Results 1,501-1,520 of 2,007 for speaker:Frances Black

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Sep 2020)

Frances Black: I wish to raise two issues today. The first is that of the Debenhams workers. We cannot forget about them and their appalling treatment by Debenhams. The workers have been picketing the stores since April for a just redundancy settlement of four weeks' redundancy per year of service. The workers are showing great resilience in their fight for fairness and have rightly rejected as...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jul 2020)

Frances Black: I highlight my disappointment and surprise at the Taoiseach's reply to a question from Deputy McDonald last Tuesday on the rights of the Palestinian people. With formal annexation of the West Bank now explicitly promised after 50 years of occupation, my goal has been for Ireland to take a more meaningful stance against this, to move beyond condemnation and to offer leadership.I do not want...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jul 2020)

Frances Black: Last week I spoke about the impact of Covid-19 on the arts sector. Since then I have been inundated by people on the matter. It is very upsetting to be honest. I have been inundated by people from every part of the arts industry, theatre workers, actors and many musicians who have contacted me. We are all aware that working in the arts is precarious at the best of times but since the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2020)

Frances Black: Over the past few days I have been inundated with accounts of the hardship being suffered by people in the entertainment business, including performers and many of their staff and crew. They have all asked me to highlight the crisis in their industry. Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, all venues have been forced to close with the resulting loss of hundreds, if not thousands, of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Jul 2020)

Frances Black: I did not get a chance last week to say I am humbly honoured to have been re-elected to the Seanad. I express my appreciation to all the councillors who voted for me and assure them of my support in their struggles to get proper terms and conditions in recognition of the great work they do in all parts of the country. I wish the new Minister with responsibility for housing well. He has...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Dec 2019)

Frances Black: I attended a briefing held by Deputy Gino Kenny and the Endometriosis Association of Ireland in the audiovisual room earlier today. I was horrified to hear the stories of what some women have gone through and their horrendous pain and fatigue. Some remained undiagnosed for years. As it was a woman's health issue, the way these women were treated was awful. Endometriosis is estimated to...

Seanad: Local Government Funding: Statements (5 Dec 2019)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and apologise for being a little late. I have raised the issue of local government and councillors' conditions consistently in recent years, as have several colleagues from all parties and none. It feels as if there is a form of consensus but concrete action in that regard, set out in a clear timetable, is missing. The process so far has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Citizenship Rights and DeSouza Judgment: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Frances Black: I would like to put on record my full support for Emma DeSouza and her husband Jake. What they have been through is totally unacceptable and the position of the UK Government is totally contrary to the Good Friday Agreement and they are 100% right to oppose it and I am glad to see the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste offering the Government's support, and I am very hopeful that this committee...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Citizenship Rights and DeSouza Judgment: Discussion (4 Dec 2019)

Frances Black: Everybody. I want to get the witnesses' ideas on it.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Nov 2019)

Frances Black: I was dismayed at the announcement yesterday that the US Administration, in a significant policy shift, no longer views the Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian land as illegal. The US is demonstrating yet again that it is determined to rip up decades of carefully developed international law and human rights protections. It is frightening, not because of some obscure legal...

Seanad: Illegal Drugs: Motion (13 Nov 2019)

Frances Black: I second the amendment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Discussion (13 Nov 2019)

Frances Black: I thank Deputy O'Callaghan and the witnesses. Sexual, domestic and gender-based violence are important issues and I am glad the committee is taking them so seriously. I wish to note some points and then I will ask a question. I welcome the Bill and offer it my strong support. It is a short, concise Bill, which does not seek to move mountains. It would secure greater information and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Nov 2019)

Frances Black: This morning, I got the chance to speak with representatives from the Local Authority Members Association, LAMA. My colleague, Senator Craughwell, mentioned it and I know this is something the Leader is aware of also. LAMA represents councillors across 31 local authorities and it has been working hard to raise concerns about the working conditions that are driving many away from local...

Seanad: Health Services Provision: Statements (12 Nov 2019)

Frances Black: I thank Senator Humphreys and the all-party working group on dementia for getting this debate onto the agenda. This is a hugely important issue for me and I am shocked that it is even necessary to have the debate. A friend of mine, Don O'Neill who lives in New York, is a very well-known fashion designer and he held a fashion show as a fundraiser a couple of years ago. I went along to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Voting and Citizenship Rights of Citizens in Northern Ireland: Discussion (7 Nov 2019)

Frances Black: I thank Professor Harvey for his presentation today. It is great to see him again. He always gives very clear and precise presentations. I will make a few points and I ask Professor Harvey to comment on them and give his view. Ireland is an outlier on this issue. Of the 28 EU member states, 24 allow their citizens to vote from abroad, while only four, Malta, Cypress, Denmark and Ireland,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2019)

Frances Black: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2019)

Frances Black: No. 4. I propose that No. 4 not be brought to a conclusion after three hours, if not concluded. Very important amendments are proposed to the Social Welfare Bill and there is no good reason for the proposed guillotine on the debate.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2019)

Frances Black: Yes. I attended a briefing this morning with a delegation from the Border Communities Against Brexit. I want to relay some the concerns they spoke about this morning. To be honest, I came out of it a little traumatised after listening to the fear and uncertainty facing the people living on either side of the Border. It is very worrying and extremely frustrating. They feel they are not...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2019)

Frances Black: Tá sé.

Seanad: Free Education (Prohibition of Fees and Charges) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2019)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I would like to speak briefly to section 1. I will stick to that section. I know we are not on Second Stage but I would like to put on record just a few points about the section. I hope that is acceptable. I commend Senator Ó Ríordáin and his colleagues in the Labour Party.