Results 481-500 of 669 for speaker:Grace O'Sullivan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: General Scheme of Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Voting) Bill 2014 [Private Members']: Discussion (1 Jun 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank Deputies Crowe and Adams for their presentations on the proposed legislation, which I fully support. As someone who was a member of the diaspora for 19 years, I concur with the sentiments expressed by Senator Ó Clochartaigh. I was probably more Irish when I lived abroad that I was when I returned. We must progress the legislation speedily, while taking into consideration the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: General Scheme of Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Voting) Bill 2014 [Private Members']: Discussion (1 Jun 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I would like to pose a question that was put to me this morning. Would the Deputies consider taking the 16 year old issue out of the Bill as is, in order to progress it more speedily?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: General Scheme of Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Voting) Bill 2014 [Private Members']: Discussion (1 Jun 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Okay. I am very much in favour of the Bill as is but I just thought removing that element might speed up the process. The Deputies are not willing to do that and that is perfectly understandable.

Seanad: Tourism: Statements (31 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister of State. It is great to hear some very positive suggestions here today about the all-island approach to tourism. Coming from Waterford, I was delighted to be at the opening of the 3D king of the Vikings virtual reality experience in Waterford which is part of Ireland's Ancient East. I commend the local authorities for that initiative and especially Eamonn McEneaney...

Seanad: Mid-term Capital Review and Public Service Pay Commission Report: Statements (30 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I am the Green Party Senator and a member of the Civil Engagement group. I have not met the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, before. I welcome him to the House. Currently, the capital plan equates sustainability with fiscal sustainability. The reality is that Ireland is not a profit-maximising enterprise but a society of shared lives reliant on natural ecosystems. Ecological and social...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (23 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: As the Minister is aware, a licence has been issued for the mechanical harvesting of sea kelp in Bantry Bay in County Cork. The licence will cover 1,860 acres of native kelp forest. It was not advertised adequately within the local community and contains no requirement for an environmental impact assessment. I would like to state for the record that I am not at all opposed in principle to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (23 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister of State for the reply. She said that this harvesting is to secure the supply of seaweed but we are arguing that an environmental impact assessment prior to the initiation of mechanical harvesting is required. That is what the people of Bantry Bay are asking for and that is why they are so outraged at the moment; they feel that their voices are not being heard....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Breach of EU Urban Wastewater Directive: Discussion (18 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I echo the points made by both of my colleagues on the lack of a Government representative from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government at today's meeting. In the end, the buck of compliance stops with the Government. As the Government is ultimately responsible, it is a bit of a failure that someone from the Department did not attend today. In general, when do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Breach of EU Urban Wastewater Directive: Discussion (18 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: The Commission initiated the infringement against Ireland in September 2013, followed by warnings in September 2015 and September 2016. The witnesses must be frustrated because the warnings have been made but the action is not happening.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Breach of EU Urban Wastewater Directive: Discussion (18 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: With regard to climate mitigation, stormwater and the projected costs, can Mr. Grant provide us with information on how Irish Water is preparing for this?

Seanad: Childhood Obesity: Statements (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I appreciate that point and I will rush through my contribution as quickly as I can.

Seanad: Childhood Obesity: Statements (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is great to see the Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy in the Chamber. We are hearing of the growing problem of childhood obesity and the ways in which we might begin to tackle it. The issue is complex, with part of the problem being access to good nutrition and part being a balance of physical activity. I would like to focus on girls and young women's lack of involvement in...

Seanad: Childhood Obesity: Statements (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I can see the fall-off in interest among girls and young women from the age of 14 up to 18 years. The emotional and social pressures of puberty and school life as well as the big picture social pressures from magazine, popular culture and their own peer network seems to orientate to one thing, that physical activity, organised sports in particular, are not things that girls in their teens...

Seanad: Autism Spectrum Disorder Bill 2017: Second Stage (17 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I welcome the proposal from the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to set up a working group to progress this legislation and collate data to support an autism strategy. I thank Senator Reilly and commend him on introducing this important Bill. Senator Reilly, myself, the Minister and many others in the Oireachtas have personal experiences of dealing with the often-disconnected services...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with Representatives of the Transport Sector (11 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I thank the witnesses for attending. Having regard to what Senator McDowell said, I feel we have to prepare for all scenarios, including a hard Brexit. At what speed are the witnesses working on these issues with the Departments and other stakeholders? To be prepared, we must communicate and plan. What scenarios are being planned for and with whom are the witnesses engaging? Aside from...

Seanad: Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I offer heartfelt thanks to Senator Warfield for taking the initiative and putting the work into this important step towards full equality in gender recognition. His eloquence and dedication in this matter are a testament to himself, his party and the cause. I am most delighted to have been asked to co-sign and second this Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017 with the father of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: Currently, 30 or 40 wild fires are burning across Ireland. They are focused in the Cathaoirleach's county, Cork, as well as Kerry, Mayo, Galway, the north west, along the Border, the Dublin and Wicklow mountains and many other areas, including my own county of Waterford. Millions of euro in damage has been done by the 5 km wide fire in the Cloosh Valley in Galway in one of the worst fires...

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (9 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (9 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: I second the amendment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Discussion (4 May 2017)

Grace O'Sullivan: It is great that Deputy Collins has brought this Bill forward because it keeps the water issue on the agenda. Whereas most people wish the water issue would go away because of the discussions over recent months, for me it is something that should remain on the agenda forever. There is one aspect which I feel is a potential weakness and I wonder if could the Bill be strengthened. That is in...