Results 581-600 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2006)

Mary Henry: I am a constituent there.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2006)

Mary Henry: I second motion No. 20 in the name of Senator Norris and other Independent Senators.

Seanad: Employment Issues: Motion. (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Henry: I am delighted that this debate is taking place because I have just returned from Latvia which is currently sending us many workers. While I am glad the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been in discussion with his Latvian counterpart, who opened the conference I attended, I would like to read some extracts from this month's Baltic Guide, which is widely distributed in Latvia in English and, I...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I congratulate the Labour Party and Deputy Rabbitte in particular for bringing forward this important issue. I compliment the Minister and his officials for dealing with the Bill so swiftly.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I welcome the Minister to the House and welcome his acceptance of this Bill, brought forward by Deputy Rabbitte. It is very important legislation and I am glad the Minister did not wait until the bringing forward of the major Bill to which he referred. In that context, I hope the Leader will make sure that he brings that Bill to this House so we can deal comprehensively with it. It will be...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Child Sexual Abuse) Order 2005: Motion. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I welcome the Minister and, while it is unfortunate to be obliged to do so, I welcome the commission, which he has set up briskly. I am glad he appointed Judge Yvonne Murphy chairman of the commission. Unfortunately, she probably feels that she has too much experience in child sexual abuse having often been obliged to deal with it in the courts. I am also glad Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is so...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Child Sexual Abuse) Order 2005: Motion. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I did not realise that. It was certainly discussed.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Child Sexual Abuse) Order 2005: Motion. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: It is a difficult area. Speaking as a doctor, it is important to remember that sexual intercourse frequently results in pregnancy. It is quite common. I have to deal with children as young as 11 who are pregnant and it is not a desirable situation. If we continue to lower the age of consent, young girls will become pregnant and will have problems. We have seen children as young as 12 being...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2005: Second Stage. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator O'Toole for sharing time with me. I very much welcome the changes the Minister has managed to achieve for those in his charge. The increases are very welcome. Having been obliged to deal with the Department of Social and Family Affairs and its predecessors for many years, I welcome the attitude of those officials who have worked there in recent years. There is a total change...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I share Senator O'Toole and Senator Finucane's concerns about businesses which pay very low wages to their workers. It is worth remembering Henry Ford's statement that while he did not want to pay his workers high wages he wanted them to be able to buy his cars. I join with Senator Ryan and Senator Maurice Hayes in asking for a debate on third level education. I am concerned by the fact that...

Seanad: Care of the Elderly: Motion. (14 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: It is his last point.

Seanad: Care of the Elderly: Motion. (14 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator Bannon for cutting short his stirring speech to let me speak.

Seanad: Care of the Elderly: Motion. (14 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: It is all very well to say that the services are there for people but the question arises of whether they are available. While I applaud, for example, the Government's efforts with regard to improving home help, I have asked at the top of the HSE what happens when a home help is on holidays and have been told that the elderly person is entitled to a locum if one is available. It is no good to...

Seanad: Student Enrolment. (14 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator Norris for sharing time with me. A motion I put down earlier this year, supported by all the Independent Senators, stated that we should double the number of places in the medical schools for EU students. Irish students cannot be given preference in this regard. I am glad 70 extra places were provided this year but there is a problem regarding the clinical years, as we have...

Seanad: University College Galway (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: Go han-mhaith, Senator.

Seanad: University College Galway (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: We have one of the highest rates of births with neural tube defects in the world. Approximately 100 children are born with the defect every year, from which they either die shortly after birth or are left with spina bifida. This incidence would be greatly lowered if women took folic acid when pregnant. The House might ask why I do not raise this issue as an Adjournment matter but I did so in...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: The importance of dental health came late to us in the health service. We should try to promote anything that protects the health of schoolchildren and dental health is an important part of that. That is why I support the amendment. Children may require orthodontic treatment after they leave primary school, which makes it important to accept this amendment. I am sure the Minister of State's...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: I congratulate the Minister of State and his officials. I am particularly glad to see Mr. Tom McGinn here today because he and I go back a long way in the health sector. It might be a good idea to reconsider our views of visits to GPs, so that such visits that do not result in a prescription for antibiotics would not be classified as failures. We are talking all the time about MRSA, but we...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Henry: It is good news.