Results 461-480 of 2,078 for speaker:Mary Seery Kearney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the witnesses. We are coming to the nub of the issue of whether someone truly chooses assisted dying and has the ability and supports to reach that point. I will focus on two areas. First, I valued the discussion on depression, the implications of depression, the experience of people with depression of their own emotions and their perceptions while they have it. I appreciate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: There you have it. Most people who access it are white and well educated. There then appears to be inverted discrimination in access. I would like to read that article. I would value a link or reference being sent to us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank Dr. Duckworth very much. I really appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Protecting Autonomy and Assessing Decision-making Capacity: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I will follow on from that. Is there any danger that, if we start considering autonomy in terms of the range of choices people can make, we would end up with discrimination based on socioeconomic circumstances? How do we make sure that does not arise if we are assessing autonomy?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I confirm I am on the grounds of Leinster House. I thank the witnesses for their contributions. I completely support the idea of a five-year plan. Early years providers need to know what is coming. They need a roadmap for how funding is going to be increased and how their services are going to be supported. They need to be able to predict what is able to happen, in the same way any...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: There is a reputational implication.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: There should be at the very least an appeals mechanism on that-----

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: -----to demonstrate the fact that there have been inspections over those 18 years. The failure of that and the lack of accountability for inspectors is one of my personal bugbears, to be honest.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: Certainly, baby places are critical across the country-----

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: -----because it is just not the straightforward 1:3 ratio. It is the fact that that staff member for the three babies has to get breaks and go on holidays or may get sick, so there have to be additional floating staff who always have to be available to swap in, and those people have to be paid. I do not think that gets said and highlighted often enough. It is not even the basic ratio. It...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: No, you cannot.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank Ms Heeney very much.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank Ms Byrne. I was very taken aback by the low figure for the capital grant and thought it was woefully inadequate. My colleague and I here in the office built a crèche together back in 1999. A person could put in his or her application and establish and build a service and make forward plans. We seem to have stepped backwards, or there is a presumption of asking who will do it...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: Yes, we will certainly do that.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Issues Facing the Early Childhood Sector: Discussion (7 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: And get core funding. That is unsustainable.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the Taoiseach for coming in. One of our values as a party is equality of opportunity. I see the child poverty and well-being programme office under the Taoiseach’s office as the embodiment of that equality of opportunity. In order for children to have equality of opportunity they need a structure and a community that is empowered and supported especially when suffering the...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: Well said.

Seanad: Rights-Based Care Economy: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: No, it did not.

Seanad: Rights-Based Care Economy: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: The Bill went on to the next Stage.

Seanad: Rights-Based Care Economy: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: First, and with due respect, I want to correct Senator Boyhan. Tellers were not put forward for the Government amendment to the Bill. So the amendment was not voted on, and as a consequence Senator Clonan's Bill went through to the next Stage, and did pass through to the next Stage. It was largely supported by the Government Senators from that perspective, because there could not be a vote...