Results 1,221-1,240 of 1,982 for speaker:Máire Devine

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I welcome the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, to the Chamber. She has been here on several occasions at my request for which I thank her. I would like to extend a welcome to the survivors who are seated in the Visitors' Gallery today and I believe the others are watching online. Last week, a somewhat surprise third interim report was published by the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: Go raibh maith agat. I welcome the Government's invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Mr. Pablo de Greiff, to guide us on the years, if not centuries, of mistreatment of our very vulnerable citizens. This is a prudent and very important step. I welcome most of what the Minister, Deputy Zappone, said but I...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: The Minister's report on a vacant home tax should be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and I do not see why it would not be. This morning, along with members of the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, I visited a recently established family hub in Crumlin.I cannot help but wonder how many fewer hubs we would need if a vacant home tax was implemented? While the hubs are an...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I am disappointed that the recommendation on tax relief for trade union subscriptions has been ruled out of order. The ruling is unfortunate as trade unions are the only bodies which defend workers' rights across the globe. I support the recommendation on gender and equality proofing and recognise that significant progress has been made on this front. I note the equality budgeting campaign...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: The 2015 spill-over analysis, looking at how our affairs affect the developing world, is out of date. A new and, frankly, an improved one is needed. The recent Christian Aid report on this issue was very alarming, and it should act as a wake-up call. This is yet another issue damaging our reputation, and yet again we have a Government in denial about it. If history is any judge, the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: Tax reliefs on pensions are quite controversial and, as Senator Higgins said, the IMF and the troika were always asking questions about them. On the one hand, they encourage the saving of a pension but, on the other, they can seem to subsidise those of us already lucky enough to be able to afford a pension. Certainly, when we consider that 80% of the relief goes to the top 20%, we would...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: On a point of order, the Bill has not yet been passed.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I am a bit thick, so-----

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I want to make reference to the interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes which Senator Boyhan mentioned. There has been a lot of mixed reaction and disappointment to the pushing out of this report. I have submitted a Commencement matter for tomorrow through which I hope we can explore this issue further. I add my voice and that of this House to global...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Cybersecurity for Children and Young Adults: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I thank the delegates for their presentation. This is the world in which we live which sometimes is unfortunate. Facebook has 1 billion users. What proportion of them are children? At what age should a child be allowed to sign his or her life away to Facebook? In addition to Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, what are the other social media sites? Facebook and other social media sites...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Cybersecurity for Children and Young Adults: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: No; I find social media boring. However, they are also necessary, which means that we need to manage them for children. I am interested in what happens when a vulnerable person posts online and refers to self-harm or ending his or her life. What is the practical response of Facebook in such cases? Does it get the Garda or families involved? How does it find family members of such...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Cybersecurity for Children and Young Adults: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: Facebook-free day started last year and I hope it grows.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I echo the sentiments expressed by my colleague, Senator Conway-Walsh, regarding Senator Ó Clochartaigh whom I admire and respect. I send him my good wishes and wish him and his family all the best.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I am asking today for an update on the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. I appreciate that the Minister, Deputy Katherine Zappone, has published monthly updates on the website of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and is planning to bring proposals resulting from the recent facilitated meetings across the country to Cabinet. I am also aware that there will be...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I am usually brief and to the point. I thank the witnesses for coming here today. It has been interesting to learn more about my history. I was on the board of an Educate Together school that was established in Dublin 8. My main interest in establishing it was for my children. A few years later I found that they did not know the national anthem. I went into the school to teach it to the...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I want to say "go raibh míle maith agat" to Mr. Raymond Daly. As I listened to him, I imagined what Croke Park would be like, even when the Dubs win, if we did not play our national anthem. When 83,000 people sing it together, it is an electrifying moment. I completely and utterly share his embarrassment about watching players remaining silent during the anthem. In some cases, they...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: This problem is not confined to the GAA. It is really cringeworthy and disrespectful.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: That is right.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I had forgotten about that.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: It never stops.