Results 761-780 of 1,534 for speaker:Lorraine Clifford-Lee

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I thank the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Ministers of State for their valuable contributions. I have a brief question on third level education. The Minister outlined the projected vaccination schedule for the country. If that schedule goes according to the current plan will third level students be returning to the classrooms next September?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Covid-19 Health Related Issues: Update (2 Mar 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I thank the Minister for that information. There has been a major focus on getting primary school children, the leaving certificate classes and the other second level students back to education but we should focus then on getting the third level students back into the classroom. I am aware that prolonged absences from the classroom have affected their mental health but also their education....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Mar 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, the boards of management, principals, teachers and all the parents who successfully returned the first cohort of children to school this morning. There was a very happy little girl in our house today who literally skipped in the door to school. I appeal to everybody to be mindful of what we have achieved in getting our children back to school...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Mar 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I thank the Minister for coming to the House and for his comprehensive explanation. I am glad I have the opportunity to speak on this very important legislation. It is a proportionate response to the threat we face. I am very happy with its sunset clause, which provides that the House will return in three months' time to debate whether to continue its provisions. It will depend on what...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I will make a brief contribution. I do not wish to delay the debate on the legislation as we have a lot of work to get through. I believe it is disingenuous of some Members to point the finger at the Government for changing its position. This virus has been changing and evolving over the past 12 months. Positions change when the facts change. We have been moving rapidly and have done a...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I do not mean to offend but I do feel that-----

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I am not personalising the debate. I believe that the Opposition are being completely negligent in trying to say that we are personalising the debate and that we are trying to throw angry language and anxiety-inducing statements into the debate. We need to be responsible. People are anxious enough at the moment. We are putting in place very important legislation. Taking potshots at the...

Seanad: Councillors' Pay: Motion (22 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I will briefly talk about aspects of this issue, which have not been covered by my colleagues. We all know the pressure councillors are under. It is an increasingly difficult job to do. I was glad to see a commitment to deliver on the Moorhead report included in the programme for Government. We all agree approximately €17,000 is not sufficient pay for someone doing the kind of...

Seanad: Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Statements (Resumed) (19 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I thank the Leader for facilitating further debate because this is an important issue. Many Senators wanted to come in and talk about the issue. I thank the Minister for coming to hear us today. It is one month since this report was published and it has been very difficult reading. I could only read it in parts at a time and cannot even begin to comprehend how difficult it must have been...

Seanad: Student Nurses (Pay) Bill 2021: Second Stage (19 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I welcome the Minister. This is a very important debate. It is worth pointing out that the approximately 4,000 student nurses and midwives are female in the main. The value of work done by women has been historically undervalued and there is a gender pay gap, as we all know.This may be why there has been a reluctance for so long to deal with the issue of pay for student nurses. Ógra...

Seanad: Mental Health and Covid-19: Statements (12 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I thank the Minister of State for attending. She has been here on a number of occasions. We all know that because of the pandemic, the issue of mental health is of vital importance to people. We are all experiencing shocking levels of mental health issues in our communities. With the stress of prolonged lockdowns, as well as the isolation and the hopelessness that many are feeling, people...

Seanad: Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I will be sharing my time with Senator O'Loughlin, who will second the Bill. I warmly welcome colleagues, the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and all those who are watching this debate online. Because of our reduced number many Members could not come to the Chamber but I know many of them are tuning in tonight. Today is an historic...

Seanad: Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I thank the 12 Senators who spoke this evening and I am glad that all of them indicated support for the Bill. I took on board what they said. They were valuable and useful contributions and all Senators have their own unique perspective on the issue. I thank them for giving such thought to their presentations. I wish to address some issues raised by Senator Moynihan, first, and to correct...

Seanad: Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: Next Monday.

Seanad: Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: Next Friday, 12 February at 10.30 a.m. in the Dáil Chamber.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jan 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 6, the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill 2021, be taken before No. 1. This Bill seeks to ensure that everybody who needs to use period products obtains them free of charge. This follows on from a commitment in the programme for Government. The Bill imposes an obligation on the Minister for Health to produce a scheme to set out...

Seanad: Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021: First Stage (26 Jan 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to secure the provision of free period products.

Seanad: Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021: First Stage (26 Jan 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (26 Jan 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to the Chamber. I thank her very much for her informative address. I am very glad to hear that there will shortly be a public information campaign on the schedule for the roll-out of vaccination because my office is getting a lot of queries from people who are concerned about how to get the vaccination. They wonder where they should go,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jan 2021)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee: I wish everyone a happy new year and let us hope 2021 will be a productive year for all of us in these Houses. I want to raise the issue of driver licence renewals. It is a very serious issue. I have been contacted by many people about it. It is something that needs to be addressed by the Government as a matter of urgency. Will the Leader correspond on our behalf with the Minister,...