Results 1,281-1,300 of 2,054 for speaker:Máire Devine

Seanad: Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (17 Jan 2018)

Máire Devine: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (17 Jan 2018)

Máire Devine: Not yet.

Seanad: Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (17 Jan 2018)

Máire Devine: It was about punishing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Máire Devine: That is very interesting. Snapchat and Instagram are going to be invited to the committee and we will, hopefully, get to put a lot of questions to them. On awareness, I regularly point out that school journals are under-used to provide children with an idea of their rights. One does not want them all marching up and down on strike over everything that might be listed in the journal, but it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Máire Devine: It is to be hoped that the continuity of care for children would also include their seeing the same person but that is not happening. That was also a major cause of complaint .

Seanad: Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: Land ownership and landlords are an emotive issue for Irish people. It is in our hearts. It is not just the past history of centuries of landlords but it continues today and will affect our lives tomorrow. Michael Davitt was guided by the motto, "Let justice be done tho the heavens fall." I doubt he would be impressed by the propensity of successive Governments to prostrate themselves in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Future of Mental Health Care: Mental Health Services: Discussion (14 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I thank the witnesses for their presentations which informed me a bit more. Going back to the IT debacle, the national children's hospital is due to open in Rialto. At its core, it will have IT. Another submission from the hospital would be important. That will be the benchmark for the future and will not involve retrofitting. I cannot believe there is not a WhatsApp group, for...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I move amendment No. 5:In page 14, after line 18, to insert the following: “Report on fuel poverty in Ireland 20. The Minister shall prepare and lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the impact of cuts to the fuel allowance given, the increase in fuel costs and examine the impact that partial restoration of the fuel allowance would have on fuel poverty and that the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I do not think it is rocket science to appreciate that research and reports tend to improve outcomes. I do not think it is a big ask to propose that these things should be done in a proper manner. I am disappointed that this amendment is not being accepted.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: I move amendment No. 6:In page 14, after line 18, to insert the following:“Report on jobseeker’s allowance 20. Within 6 months of the passing of this Act, the Minister will lay a report before the House on the impacts on young people under 26 years of age of the reduced levels of jobseeker's allowance applicable to them and report further on reversing these reduced...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2017: Committee Stage (13 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: We will be supporting this amendment. It is a pity Fianna Fáil Members did not think it worth voting in favour of the review of under-26 jobseeker's allowance and fuel poverty allowance.

Seanad: Special Needs Assistants: Motion (13 Dec 2017)

Máire Devine: Céad míle fáilte to the representatives of the IMPACT trade union who are in the Visitors Gallery. The ongoing work and commitment which IMPACT and its members have vested in this sector is second to none. If they had been treated with any respect at all by this Government we would not be here this evening. We have a dysfunctional relationship between the Department of...

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-----