Results 841-860 of 1,145 for speaker:Erin McGreehan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Education with the UNCRPD (Resumed): Discussion (24 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I apologise for being late. There was a lot of traffic but I was listening to the meeting on my way to the House in the car. Ms O'Connor spoke about flexibility and the need for changes in the schemes to ensure that third level institutions, including universities, and further education bodies are welcoming and supportive of all their students. She described the schemes as old and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Education with the UNCRPD (Resumed): Discussion (24 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I have one question, and I am not sure if it was touched on earlier. In regard to inclusive housing, and I know we should not mention the housing war because it is really tough, how open are universities to properly manning and putting resources into inclusive housing? This is not just about putting all people with disabilities into one suitable house, which is sometimes what I fear, saying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Education with the UNCRPD (Resumed): Discussion (24 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: It is bad.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Education with the UNCRPD (Resumed): Discussion (24 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: There is a cost barrier.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fuel Poverty (23 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I thank the Minister of State for joining us for this important debate on energy poverty. It is a matter that we all understand and the Minister of State shares my passion for doing all that we can to tackle it. We are in the midst of an energy crisis. Families are suffering from energy poverty, as outlined as recently as last week by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We are also in the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fuel Poverty (23 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: The Minister of State quite rightly outlined that an incredible amount of work has been done by the Government so far, and we welcome that. However, as I mentioned, €305 million worth of retail value is being dumped annually. The redeployment of renewable energy to heat hot water in homes could also displace significant volumes of CO2 and avoid millions of euro in carbon penalties to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I have very distinguished members with me today. I have three of my sons, Conor, Dónal Óg and Eoin. It is great pleasure to be here as a Senator and to have three of my boys here with me today. It is lovely to see their faces.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: It is appropriate that we are talking about children. The Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill was published today. It is a really important Bill. It is critical that we get this through our Houses, passed, put into legislation, enacted and put into place as quickly as possible. If I was born, and if those boys over there were born in a different time, I would be...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I welcome the publication of the review of the accommodation for victims of domestic violence. Across all parties, Members have been pushing for more refuge spaces and more improvements in domestic violence supports at all levels. I really welcome the publication of that review this morning, which highlights that there will be a new agency to support victims of domestic violence, with...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: It was International Epilepsy Day yesterday. I have soft spot for it because I know so many people with this condition. Epilepsy Ireland had a very catchy campaign saying to time the seizure, keep them safe and stay with them. Therefore, it is "Time, Safe, Stay". We are all about to be empowered to know how to look after a person who is having a seizure. There are 40,000 people in...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I thank the witnesses. It is lovely to hear from them. I apologise for missing parts of the contributions because I had to attend other meetings. For me there are more questions for the Department and not for the witnesses. They all have articulated so well the challenges, to say the least, with the legislation and the amount of work we as a committee must do to advocate for change on so...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: This innocent person here was hoping the Bill would be an answer to empowerment but people could be disempowered by a lack of awareness because they do not know what is going on. They could fall through some cracks. That brings me on to a question to Mr. Dunne and whoever wanted to answer. The State might not be ready with all the decision-making representatives, procedures and processes...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I will follow up very briefly with Mr. Kearns to ask a question on that. It is lovely to see him again. If we do not facilitate and work on this will and preference attitude, as opposed to best interest, are we in danger of legislating for a medical model as opposed to the social model? If we are not putting front and centre the message that it is will and preference, not best interest,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I did not get a chance to speak in the debate on the matter on Tuesday, but I wish to highlight and congratulate the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the new scheme permitting the planting of up to 1 ha of native Irish trees without a licence. Anyone who knows me is aware of my absolute grá for native Irish trees. This is the month of the rowan tree - the mountain ash -...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Education with the UNCRPD: Discussion (10 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: It was very enjoyable to listen to everyone’s contributions and answers. We come here every Thursday morning and we are both uplifted and depressed, but we always leave the room with determination to do what we need to do for people with disabilities to make sure they take part in whatever they want to take part in. I thank Mr. Kelly for being so honest in his contribution. I hear...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Strategies (9 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is very welcome to the Seanad. I am looking for an update on the work and actions of the transport working group under the national disability inclusion strategy. How is the group working? How is the Minister of State bringing together all the relevant Departments and stakeholders in order to make real changes, including making disability proofing of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Strategies (9 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: It is refreshing to see and hear about the work that is going on and the positive actions being taken. It is also refreshing to hear that it is a case of nothing about us without us, and that the people at the table know what they are talking about as it is their lived experience and they know the barriers because they face them day in, day out. Another issue is the report from the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I stand to congratulate the Government on the national retrofit plan. The funding for the plan is unprecedented. It is fantastic that we are being proactive in improving people's homes, making them warmer, better, far more efficient and cheaper to run. I worked in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in Dundalk years ago. I have since been interested in, and have worked on, a...

Seanad: Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person (Amendment) (Stalking) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: This is a good and positive day for everyone in Ireland. It was wrong that stalking was not part of our legislation. Women like Eve McDowell, Una Ring and all the other victims have been pushing for this legislation. Thankfully, our colleague Senator Chambers took up that mantle and brought this Bill to the House. The rarity of a Bill from the Seanad being brought through by a Member of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Erin McGreehan: I congratulate "RTÉ Investigates" on last night's heart-wrenching and infuriating programme on domestic violence. I say "infuriating" because there are so few practical supports for people who suffer from domestic violence. We cannot stand in this Chamber any longer and allow this gender-based violence to continue and increase. This morning, the Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen...