Results 801-820 of 1,467 for speaker:Geraldine Feeney

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (13 Sep 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I will conclude by wishing the Cathaoirleach wealth, health and happiness in his term of office. It is a great day for him and for the whole of Offaly. I wish his wife, Mary, his daughter, Sinead, and his sons, Dermot, Cormac and Padraig all the best, as I do their spouses and all his grandchildren. I hope he has five wonderful years in the Chair and he can be assured of the support of all...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jul 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I also thank you, a Leas Chathaoirligh, and the Cathaoirleach, for your courtesy, patience and generosity of time to every Member in the Chamber in the past five years. I wish the best of luck to those seeking re-election. To the Members who are retiring I convey every good wish. I wish to raise a matter that has become an old chestnut with me. In saying this I look across at Senators...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (25 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: With great sadness and the heaviest of hearts that on my own behalf and that of Senator Wilson I pay tribute to our great colleague and dear friend, Kate. As Senator Dardis said, Kate needed no other title. Everyone who knew her respected and loved her dearly. Senator Wilson, Kate and I were elected to the Seanad in 2002. Neither he nor I had had the pleasure or honour of knowing her...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I support Senators O'Toole and Maurice Hayes in their call for a debate on the Garda Síochána. Last Tuesday, Senator Cummins and I had the pleasure of attending the AGSI conference dinner in Wexford at which we had the pleasure of meeting Kathleen O'Toole and listening to her speak. Her appointment comes at a crucial time for the force. I agree with Senator O'Toole that we as leaders...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I support Senator Browne's comments regarding the amount of notice medical personnel should provide. When I chaired the ethics committee of the Medical Council, I received many complaints in respect of trainee doctors. The latter change jobs on 1 January and 1 July. The nature of the complaints would have been, for example, that a trainee doctor had accepted a job in Donegal but had later...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I thank the Minister for taking this Bill and commend her officials on the hard work they have done. Of all the recent legislation on medical issues, this Bill is probably the most sensitive. Two areas of the Bill are worth mentioning. The certificate of good standing means people from outside the EU will no longer experience lengthy delays in having certificates sent from their countries...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I want to refer to what Senator Henry said regarding only two people representing both undergraduate and postgraduate training. I could not hear what the Senator said because of the noise at the door. However, I share her view. The five medical schools were represented by the deans of medicine on the last council. In my experience they concerned themselves solely with education and...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I support Senator Henry on that point. It is difficult to find a balance in such cases because we are moving from a position where this process was surrounded by a cloak of secrecy to one where we are trying to introduce a degree of transparency. I know of cases where the complainant was devastated because he or she was not allowed in to hear the case that was made against him or her or...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I am aware from experience that if no records were made available, the committee would find itself in a awkward, vulnerable position. It would either make a direction to obtain the records and, if the patient was agreeable, the committee's position would be outlined to the complainant. Not many such circumstances have arisen, but in one case consent was given to have the records made available.

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: No, by the patient; the patient gave consent. We did not have the patient's consent initially.

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: That is what happens.

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: The only time a doctor's name is ever recorded is where a fitness to practise inquiry finds against him or her. His or her name would go out to the medical media around the world and to the High Court. Where no professional misconduct has been found and where the doctor has proved he or she has no case to answer, his or her name is not mentioned, the papers are destroyed and the matter is...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: Was he at the Ard-Fheis?

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I support Senators Browne and Glynn on this matter in so far as it relates to members of local authorities. I thought there was a conflict of interest when I was a Member of the Oireachtas while I was a member of the Medical Council. On a couple of occasions, I could not be paired to facilitate my absence from the House. I was needed here for votes and also needed for council duties....

Seanad: Medical Practitioners Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Apr 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I welcome the Minister for the debate on this groundbreaking legislation. I am delighted this Bill is being taken. I am unusual in that I am a former member of the Medical Council. I sat on the council from 1999 to 2004 and on each occasion I entered Lynn House in Rathmines during that period I was greeted by people screaming and wanting to know when the Medical Practitioners Bill would be...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I support the call by my fellow-spokesperson on health and children, Senator Glynn, for the setting up of a committee of inquiry. He and I met the Minister for Health and Children the night before last when she was as accommodating as possible on the issue. She suggested she would consider setting up a group, including her officials, to examine it. All Senators feel very strongly that local...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: I feel from experience that I was put in positions that involved a conflict of interest. I would like to hear further debate on this before we apply a measure across the board. I support Senator Glynn's call for a group to be established to examine the matter.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: It is not doing the Senator any harm; she is still getting elected.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: Those on the Government side did not interrupt speakers on the Opposition.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Mar 2007)

Geraldine Feeney: The Senator should not rake over old coals. The Senator should ask Pat Kenny. He explained all that the other day.