Results 1,561-1,580 of 1,687 for speaker:Maria Byrne

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the fact that the national cancer strategy has been launched in the last few minutes following its approval by Cabinet. A great deal of money has been granted for the expansion of services. As Senator Swanick said, it is a proven fact that cancer is on the increase. While I welcome the fact that the age threshold for bowel screening has been brought down, I ask the Acting Leader...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jul 2017)

Maria Byrne: I congratulate the Leader and wish him all the best for the future. It is great news. The very best of luck to them both.I raise the issue of the new accident and emergency unit in University Hospital Limerick which is the most overcrowded emergency department in the country. Some 4,150 people have been treated on trolleys in the hospital since the start of January. Despite the opening of...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Children's Mental Health Services: Discussion (29 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I thank all five ladies for their moving presentations. There is a common theme running through all of them, namely, that those under 18 have fallen through the cracks because they do not fit in with adult services. The HSE report stated that only eight out of the 17 provide weekend services. That is something we need to focus on because, from listening to the witnesses, it is out of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Farm Relief Scheme (28 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle. A number of young farmers spoke to me recently about the farm relief scheme. While it is positive and farmers are members of it, at present young farmers are finding it hard to get relief workers. People are not applying for the vacancies as they arise. A young farmer, who was going to a wedding one weekend, had to bring back somebody who was...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Farm Relief Scheme (28 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. More secondary schools are beginning to teach agriculture-related subjects and perhaps that is the route to follow in order that students can secure part-time employment at weekends and so on and help out on farms. It is a significant issue in the farming sector and I acknowledge the Minister of State is very much aware of it. Hopefully, it will...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the announcement made by the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, on free access to cultural and heritage sites for all children under 12 years. This is a very positive move. Children are the future of the country and it is important from an educational point of view to instil a love of culture and heritage in them. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: There are two issues I wish to raise, the first of which has already been mentioned by Senator Gallagher, that being to wish Peter O'Mahony of the Munster rugby team the best of luck. He has been instrumental in his play for Munster and Ireland. It is great to see a man from Munster captaining the Lions in the first test match. An issue which has been raised many times in the House is the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (21 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, to the House and congratulate him formally on his appointment yesterday. I am delighted for him and wish him the best of luck for the future. I raise this matter to call on University Hospital Limerick to provide access for general practitioners to the blood clinic over five days a week. Currently, there is access only on four days a week,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (21 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for his response. The point the GP is making is it is restricted times on a Friday and the Shannon Doc only operates Monday to Thursday so there is a shorter timeframe. I understand extending the time would create greater costs on the hospital, but if the service were extended, it would help to reduce the numbers going in through accident and emergency....

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: Reference has already been made to the fact that today is UN World Refugee Day. I congratulate the University of Limerick on becoming a university of sanctuary. Yesterday, at the first Department of Justice and Equality citizenship event held at the University of Limerick, the president, Dr. Des Fitzgerald, made the announcement that the university would become a university of sanctuary....

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I rise on this historic day to pay tribute to the outgoing Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, and to wish him the very best for the future. I also wish to pay tribute to my own Limerick colleague, the outgoing Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan. The two of them, working together, have done a fantastic job in bringing the country back from the brink and restoring our finances. I wish...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed and Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (8 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome Mr. Doran and Ms O'Brien and thank them for their presentations. Mr. Doran mentioned that many nurses from both sides of the Border go to England for training, including specialised training. I will mention one area that is of concern in this context. Many qualifications are recognised at present. If nurses train here, their qualifications are recognised in the UK and in...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement on the Future of the European Union (7 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome my fellow Limerick person to the Chamber. I am not sure if he covered it in his presentation but I have a question on education. Foreign students in Ireland pay higher fees. When Irish students go to the UK, they pay the same fees as UK students. I am very concerned about whether Irish students travelling to the UK to college will be treated like foreign students and faced with...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with Local Authorities (7 Jun 2017)

Maria Byrne: I join other speakers and will not go back over what has been said because I am conscious of time. I will add something a little different from what Mr. Swift had to say about the enterprise boards. Having served on my local enterprise board for 15 years, I am aware of how important it has been in the lives of small business. That needs to be built on, certainly. In terms of business...

Seanad: Tourism: Statements (31 May 2017)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister. I am aware of his passion in terms of tourism and compliment him on his interview yesterday. I holiday in Achill every year so I was very moved to hear his interview. He described it very well in terms of looking out at the beautiful scenery, and I compliment him on that. Tourism is something that is vibrant and exciting, certainly in terms of Ireland and...

Seanad: Tourism: Statements (31 May 2017)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Acting Chairman. I shall speak briefly on Brexit. I know that our visitor numbers from Britain are down. If we are to have a hard Border, will there be restrictions on free movement of people between Ireland and the UK? There has been much investment in respect of Brexit and the agrifood sector-----

Seanad: Tourism: Statements (31 May 2017)

Maria Byrne: Can I say one last thing?

Seanad: Tourism: Statements (31 May 2017)

Maria Byrne: With regard to the Rugby World Cup I wish Ireland the very best of luck in its bid. I know the Minister of State has put a lot of work into the bid, as have some of his ministerial predecessors and through his initiative around the local authorities. We are developing a tourism strategy in Limerick and I compliment the Minister of State on that.

Seanad: Controlled Drugs and Harm Reduction Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2017)

Maria Byrne: I thank Senator Reilly for agreeing to share his time. This is a very important opportunity to discuss our approach to people who come into contact with the criminal justice system as a result of drug use. I compliment Senator Ruane and think it a very well-intentioned Bill. It seeks to address drug use as a social and health issue rather than as a criminal justice matter, which I believe...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Amendment) Bill 2015 and Education (Parent and Student Charter) Bill 2016: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2017)

Maria Byrne: I have more of a comment than a question. It refers back to the students on the boards of management. I am chairperson of the board of management of an education and training board, ETB, school. We have students sitting on our board of management and their level of interest and interaction with the board of management is very good. They sit for the first half of the meeting and bring...