Results 7,141-7,160 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Seanad: Philantrophy and Fund-raising: Motion (27 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister to the House. I have a couple of words to add to the eloquence of my colleague, Senator Mac Conghail, who proposed the motion and Senator van Turnhout who seconded the motion. I thank the Minister and his office for engaging so co-operatively with the Independent Senators on the motion, and for the new information provided in his speech. Senator Mac Conghail will...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I will note one or two of them if that is okay. Maintenance payments made to a former civil partner for the support of a child after a separation will not be treated as income and therefore will not be subject to tax. That is a very good thing. It is one of the big changes. The second change amends the Taxes Consolidation Act to ensure that in a break-up situation, the transfer of...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I agree with how Senator MacSharry started and acknowledge the fine work done by Deputy Noonan, assisted by the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes. As Deputy Hayes said, the Government has made many positive changes at macro level. What we are hoping now is that people will be able to feel that in their day to day lives. Senator D'Arcy spoke about...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister of State, who is a great advocate for equality, to the House. I also welcome other colleagues and friends in the Visitors Gallery, including several Deputies from the Labour Party. I thank Senator Bacik and her party colleagues for their work on this Bill. Their collective effort, along with the support of other Senators, especially Senator Averil Power, who has...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: It is my considered opinion that the Upper House, the Seanad, should be reformed in the interests of the governance of the State. We do not need a referendum to do this, nor do we need to incur all of the costs such a referendum would entail. The matter needs careful and in-depth discussion and consideration because, as we have learned in recent years, the choices in respect of State...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I thought that we had eight minutes.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister to the House. I believe that we need a re-imagined Seanad. We need a Seanad that is not hopelessly compromised by political patronage and a massive democratic deficit. Does simply abolishing the Seanad necessarily increase democracy? In my view it does not. If political failure lies at the heart of Ireland's economic collapse, and if we are in a climate of a...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: What is the proper way to govern?

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: The proper way, and the right way, to put a vision before the people, is to outline the rationale for and the path toward that vision, to analyse the risks and to name the goals and the outcomes. Is that now correct?

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: The correct way to do so is to put this extensive, detailed work before the people and to invite them to engage with it, to consult, to deliberate about it and only then move forward with proposals for reform. Is that not what the Government has done with the recent referendum on children's rights? Is that not what the Government is doing with regard to a number of prime policy areas? When...

Seanad: Early Intervention and Economic Benefits: Statements (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister to the House and wish her a happy international women's week. There are two women at the Cabinet table and 12 men. We have the evidence. The Minister has the dynamism, vision and ambition required. Is the work of the Government not based on evidence? Is evidence not important in formulating policy? Everyone should get a copy of the Minister's speech. She has...

Seanad: Early Intervention and Economic Benefits: Statements (6 Mar 2013)

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Emer Costello, MEP (28 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome Ms Costello. Although I do not have the filial bias of Senator Moran, Senator van Turnhout and I agree that she has certainly hit the ground running. Senator van Turnhout apologises but as she has indicated, she had to return to her committee, although she will be in touch if she is unable to return to raise her own question. I am most impressed with the way Ms Costello, has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Penal Reform: Discussion with User Voice (27 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Mr. Johnson for his presentation and I congratulate him on his personal journey as well as the work he has established. From his contribution, it is clear there is a very strong inspiring vision underlying the practicalities and ideas. The councils seem to be an integral and critical aspect of his work. What are the barriers to getting those councils effective in their work and how...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Penal Reform: Discussion with User Voice (27 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: The peer mentoring that is essential is clearly based on the assumption of the goodness and the capacity of the offenders, which in itself is counter-cultural and probably part of the power of what Mr. Johnson is doing. The handout we received referred to the social return on investment ratio. What would be the components of creating value from the investment?

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: Both Senator Leyden and I are wearing the EU Presidency colours and I want to put on record my thanks for this beautiful scarf. The Minister of State outlined great progress and I thank her for the deep respect she shows for this House. It is much appreciated. I was particularly thrilled to hear about the deal she is working on with President Obama. Should the Minister of State need any...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Social Entrepreneurship: Discussion (21 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I congratulate all of the delegations on the work of One Foundation, Ashoka Ireland, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and the extraordinary entrepreneurs in attendance as well as their colleagues in the back. They have had a profound impact on me and my colleagues. A good number of Senators have attended this meeting beyond the committee's number. I am certain we will find ways to respond at...

Seanad: Future of Further Education and Training: Statements (20 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister of the State to the House for this debate on the future of further education and training. I compliment him for the wide-ranging initiatives in which he, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, and the Government have engaged. I come to this debate as a professional educator - as a theorist and practitioner of further education, adult and community...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: I have three questions for the Leader. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of launching a report on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT, parents in this country. As outlined in the report, there are children around the country being raised within such families but, unfortunately, the report demonstrates that 46% of participants have experienced discrimination as...

Seanad: Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Katherine Zappone: Good morning, Minister. It has been said that there is no legal or moral obligation on Ireland to pay the bank debt. I am not so sure, particularly with regard to the moral obligation. I am sure that we do not know the future. None of us is absolutely certain that the acceptance or rejection of the Bill will bring us what we all hope for. As Senator Darragh O'Brien clearly articulated,...