Results 1,001-1,020 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I am also fairly realistic. Most businesses that are well run will be flexible but those that are not so well run will not be as flexible as one would like them to be. It is well worth taking account of the amendment. I have always contended that while this Bill concerns parental leave and looking after children, children are the responsibility of society as a whole and not just their...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I second the amendment. It is important to try to ensure that parental leave is paid because those parents who most need to be able to deal with problems concerning their children will not be able to take leave under the current provision. Senator Terry raised the important issue of lone parents, which I also raised on Committee Stage. Lone parents depend either on one income or social...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I second the amendment. I refer the Minister of State to pages 88 to 94 in Contemporary Family Policy in Ireland and Europe which clearly shows how parental leave can support the family especially in cases where both parents are working and find it difficult to take unpaid leave. As Senator Tuffy said, while having a splendid economy is one matter, it is more important to consider what it...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I listened with some amusement to Senator Mansergh speaking about SenatorRobinson's Bill 30 years ago. The then Leader of the House had trouble physically holding the Bill on contraception in his hand so we have improved since then. Senator Norris showed great restraint when he spoke about his disappointment on this matter, but I am also disappointed. It is not just the two people within a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: Seven years after it was established by the Minister for Health and Children, the commission has not issued a report.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I support Senator O'Toole in this amendment. I am horrified that any employer could not see such situations as an emergency. The provision must also be considered in the context of proposed medical treatment. If a doctor is dealing with a minor, he or she must have parental consent for any required treatment. We do not want the situation to arise that since a parent was docked pay on one...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: The school would phone.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I am glad that Senator O'Toole pointed out with regard to this issue that people did not need to be in a sexual relationship because the important aspect of the amendment is that it involves people acting in the role of parent or the child.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I am always delighted when Senator White refers to the fact that she had to leave her job when she married as I did too. I am quite relieved Senator John Paul Phelan is not here as the last time I made the point, he stood up to say his mother had to do so also. It demonstrated that there has been a change in the age profile in the Seanad. We are discriminating against people who cannot afford...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I support these amendments. The flexibility could easily be needed, for example, if people were trying to plan ahead regarding various doctors' visits and so on. They are not designed to make life more difficult for businesses. I would have thought it was designed so that better planning could be engaged in regarding the person going back to work.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I support Senator White's amendment, and Senator Kett put the case very well also. The situation for people with disabled children can be very serious and this proposal could make a great difference at a time when the child may have a serious problem that has to be dealt with.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I too hope the Minister will look again at this issue because it is going to be null and void for a large section of the population. Many people would subject themselves to poverty if they were to leave their employment to take up these added benefits. I must declare an interest in a particular group, namely single parents. I am the chairperson of One Family, formerly Cherish, which...

Seanad: Privacy and Defamation: Statements. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I must ask the Senator to conclude.

Seanad: Privacy and Defamation: Statements. (9 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I will have to impose penalties.

Seanad: Human Rights Abuses. (8 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator Ross for sharing his time. This is a very serious case. Mr. Bennett has been subjected to the most terrible conditions in prison and has lost a couple of stone in weight. The question of whether he has contracted tuberculosis remains to be seen. We must object strongly on this aspect of the case, not just from Mr. Bennett's point of view, but also from the point of view of all...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I previously asked the Leader of the House for a debate on the Mental Health Commission report for 2003. I am sure she has it on her list. However, it looks like the Central Mental Hospital lands in Dundrum is to be sold without any suggestion that the money will be ring-fenced for mental health projects. It could be used to fund the entire prison complex in north County Dublin, which will...

Seanad: Waste Disposal. (3 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I have an interest to declare in that I am a director of a company that imports equipment and materials for the tyre remoulding industry. I hasten to add that I do not receive any payment for it. I, like many others, am very concerned about the disposal of waste tyres. There has been a great increase in the number of cars and other motor vehicles...

Seanad: Northern Ireland Issues: Motion. (2 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is as well part of his speech was optimistic and pointed out positive developments. All Members are disappointed at the turn of events because considerable work has been invested in recent years by all Governments and many Members of both Houses in the effort to bring to a conclusion the problem in Northern Ireland. During the Minister of...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (2 Feb 2005)

Mary Henry: I am delighted to hear a Government Senator, such as Senator White, speaking with such courage and conviction on this important issue.