Results 4,681-4,700 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I seek clarification. Senator Bacik is not pressing this amendment. Can we expect to see it adopted in some manner in the next draft of the Bill?

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is good.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: With respect to my colleague's views, I have some difficulty with this amendment. I see merit in a suite of options being made available to adoptive parents and adopted children in both full and open adoption. I have no difficulty with the exchange of photographs and information updates on a birthday basis as this is quite normal. When birth mothers and adoptive parents meet, they often...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I support my two colleagues and question the purpose of this section. If the birth mother must know and consent to the religion of the family to which the child is going, it could prevent many adoptions taking place. I refer to inter-country adoptions. In some countries, the child must be technically abandoned. I am familiar with cases where children are left at dumpsters. For a mother to...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I call for a debate on the social partnership model. I understand that 1.5 million people working in the private sector, including in multinationals, are not represented at the social partnership table. The Taoiseach and the Cabinet are paying too much heed to a flawed social partnership model. We rely on the private sector to provide the revenue to pay for the public sector. Will the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Is the Leader seriously proposing an additional 50% for mathematics and science?

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: There is nothing to support the Leader's proposal. A 10% bonus might be reasonable.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Leader's proposal would amount to a lowering of standards.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It would lower standards.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Yes. The point is that his proposal for a 50% bonus is ridiculous.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Will the Minister attend the debate?

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: At one level I am inclined to agree with the Minister of State in that when a person has been counselled and gone through the assessment process as a prospective adoptive parent, there should be a very good understanding of what is about to be undertaken. In the case of the young mother of baby Ann recently, she clearly did not know the import of what she was embarking on. Ultimately, the...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I have a query on the rights of the father where the mother wishes to place the child for adoption. What is the position if the father cannot be found or there is no certainty as to who he is?

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Does the Minister of State wish to comment on it to lead us into discussion on the issue that will be dealt with later?

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Ba mhaith liom, freisin, cur leis an méid atá ráite faoin am atá leagtha amach le haghaidh na díospóireachta sa teanga Gaeilge inniú. We all rightly condemn the death of the two soldiers and the constable in the North. It was wonderful to see such unison in that regard. The wife of the constable said she had been cheated of her husband's life. In the South, children have been...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I apologise.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (11 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: By mainstreaming the seven children, the State will lose €40,000 per year. If put into a mainstream class, these children will require five special needs assistants and a half time resource teacher, and that does not take into account the mainstream class teacher's salary. Members of this House spoke about how educationally unsound this move is but now we have evidence that it is also...

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: This was not personal; it was the argument that was holier than thou.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I was delighted the Minister of State offered to the House the information that same-sex couples currently foster children in Ireland. That information is not well known and it is very useful in terms of the overall direction we are taking in this new and sensitive area. I want to clarify one or two things for the sake of my colleague, Senator Mullen.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Indeed. I did not think he was holier than me at all.