Results 1,521-1,540 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (11 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I was indulgent and allowed Senator Terry to speak a second time in view of her interest in the topic. I invite Senator Tuffy to speak if she wishes.

Seanad: Address by Mr. Brian Crowley, MEP. (11 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I congratulate Mr. Crowley on all his achievements. I often wonder what he would be now if he had stayed in the band or continued in the law. He would probably be incredibly successful because he is such a versatile person. He could be down in the Four Courts doing goodness knows what.

Seanad: Address by Mr. Brian Crowley, MEP. (11 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I congratulate him on having continued in a career in politics when the other two careers are so much more lucrative. Does he ever wonder how things would have turned out for him if he had continued with one of those careers?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - EU Directives. (11 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I am delighted the Minister of State is in the House this evening because he has direct responsibility for the topic I want to discuss.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - EU Directives. (11 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. In view of his gracious statement that the Government claims no monopoly of wisdom on copyright, perhaps he will re-examine the position, particularly with regard to disabled people, changes from an obsolete to a modern format and the possibility of allowing sworn public declarations to be made before a notary. The Seanad adjourned at 4.25 p.m....

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I support Senator Quinn's call for a debate on lifestyle. We all have different interests and come from different walks of life and we may be able to make positive suggestions as to what we can do about improving lifestyle here, particularly for children, because the increase in obesity among children is very substantial. I have asked Senator Ó Murchú previously if he could get Irish...

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: There is a crisis of homelessness in this country. There is a dire need for social housing, but in his budget speech the Minister for Finance did not mention either social housing or homelessness. These are serious issues, but they can be neglected because there is a feeling that there are no votes to be gained from dealing with them. To my sorrow, I find that in some areas in which social...

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: It can be seen that the funding is obviously not enough if one walks up Baggot Street.

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: Since the 1970s we have been warned that thinning of the ozone layer would lead to an increase in skin cancer. In this part of the world in the past ten years there has been a 64% increase in melanoma in men and a 54% increase in women. Surely this demonstrates that a debate on the Kyoto Protocol is urgently required in order to try to bring some sense into the American stance on the matter....

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I compliment Senator Cox because she has been trying to address this issue for some time. We appear to have had great difficulty with confinement dates and must have had the worst record in regard to when children were actually delivered. Therefore, this is a welcome change and I thank the Minister of State for making it. Amendment agreed to. SECTION 3.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I support Senator Terry. It seems hard-hearted that we allow for maternity leave but, if someone gets sick, we take that leave away again. I accept that women will not be at work because they will be on sick leave. However, it might be a good idea to give this additional time, to which a woman would have been entitled had she not become sick, to ensure that she is in the best possible health...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I had children at a time maternity leave did not exist. It was considered that the world would come to an end if maternity leave was introduced but that did not happen and women became more popular as employees because they were needed in the workforce. Did the Minister of State's advisers take into account that the average family size is 2.1 children? It is not as if women will seek extra...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I support the amendment – that should cheer up the Government remarkably. This change appears to strengthen the situation for the employee.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I am pleased to see this compassionate amendment.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I support Senator White's comments on the value of breastfeeding. It is very important physically, psychologically, intellectually, etc. It is very sad that the incidence of breastfeeding is so low in this country and worse still that it goes down for mothers lower on the socio-economic scale. A child in social class one is much more likely to be breastfed than a child in social class five. I...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: The Minister of State's amendment covers what I am trying to achieve. We have a new and dreadful problem of obesity in children. Obesity in babies is much less likely if they are breastfed. The national breastfeeding policy has extended the amount of time a child should be breastfed before solids are introduced into the diet. It is a serious health issue and what the Minister of State has...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: My amendment also seeks to change the wording in section 8 to make it positive. The only facility required for breastfeeding is a chair to permit the mother to sit down. I do not see why employers should not have to provide a chair. Nothing else is needed. If the chair was in the corner of an office or where other people have coffee, that would be fine. It is not as though this is a big deal....

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: I agree.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: Now that we have explained all we are looking for is a chair, will the Minister of State look at this again because I certainly do not want to get into a tangle with the Supreme Court? A chair would be a nominal amount. Senator Tuffy spoke about making this positive. People breastfeeding babies on aeroplanes, boats or elsewhere do not expect some special room – they just sit there and feed...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Mary Henry: It will be easier than stopping smoking in the bar.