Results 9,261-9,280 of 9,471 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Mar 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I, too, welcome today's announcement of €564,000 for 187 local festivals throughout the country. A significant portion of the investment is going to products along the Wild Atlantic Way and festivals along our west coast, including the Clifton arts festival, the Galway food festival, the Connemara festival as well as other festivals such as cruinniú na mbád. This is...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I concur with Senator Norris. It is important that we acknowledge the work that our elected representatives do nationally and locally. I wish to raise the issue of capital investment by the HSE. The HSE has submitted a request to the national capital steering group for funds to build a replacement accident and emergency department at University Hospital Galway, UHG. The department handles...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I wish to raise the issue of greenways in the aftermath of a meeting which took place this morning with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Donohoe, in respect of the greenway from Loughrea to Galway. While there were few difficulties regarding the part of the route from Dublin to Athlone, with land being provided by Waterways Ireland and the public transport authorities,...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I wish to raise some good news for the west, particularly rural Ireland. This week, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, announced a €5.4 million increase in the national ambulance service's budget to help address service gaps in the area. Provision has been made for 50 paramedic posts in the west, some of which will be used to staff ambulance stations at Tuam and Mulranny and...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I highlight the announcement this morning by the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, of further funding of €320,000 which has been approved by Fáilte Ireland under its national festivals and events programmes for 11 key national festivals and events that will take place this year. Two of these events are the Galway International Film Fleadh which...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I welcome the jobs announcement made this morning by IDA Ireland worth €250 million as part of its regional investment plan. IDA Ireland in Galway has more than replaced the jobs lost in supported industries. An Action Plan for Jobs is targeting regional areas and ensuring we are accelerating job creation in all towns and villages throughout the country. Led by IDA Ireland and...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I feel great empathy for those who find themselves in this impossible situation. Senator Norris outlined the human impact of this as described in that e-mail which we all received. As legislators, however, we need to be mindful of the legal advice we have been given here, which is that this legislation could prove to be unconstitutional. There is little point in putting legislation onto...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: If the medical model is to be kept I agree that it should move towards the person’s general practitioner who has the primary duty of care. I understand the Minister of State will accept Senator Marie Moloney's amendment who is seeking the deletion of the line, "based on a medical evaluation of the applicant". That would be appropriate in this case. Certainly if no diagnosis is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Female Entrepreneurship, Women in Tech Industries, Skills Needs and Balanced Regional Development: (Resumed) ISME, Startup Ireland, Cork Innovates and IDA Ireland (10 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the witnesses for attending. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2013 stated that men are 1.9 times more likely to be at the start-up entrepreneurship stage. If we want to encourage women into business and start-ups, there are two strands. First is the initial strand of education. I agree that primary school is the key time to encourage young girls to get interested in...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I welcome this morning's announcement from the European Commission's winter economic forecast which predicts Ireland remaining as the fastest growing economy in Europe, with an announcement of a GDP growth of 3.5% which will exceed expectations this year. This is very positive news for Ireland and shows the recovery which is continuing here. I welcome also this morning's announcement of...

Seanad: Workplace Relations Bill 2015: Second Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Workplace Relations Bill 2015: Second Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. A ramshackle maze of laws and procedures built up over decades in a totally ad hoc, spin the bottle and pick one's procedure manner is one legal practitioner's description of the practice of employment law in this jurisdiction. In answer to that, the Bill is the most comprehensive and innovative reform since the introduction of equality...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I also thank the Minister. It is a great example of parties working together and of the Minister and officials working with the elected representatives.

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I would support such a review if the Minister of State would consider it. I do not think anything is to be lost by it and, in fact, I think it would serve as an excellent tool for the legislators to review the operation of this legislation once it is enacted. Sometimes legislators believe or presume that because something is legislated for, the initial difficulty has been overcome but that...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I join with my colleague, Senator Michael Mullins, in welcoming the allocation of almost €300 million for the maintenance and upkeep of our roads infrastructure, in particular the allocation of €1.5 million for the rehabilitation of the bridge in Lough Atalia, which is in the heart of Galway city. This is critical funding for the future development of Galway Harbour and the...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: This morning the Minister of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, announced €17.5 million for sustainable transport measures for Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford cities. This is very much to be welcomed, particularly in Galway, a city grappling with traffic congestion. Up to €2.2 million has been allocated for Galway to help deal with traffic congestion,...

Seanad: Broadband, Post Office Network and Energy White Paper: Statements (27 Jan 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Alex White. Up to 67% of all households had access to broadband connections last year, a figure that has not changed much in four years. The Minister correctly identified in his broadband launch late last year that rural areas needed State intervention for this to be rectified. I welcome that development. The Minister will note that the latest IDA Ireland...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Motion (27 Jan 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I welcome the Minister. It is appropriate that this House discuss this matter, given that it was first raised in the Oireachtas here. I commend the Minister on the detailed and careful way in which he and his officials have framed the draft order. While there was some impatience to get it, in order to draft workable parameters for any commission of investigation, precision is paramount....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Completion Programme (27 Jan 2015)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Minister for his response and welcome the review. It is important that we study programmes, how they work and how we can target vulnerable young people living within the community. The major concern for those who do this work in communities is the fear that if they do not have a ring-fenced budget, if they are part of another organisation and there are demands in other areas,...