Results 11,941-11,960 of 14,090 for speaker:Marc MacSharry

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I did not say that.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I am just trying to use the time efficiently. The Minister has kindly made himself available to the House-----

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I know we are, and I have covered that in detail. Before I conclude, I wish to ask the Minister if he or the Taoiseach has had any direct contact with the chairman of the board of the West/North West Hospitals Group, Mr. Daly, before that report was prepared. With all the money we are trying to gather up to run the health service - I tried to give the Minister another €200 million in...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: The Minister might bring clarity to that. It is a shock that nothing has been done in respect of the review of maternity services, but I am baffled as to why, in isolation - if that was the case - a company is seeking to dismantle obstetrician-led services in the five hospitals in the west north-west hospitals group. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence-----

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: -----but I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I had finished my points on the Bill to ask the Minister about this most pressing issue.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I again welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for making himself available. We are opposing the Bill. Ordinarily, on a personal level, I would not be comfortable with €12 billion or €13 billion of the people's money being under third-party control. I regularly spoke in that vein when I was on the other side of the House and former Deputy Mary Harney was Minister....

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: We will not be opposing the Order of Business today but I wish to ask the Deputy Leader a question. Yesterday, an answer was provided to a parliamentary question in the other House. A report undertaken by the company of the chairman of the west north-west hospitals group led to his resignation and proposed, among other things, the closure of maternity units in Sligo, Castlebar, Letterkenny...

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: The policy document entitled, Actions Speak Louder Than Words, was welcomed by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, last year. However, very little has happened since, largely because she has no money. I can understand why the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd's officials did not bring copies of his speech because, with respect, it was not worth distributing to us. I am not...

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: That is fine. I would expect the Minister of State to reject it, but we know what the reality is in terms of actions on the ground.

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: In truth, if everything the Minister of State described was happening on the ground, I would not need to bring forward these proposals. I want to briefly run through some of the initiatives this plan would have financed. They include reform and restructuring of the National Office for Suicide Prevention as an independent office with special status; a ring-fenced budget; performance targets;...

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: Agreed.

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am glad of the opportunity to put forward the Bill this evening and thank Senators Leyden and Darragh O'Brien for co-sponsoring it. The issue is very close to all of our hearts. At least Senator Gilroy, who has done a great deal of work with regards to the health committee and is a health professional, is no stranger to the issues that I...

Seanad: Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I welcome the Minister. I wish him luck later this week in terms of the personal political deliberations. I welcome this Bill. While there was much discourse over the last number of months about the Bill, I and my colleagues had a serious problem with it against the backdrop of the medical cards debacle. It is a noble cause to try to engage in early intervention, which this Bill will...

Seanad: Health Identifiers Bill 2013: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I appreciate the Minister being here again in person and I am happy to support the legislation. I do not know whether he will be able to stay with us for the rest of the day and evening. I hope he can because we are debating health matters all day.

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (25 Jun 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I apologise for being late and would not want anybody to interpret it as an expression of disinterest. It was as a result of a complete mix-up on our side as to whether I was to be here or somebody else. I apologise to the Cathaoirleach, as well as to Senator Bacik and the Labour Group, and the House generally. Fianna Fáil fully supports this motion and I congratulate Senator Bacik for...

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (25 Jun 2014)

Marc MacSharry: If I may, I reserve my right to speak for a moment or two.

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jun 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I thank the Minister for coming to the House to deal with this Bill, which is good legislation. I hope he will use his powers under the regulations as he has suggested he will. It is another step in the right direction towards ridding society of the scourge of tobacco. I agree this is only the beginning of the process. I am sure the tobacco companies will take this to the Four Courts to...

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jun 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I move amendment No. 13: In page 10, to delete lines 7 and 8 and substitute the following:"(a) an alpha-numeric code as prescribed by the Minister.".I am happy to withdraw this amendment on the basis of the Minister's indication that he has these powers and intends to use them.

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jun 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I move amendment No. 8: In page 8, line 20, after “name” where it thirdly occurs to insert “subject to a character limit of 15”.This is to limit the number of characters describing the contents so that they are not made more attractive by some kind of sexy name. There are examples from Australia of long-winded names of particular brands which research showed...

Seanad: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jun 2014)

Marc MacSharry: I move amendment No. 10: In page 8, line 35, after “shape” to insert the following:“being not more and not less than a height of 8.5 centimetres, a width of 5.5 centimetres and a depth of 2 centimetres”.The Minister has dealt with this issue by saying that he does have these powers and intends to use them. I will take him at his word on that.