Results 21-35 of 35 for speaker:Mark Duffy

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Mar 2025)

Mark Duffy: I raise the total scandal of Eir and the lack of customer support being afforded to customers throughout the country, but in particular in my constituency of County Mayo. We have examples of customers of Eir who are out of connection since Storm Darragh on 12 December last. We also have numerous elderly customers of Eir who still have not been reconnected since the damage of the storm. It...

Seanad: Health (Scoliosis Treatment Services) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2025)

Mark Duffy: The Minister is very welcome, and I thank her for joining us for the discussion on such an important topic for so many vulnerable people. I raise a specific example of an issue regarding scoliosis, which relates to a 16-year-old child in my constituency of Mayo who was born with neurological issues and in 2020 was diagnosed with scoliosis. In 2023, he was examined and identified for...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Mar 2025)

Mark Duffy: I raise a matter that has been, politically, incredibly pressing over the past number of years in counties Mayo, Donegal and Sligo. That is the issue of defective concrete blocks. In my home county of Mayo hundreds of homeowners are affected. It has been the scourge of their lives and has brought financial and mental health challenges to every homeowner who has been negatively impacted by...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2025)

Mark Duffy: I want to raise a matter that is close to the heart of the community in my home constituency of Ballina. It is now more than a year since a tragedy occurred at a pedestrian crossing on the Crossmolina road. There was a fatality but a life was also saved thanks to the heroism of James Moyles, who protected his niece from tragedy. This has been raised continuously by councillors at a local...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (26 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: I welcome the Minister of State back to the Seanad and thank him for making the time to discuss this issue with me. Investment in road infrastructure in the areas I represent in Mayo has been underwhelming, to say the least. For the past three decades, we have been campaigning and advocating for investment for the upgrade of the N26. It is an incredibly busy roadway with thousands of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (26 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I welcome the commitments for funding and prioritisation of the investment in both the N26 and N58. They need to be prioritised and kept on the table and we need a whole-of-Government approach to make sure that these are delivered as soon as possible. More specifically, in respect of the local transport plan for Ballina, we need to see...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: I raise a matter that is close to my heart. I met constituents on Monday, the parents of Mike Henry Benson. He was diagnosed with scoliosis. His parents, Penny and Michael, have been battling for their son in recent years, seeking to have the case heard and to get adequate treatment. Mike Henry has neurological impairment, scoliosis and type 2 respiratory failure. He is on oxygen every...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: I am speaking with the permission of the family. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his contribution. The situation they are asking to be highlighted and addressed relates to a second opinion. Crumlin children's hospital has stated that it cannot operate on Mike Henry. The family is desperate for a second opinion. I am asking that we write to the Minister for Health so we can discuss the...

Seanad: Response to Storm Éowyn: Statements (26 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: I welcome the Minister of State and thank the front-line personnel throughout the country who responded very quickly to the extreme weather event that affected so many. I offer condolences to Kacper Dudek's family on his tragic passing and on the illnesses and bereavements caused by the storm. If ever there was a case for local government reform, Storm Éowyn has demonstrated it. The...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: Through the six years in my role as a county councillor prior to being elected to the Seanad, County Mayo was plagued with the challenge of the housing crisis, which impacted right across the county. In council buildings I sat next to people in desperate domestic situations who were looking for a new lease of life and to get on the housing ladder. At a county development plan level, we...

Seanad: Community Safety: Statements (25 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I welcome the Minister and thank him for his contributions last week and this afternoon. My experience of policing in County Mayo has been very positive. I served on Mayo County Council over the past six years and the model I found most effective and efficient in terms of being close to the people and gardaí being the guardians of the peace on the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: This a moment of great opportunity for Irish sport. This weekend the new League of Ireland season began and I had the good fortune of attending the Bohemians versus Shamrock Rovers game in the Aviva Stadium. It was incredible to see the energy and the enthusiasm and the sheer number of fans who attended. I compliment everyone who was involved in that. Over the weekend 51,000 people...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: I join in congratulating Senator Kyne on his appointment as Leader of the House. I wish him every success and I look forward to working with him. I second Senator Ahearn’s request for a debate with the Minister for Transport. There are a whole swathe of issues in the west of Ireland and projects that urgently need investment and delivery. We need to move on from the stage of...

Seanad: Cathaoirleach a Thoghadh - Election of Cathaoirleach (12 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: First, I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his election. Our connection goes further beyond politics to way back when he soldiered on a Fijian island with my sister, Bernadette, and my brother-in-law, Seán. He has come a long way since then.

Seanad: Cathaoirleach a Thoghadh - Election of Cathaoirleach (12 Feb 2025)

Mark Duffy: That will not be in my gift this term, anyway. I congratulate the Cathaoirleach as well as all the Senators from across the Chamber who have been elected or appointed to this House. I have come through three election periods and I thank the people of Mayo who have shown their faith in me in two local elections, a recent general election and in the Seanad election. As we know, our families...