Results 881-900 of 1,886 for speaker:Fergal Browne

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (27 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I thank the Minister of State for accepting the concept informing the Fine Gael amendment moved on Committee Stage which sought to serve the public interest. The danger is that if a clear majority of committee members are registrants, it might be difficult to ensure fair decisions are made. I welcome the Government amendment. Senator O'Toole spoke on Committee Stage of the exclusion of...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (27 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: The exclusion should be challenged. I would love to see someone take a court action under equality legislation. If a Senator, Deputy or local authority member wishes to be a member of a board to which he or she has a contribution to make, he or she should be allowed to be appointed. Public representatives should not be disbarred because they are Members of the Oireachtas. While it is not an...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (27 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I thank the Minister for accepting the main thrust of our amendment. I will withdraw amendment No. 30 in light of Government amendment No. 29. This is a most awkward issue on which we have to achieve a balance between the complainant's right to privacy because he or she might not want his or her medical history divulged in public, and the right of the person complained against to have due...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (27 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (27 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I support Senator O'Toole's contribution. He is correct that we inherited a problem and that we may create a greater problem. The major difficulty is that physical therapists are considered the equivalent of physiotherapists in a number of countries. Physical therapists first achieved qualifications in Ireland 14 years ago. The purpose of the legislation is to protect the patient so that if...

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (27 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: After our great win in Offaly lately, we can talk loudly.

Seanad: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (27 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: Degree status was only awarded to physiotherapy programmes in the late 1980s while physical therapists can now undertake masters degree programmes. We do not want to disadvantage either of the two existing professions of physiotherapists and physical therapists. We should not introduce legislation that would do that but allow the two to coexist and recognise that they provide similar but...

Seanad: Accident and Emergency Services: Statements. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Tánaiste and her officials to the House. She referred to people being kept on trolleys overnight but her Government has been in office for eight years. It is very shocking that a person could present at an accident and emergency unit and leave in a worse state. This was highlighted in the report by the Health and Safety Authority. It stated that as a result of overcrowding...

Seanad: Accident and Emergency Services: Statements. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: When are we going to have that system?

Seanad: Accident and Emergency Services: Statements. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: It is April now. We are down 200,000 medical cards.

Seanad: Accident and Emergency Services: Statements. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: We are down 200,000 medical cards.

Seanad: Accident and Emergency Services: Statements. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: What about the income guidelines?

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I ask the Acting Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Science to come to the House to explain the following excerpt from a Department press statement: "124 schools to progress through the architectural planning process". I do not know who writes these press statements but they are very difficult to understand. I know of two primary schools in Carlow that are listed. I telephoned...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: We urgently need to have a debate on this matter and to get the Minister to come to the House. She likes drip feeding stories. At least with her predecessor, Deputy Noel Dempsey, we knew where we stood on the school building programme. Now we have no idea how it is progressing and schools are completely confused. Schools are mired in the architectural planning process and do not know whether...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I seek an urgent debate and would appreciate if the Acting Leader could provide me with an answer before the end of the day. We are being very badly treated. Members of the Oireachtas deserve better than these information leaflets which clearly lack detail.

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I agree with Senator Bannon on the pollution problems. In Carlow town there is a problem due to cryptosporidium in the water supply, which is directly related to the point made by Senator Bannon. That is a real problem facing people who must boil water. The Government should take this issue on board given that people have been hospitalised because of it. Will the Minister for Justice,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: Particularly in rural areas.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: It is Progressive Democrats policy.

Seanad: Grant Payments. (13 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Noel Ahern, to the House. I would like to raise a simple and clear-cut matter. I ask the Government to review the operation by the various local authorities of the disabled persons grant scheme. I do not refer to Carlow County Council in particular, because it operates a very good...

Seanad: Grant Payments. (13 Apr 2005)

Fergal Browne: When will the review be completed? In future we will not need these grants because modern buildings include downstairs toilets and similar facilities. The problems with the houses built in the 1950s and 1960s are coming back to haunt us. It is not a long-term problem. I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and urge the Department to focus on this for the next few years to...