Results 12,061-12,080 of 20,725 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I am delighted to be able to speak and I am glad that the Minister is here for the debate. In November 2012, undercover investigators revealed that the IFPA clinics and other clinics that are overseen and funded by the HSE’s crisis pregnancy programme were involved in actively encouraging women in crisis pregnancies to mislead and lie to their doctors about their abortions if...

Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: The finding was just one of a number of disturbing findings revealed in the investigation. It also found the IFPA in particular was in breach of several provisions of the abortion information Act 1995, which I do not think the Minister mentioned tonight, though he mentioned other Acts. It appears this legislation was being breached on a wide-scale basis. This reflected a high level of...

Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: Even at this late stage, I call on the Minister, a new Minister with no baggage coming into this portfolio, to condemn what has come to light regarding the abuses that have taken place in IFPA-run counselling centres. He was well able to use very strong words on the other side of the equation tonight and rightly so. Surely he has to have some bit of moral standing in the other area as well....

Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: It was equally repulsive, shameless, despicable and disgusting when the other advice was given out by HSE-funded people. The Minister never said a word about that. The Minister's future career is on the line. If he wants to be honest and straightforward with people, by all means he should, but he cannot have such naked double standards. I wholeheartedly support the idea of best...

Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: The Labour Party's proposed change to the law is directly linked to one particular undercover operation, which I welcome, that focused on an exposé of an anti-abortion counselling agency. As I said, Deputy Howlin ignored all of the other ones. It just does not add up. How come no similar concerns or rushes to change the law were raised by the Labour Party when many of us on this side...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (17 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: Today marks World Prematurity Day. Every year, more than 4,000 babies are born pre-term in Ireland. After much negotiation, the Government included a commitment in the programme for Government in respect of early intervention and prevention services for children. In the programme, the Government also promises to commence an in-depth review of the variation in waiting lists across the...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: It was a noble initiative and I give credit for it. I praise the bridges I go over. It was a wonderful-----

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I am talking about a relevant issue. Donogh O'Malley brought in the free travel scheme. My colleagues to the right of me-----

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: They are neither left nor right. I do not know if they are centre-right or centre-left.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: They are a little lost at the moment. There is always hope for them to come back to where they came from.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: Can I continue without interruption, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle?

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I am not really enjoying them.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: No, they are not.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: No, I am being honest. I praise the bridges. Donogh O'Malley was a reforming Minister.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: Is that all? The Leas-Cheann Comhairle might have had a soft landing when he came back from the European Parliament to Donegal, but four minutes is not much. It could be an anti-climax. I recognise what Donogh O'Malley did. I was lucky to get a school bus to secondary school because I did not have to buy as many pairs of shoes.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I will not be praising the Minister of State. He is in the air most of the time lately. The longer we keep him there, the better. I do not know about the people across in Buswell's Hotel yesterday who were talking about looking after the environment, because the Minister of State has been flying from one continent to the next. As long as he stays in the air, he will not do any harm here.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: No, he is not.

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I did not bring up his name. I never invoked his name. My right honourable colleague from County Kildare mentioned him. The Bill makes provision for single-sex schools and denominational schools to reflect certain things in their admission policies. Certainly, we must allow them to do so. I have sat on boards of management that have had to expel pupils. I am sure other Deputies in the...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I, too, am delighted to be able to speak to this legislation and I welcome the Minister's speech. As he said, the basic aim of the Government is to use our economic success to build a fair and compassionate society, and few areas are more important to this vision than education. The Minister also stated that the Government's ambition is for the action plan for education is to provide...

Post Office Network: Motion [Private Members] (16 Nov 2016)

Mattie McGrath: He is able to deliver now, if he wants to deliver.