Results 861-880 of 987 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I rise to acknowledge the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. The anniversary falls in a moment that is particularly complex in light of the internal and external challenges that face the European Union. The economic and social benefits generated by the membership of the EU have been incalculable for Ireland. All we have to do is look at the visible investment that the EU has put...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I commend Senator Bacik on bringing this Bill before the House. Fianna Fáil fully supports this Bill. As the Senator has outlined, the aim of the legislation is to address the small number of cases where retired employees who were legally not permitted to marry persons of the same sex before a particular date may be deprived of certain pension benefits. The Bill follows on foot of the...

Seanad: JobPath: Statements (21 Mar 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Fianna Fáil welcomes the fall in the level of unemployment. Credit must go to the people and businesses that are responsible for the recovery which is due to their resilience, skills, hard work, entrepreneurialism and determination to move forward to secure a better future for themselves, their families and communities. Despite the fall in the level of unemployment, the recovery has...

Seanad: Death of Martin McGuinness: Expressions of Sympathy (21 Mar 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group in the Seanad and on my own behalf, I extend my sincere sympathies to the McGuinness family and to the wider Sinn Féin Party on the loss of Martin McGuinness. It is a very sad and difficult time for his wife, Bernie, and his children, Fiachra, Emmet, Fionnuala and Grainne. I hope they take some comfort today from the genuine and kind words...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Mar 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I am heartbroken by the tragic news of a fire in a housing complex in Clondalkin which supports women who have experienced violence. It is sad to see any loss of life but when children are lost in such shocking and unavoidable circumstances, it is unforgivable. We have lost two year old Paris, three year old Holly, four year old Jordan and a young pregnant mother, Annmarie. This is a...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I rise to mention the recent developments regarding the Tuam Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home. Having read of them, we have all been left touched, shocked and in a state of horror. I wish to make a number of comments on this matter. I am glad that the terms of reference of the investigation were flexible enough to be covered by the current investigation into the Bon Secours home in Tuam,...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Mar 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the reintroduction of 400 career guidance posts, an action contained in the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil confidence and supply agreement. It was agreed at the time that this Government would reintroduce guidance counselling to secondary schools and budget 2017 saw that reintroduction with the restoration of 400 guidance posts, commencing in September 2017. In 2012, 600 guidance...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to convey my sympathies and that of the Fianna Fáil group to the family of the late Peter Mathews on his passing - to his wife, Susan Mathews, and to their four children. Ar dheis láimh Dé go raibh a anam dílis. The non-principal private residence, NPPR, tax, colloquially known as the second home tax, was in place from 2009 to 2013 until it was replaced by the...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: No, I am referring to the non-principal private residence charge, known as the second home tax, which was replaced by the local property tax.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Most people did not include the NPPR as a deductible expense because the Revenue Commissioners were so explicit in stating it was not deductible. It has now been made clear that it is a deductible expense but only as far back as 2013. Those who paid the charge will only be able to submit claims as far back as 2013 because of Revenue's rule that one can only amend one's tax returns for the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I raised the issue of the national children's hospital in the Seanad last week and caused a division in the House by calling on the Minister for Health to attend to address why the hospital has not been progressing. I urge the Leader to use his power and political skills to urge the Minister to take a renewed look at the national children's hospital to ensure he brings a new focus to it and...

Seanad: Minimum Custodial Periods upon Conviction for Murder Bill 2017: Second Stage (22 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank Senator O'Donnell for bringing this legislation to the House. The lack of consistency of sentencing, in general, and not just for murder, is a serious issue. I welcome the victims of crime and their families who are in the Visitors Gallery and the representatives of AdVIC because this is a difficult debate. I concur with fellow Senators regarding the LRC recommendation that judges...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to raise the plight of homelessness, an issue that my party has raised on numerous occasions. Sadly, it is an issue that affects many families today. To put it mildly, I was disappointed to read this morning in The Irish Timesthat the number of people homeless has reached a new high with over 7,000 people now homeless. It is new high in terms of homelessness but it is a new low for...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for coming to address the House today. I have raised the matter of DEIS schools in the House. I very much welcome the expansion of the programme. However, as some of my colleagues have pointed out, there are some issues regarding transparency and the criteria required for entry onto the scheme. The DEIS expansion is something welcomed by Fianna Fáil. It is a...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the motion to be taken this evening and the opportunity to debate the terms of reference of the tribunal of inquiry into the Garda. This is one of the biggest matters that has been before the House. It is important that the inquiry commences and that its terms of reference cover all the allegations. The information needs to come out into the public domain. It is important that...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: It would be remiss of me not to mention the Maurice McCabe controversy. I welcome the cross-party consensus in regard to the establishment of a public tribunal of inquiry but I also look forward to hearing the Ministers' clarifications in respect of certain questions in the Lower House. I look forward to listening to them answer those questions later today. I wish to raise two items on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Schools are being penalised for getting good results for their kids and teachers are being penalised for working too hard. That is outrageous. The second matter I would like to raise relates to the Harold's Cross Greyhound Stadium, which was unexpectedly closed. I was meant to go to the stadium this evening but I learned that it has been closed. This is part of the Irish Greyhound Board's...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Yesterday, I called a vote on the Order of Business, having called on the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to attend to clarify certain statements made by Mr. Tony O'Brien, director general of the HSE, on the national children's hospital. The Minister was unable to attend but sent a Minister of State in his Department to address us. I asked the following questions. Was the statement...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: It is absolutely scandalous.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2017)

Catherine Ardagh: Senator Reilly was one of those Ministers.