Results 1,261-1,280 of 1,842 for speaker:Marie Moloney

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: Hold on. Perhaps if it had been put to the people, just like the abolition of the Seanad is being put to the people, the Minister might have got a different answer on the abolition of town councils.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: The boundaries were proposed and put to the councillors with three options. I have a funny feeling this is a fait accompli and the options are just being shown to them because the councillors were given them yesterday and were told to report back by tomorrow afternoon. That is the amount of time they got to consider the proposals.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: He has pulled me down that road with his thinking.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: My time is running out. Town councillors are paid a very modest amount. If we want to make Oireachtas Members work properly on legislation and get away from filling potholes and obtaining medical cards, we should give more power to the councillors on the ground. We should build them up and we could then have many fewer TDs and Senators because the work on the ground will be done by the...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: We should stop reducing the number of councillors, give them more power and make them more responsible. On the question of the alignment of partnerships and councils, I sat on the boards of two partnerships and I can say they are the best run, most efficient and most accountable organisations in this country. I feel that aligning them to the councils will be another retrograde step because...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: I welcome the Minister to the House. I appreciate he is trying to bring about reform and that reform is necessary across all government sectors, as well as efficiency and cost effectiveness. However, I must say that the total abolition of town councils is a retrograde step. Town councils do a lot of work promoting the towns under their jurisdiction. While I appreciate that smaller towns...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: Hold on. Perhaps if it had been put to the people, just like the abolition of the Seanad is being put to the people, the Minister might have got a different answer on the abolition of town councils.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: The boundaries were proposed and put to the councillors with three options. I have a funny feeling this is a fait accompli and the options are just being shown to them because the councillors were given them yesterday and were told to report back by tomorrow afternoon. That is the amount of time they got to consider the proposals.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: He has pulled me down that road with his thinking.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: My time is running out. Town councillors are paid a very modest amount. If we want to make Oireachtas Members work properly on legislation and get away from filling potholes and obtaining medical cards, we should give more power to the councillors on the ground. We should build them up and we could then have many fewer TDs and Senators because the work on the ground will be done by the...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: We should stop reducing the number of councillors, give them more power and make them more responsible. On the question of the alignment of partnerships and councils, I sat on the boards of two partnerships and I can say they are the best run, most efficient and most accountable organisations in this country. I feel that aligning them to the councils will be another retrograde step because...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2013)

Marie Moloney: I wish to also extend sympathy to Senator Clune on the death of her mother and to the family and the colleagues of the late Minister of State, Shane McEntee. I welcome the initiative put in place by the Minister for Education and Skills to combat bullying in schools but we must be mindful that most bullying takes place outside school. With that in mind, I ask parents to be very vigilant...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Fifth Stage (20 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: It is not easy for any of us, as Members opposite know. They were over here making the very same cuts that affected the same carers two years ago.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Fifth Stage (20 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: This is not about the future of the Seanad and the next general election, rather it is about the next generation. I am not doing this to hurt carers, but because I am doing the right thing for our children and grandchildren.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Fifth Stage (20 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: I would not say it if I did not believe it. I welcome some of the initiatives taken. I would have liked to have had a debate on a number of issues which I would have liked to tease out, including the reduction in jobseeker's benefit. I am very concerned about people who are contractually obliged to finish work at 65 years of age who will be left with jobseeker's benefit for only nine...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: She is responding to points raised.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: I did not get to finish my speech on Second Stage as time ran out. I was going to finish with what Senator Bradford said on budgets. Why are they presented at such a late stage as faits accompli when we have to put them through? Everybody knows the contents of the budget through the media. We do not get told, but the newspapers do. Why not bring the measures before the House so that we...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: I do not engage in those politics. We were put in the House to do a job and the onus is on us to bring the country back to fiscal sustainability. Fianna Fáil made cuts to carers' allowance and other social welfare benefits because they had to. They did it for the country.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: I acknowledge that it was done for the country. This is not about the future of the Seanad or the next election, it is about the next generation. People say it takes courage to vote. It takes courage also to support a measure, particularly when you have worked so hard. As Senator Bradford said, he may have spoken more often about carers because he has been longer in the House, but carers...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Marie Moloney: That is true but it is another day's argument. Money is being spent. Perhaps, a little could be taken from them. We have six months to reflect on the measure before it comes in. I know the Minister. Last year, she made changes when she needed to do so. If in the next six months we can find another way to get ¤26 million, an amendment could be made to reverse the cut. Let us not rule...