he is well over time.

Seanad: Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case: Statements (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. Like others, I welcome Mr. Justice Ryan's expert group's report. I also welcome the Minister's clear observation that the Government will bring legal clarity to the question of legal abortion and that this will be done within an appropriate timeline. After all, there has been a long wait for the legislation. While I welcome the expert group's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman Special Reports: Discussion with Ombudsman (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: The clarity needs to come from this committee. When we make our request to the Minister, we should make it clear that the issue of illegality should not be obfuscated with the details of the motorised transport scheme. That is my fear, however. We could talk all day about the motorised transport scheme without getting to the issue we need to raise with the Minister. According to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman Special Reports: Discussion with Ombudsman (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: My recommendation is precisely the same. We are asking the Minister to deal with the illegality of the approach rather than the specific detail of the report entitled Who Cares? An Investigation into the Right to Nursing Home Care in Ireland. This in fact should be raised on a different day. I would hate to try to deal with both of these issues at the same time because we will not get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman Special Reports: Discussion with Ombudsman (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: What was the Department's response to the Ombudsman's queries?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman Special Reports: Discussion with Ombudsman (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: The proposal was put to the Department and there was literally no response.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman Special Reports: Discussion with Ombudsman (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: Was that last year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Ombudsman Special Reports: Discussion with Ombudsman (6 Dec 2012)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Ombudsman for the clarity and toughness of her report. It is interesting to note that when the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, made his budget statement yesterday, he first opted to speak about the importance of political reform. He reminded everybody that his Department is not just the Department responsible for public expenditure but also the one...