Results 561-580 of 880 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Death of Shane O'Farrell: Statements (14 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, and on my own behalf, I send my condolences to the O'Farrell family, especially to Lucia who I met earlier and to her daughter Gemma, who I know personally in a work capacity. I have been aware of the case for a long time and I had never had the honour of meeting Lucia until today. We met in LH 2000 in a small room where she was able to give us a...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I join in the expressions of sympathy to the family of the late Rory Kiely. He was a former Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and a long-standing Fianna Fáil Senator. Rory had a great association with and friends within the Fianna Fáil group. It is a very sad day for the Fianna Fáil Party and we would like to join the Cathaoirleach in passing on our condolences to his family. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jun 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Today, I wish to raise two issues. The first relates to the cervical smear interim report. I am very disappointed to learn that we are not being presented with a final report at this stage or in the very near future. I wish to ask the Minister whether Dr. Scally was given adequate resources to complete the report on time and if there is a particular reason we will not have a final report...

Seanad: Local Property Tax: Motion (30 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: As my colleagues have pointed out, the essence of the motion is that local property tax bills will not increase when properties are revalued in 2020, with revaluation due in 2020 as matters stand. Many people are asset rich and cash poor. We have seen increases of up to 100% in house prices, especially in the cities. I work as a solicitor and in cases where the value of a house has...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: The first item I wish to raise is related to the referendum on Friday. The people of Ireland spoke loudly and clearly on Friday when they voted overwhelmingly to repeal the eighth amendment. This ultimately means that the women of Ireland will now have equal access to healthcare in this jurisdiction. I am very grateful to the Members of the Oireachtas who campaigned for this issue, both...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I am alarmed and saddened today to learn of the rise in suicide rates among young women living in Dublin South-Central.We learned that there were 37 deaths by suicide in Dublin South-Central in 2017, 50% of whom were women. The numbers are equal, but this is a very new departure. Unfortunately, young men are more likely to take their lives by suicide. There has been a rise in the number of...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: This month is mental health awareness month and we should all undertake to shine a light on mental health. Fianna Fáil's Mental Health (Amendment) Bill is going through its Final Stages today and I hope everyone in this House will support it. I am concerned by the fact that the number of children waiting for CAMHS services continues to rise in this city. The latest figures, for March,...

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (16 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank Deputy James Browne and the representatives of mental health groups who are in the Gallery today. This is the second Fianna Fáil Bill that has gone through this Seanad and I know the Deputy has been working very hard with the different mental health organisations to ensure we have a robust and complete mental health service in the country. I thank the Deputy for that, as well...

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (16 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (15 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I would like to express my outrage, and that of the Fianna Fáil group, and condemn the actions of Israel and its use of force against unarmed Palestinian protestors, including unarmed children. An eight month old child was among the victims.The killing of 59 Palestinians can only be described as a massacre and must be condemned by the Government in the strongest possible terms. We call...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I will raise two issues. This morning I was absolutely shocked and horrified after learning that more than 500 people in Dublin have been warned by gardaí that their lives are in danger. Unfortunately, many of these people are involved in the drugs trade and many of the threats are gang related. There seems to be no end in sight or plan put in place by the Government to counter the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I too wish Senator McDowell well.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Yesterday afternoon I raised the cervical cancer issue in this House and yesterday evening, the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, informed the Dáil that there were over 1,500 more women with cervical cancer whose cases had not to date been audited. This means there are 1,500 women with cervical cancer who may or may not have had a false negative smear test result through the CervicalCheck...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Strangely, Vicky Phelan told us that the Taoiseach invited her to meet him but she politely and kindly refused his invitation.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Nobody, including Vicky Phelan, is discouraging women from getting a smear test using the current system. What we as politicians are advocating is accountability, transparency and reliability from this service. Helplines and general practitioner offices around the country are inundated with calls today and have been for the past week since this scandal emerged.To date, GPs and practice...

Seanad: Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018: Second Stage (2 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I also thank Senator Warfield for drafting the Bill and putting it forward. I commend the Senator and look up to him as he has been a great advocate for LGBTQ rights, which is something that should be acknowledged. I want to put on the record, on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, that we are grateful for his leadership on this...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I congratulate our two new colleagues, Senators Ian Marshall and Anthony Lawlor. I welcome both to the 25th Seanad. I wish my former colleagues Denis Landy and Trevor Ó Clochartaigh well in their new endeavours. I would like to mention the CervicalCheck scandal. I commend Vicky Phelan and her family on their bravery in shining a light on this...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Apr 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Today, I wish to mention three issues. The first is the horrific case aired on "Prime Time" last night which showed the bravery of a young woman who was raped as a child, along with two other children, in a foster home in Galway. This heroic and brave young woman waved her anonymity so that the perpetrator, Keith Walsh, could be named. The heinous and cruel acts she and other children were...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Apr 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: Yes, Keith Burke. My apologies. When children are placed in foster care they are essentially placed in the care of the State through the mechanism of the HSE. Those children are the most vulnerable children in the State and are due the best protection and safeguards the State can afford. The children in Galway were cruelly let down by the State, not 70 years ago, but in the past two...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Apr 2018)

Catherine Ardagh: I send my personal condolences and those of the Fianna Fáil group to the people of Toronto, especially the families of the ten people who were killed and the 15 people who were injured when a man drove a van into a crowd of pedestrians yesterday. I have family members in Toronto, which I visited last summer. It is an ethnically diverse and very safe city. One of the victims has been...