Results 501-520 of 866 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, Senator Swanick, who is a doctor. The Bill is designed to support risk equalisation, which will mean our health insurance market will allow older citizens and people with illnesses to afford health insurance. Community rating ensures these people are not discriminated against in favour of...

Seanad: Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017: Second Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: As the Minister indicated, this legislation directly affects many people who are in receipt of very low wages. Fianna Fáil supports the passing of this Bill to Committee Stage. Our party policy is to ban zero-hour and low-hour contracts that are abusive to workers. We have consistently advocated our policy for the provision of banded hour contracts that work for both worker and...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Clearly, we are all on tenterhooks regarding the Brexit negotiations and how the deal will unfold. As things are moving at pace across the water in the United Kingdom, at this point it is hard to figure out exactly where it will land. Having had a cursory look at the text, on the face of it, it seems to be a very good deal for Ireland. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste should be...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Obviously, we need to ensure the deal can be brought home. There is no point in celebrating until we see that it can be properly implemented and is agreed to by our neighbours across the water. I will leave it at that for now. The second item I wish to raise affects a lot of senior citizens. They are receiving scam calls from international numbers. If they answer them, they are charged...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I agree with Senator Norris on the matter to which he referred. I wish to raise a very serious matter referred to by Mr. Justice Peter Kelly in the High Court, namely, the retention and recruitment of doctors in our hospitals. He said that the standard of doctors being recruited to hospitals in Ireland is particularly low and the case before him, whereby a doctor was struck off the...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Deirdre Hargey, Lord Mayor of Belfast (8 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Cuirim fáilte mór roimh an Ard-Mhéara as ucht Fianna Fáil. Is lá stairiúil é. Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis an Ard-Mhéara as an chéad bhean sa ról. Today is historic and it is great that the Lord Mayor has been able to address the Seanad. Having done some research on her, I see that she has done a great deal of work on...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I want to speak about Drimnagh in the context of the housing crisis and planning and development in our capital city. Drimnagh lies between Crumlin, Inchicore and the Grand Canal and has a population of approximately 12,000. Ten years ago, Dublin City Council highlighted the need to ensure the proper development of amenities in this part of the city and to ensure that potential development...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (7 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This Bill was introduced as a Private Members' Bill by the Social Democrats in April 2017 and has passed all Stages in the Dáil. We are taking the opportunity to bring this Bill to the Seanad in our Private Members' time with cross-party and Independent support and hope it will continue through this House in the Private Members' time...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (7 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. I wish to note that the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme was introduced by Fianna Fáil and we welcome the extra funding. However, we have heard anecdotal stories about owners of crèches feeling that they are not being supported properly and find it difficult to retain and recruit staff, which has a knock-on effect...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (7 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: During last week's recess, a serious issue arose in the Department of Employment Affairs Social Protection as a result of which those who were meant to be in receipt of illness benefit either did not receive it at all or only received partial payments. The Minister updated the country on the "News at One" and stated it was a technical issue related to a transitional arrangement while the...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Yes. That is over the past year. I apologise and correct the record. More than 10,000 people aged over 75 have had to wait more than 24 hours on hospital trolleys. We know the cold is coming; it comes every year. The number of people in need of emergency department services increases during cold spells but an emergency department winter plan does not seem to be in place.One was expected...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: We learnt today that, unfortunately, two more schools have closed and up to 1,200 children are affected. The schools are the Educate Together in Tyrrelstown and St. Luke's national school in Mulhuddart. Parents have been told anecdotally that the schools should be open after Christmas. Other parents have been advised, however, that if their child is to attend school next September, they...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (24 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I will split my time with Senator Leyden who served with the late former Senator Maurice Hayes. I welcome the Hayes family to the Chamber. I convey my condolences and those of the Fianna Fáil group to them on the passing of their father, grandfather and husband. We are here to pay tribute to him and his distinguished career. I did not know him, but after my research, I am struck by...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: A recent report by Care Alliance Ireland states nearly 6,100 people nationwide are awaiting home helps. It outlines that it is more difficult to access a home help today than it was ten years ago. Care Alliance Ireland also indicates that there seems to be a disparity between areas within the country and describes a "postcode lottery", whereby people seeking a home help in some areas will...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I want to bring to the attention of the House the fact that immigrants from outside the EU who are seeking to renew their visas or obtain re-entry visas are suffering and being exploited due to the security levels relating to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, website. The INIS website was hacked by a bot that has taken up all the slots for appointments for re-entry or...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: A malware bot. It is a program that is able to pre-book all the slots.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: The security on the INIS website is low level. It has been reviewed by security academics. A website usually asks one to confirm that one is not a robot by asking how many cars are in a picture. The INIS website does not have any of these security provisions so a bot has been able to go in, buy up the slots and sell them on Facebook for €25 to €30. This is unfair and...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I am very disappointed for the 500,000 homes and businesses across Ireland who will not be in receipt of high-speed broadband. It was indicated over the weekend that the Minister was pausing the roll-out of broadband. He said it was being done on the basis that there will be an audit of the process to date. It is as clear as night follows day that the process is flawed. The Government...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I apologise.