Results 1,741-1,760 of 2,011 for speaker:Frances Black

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (1 Feb 2018)

Frances Black: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Second Stage (30 Jan 2018)

Frances Black: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to table the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018. I welcome the Tánaiste to the Chamber to discuss the Bill and thank him for his sincere engagement and input on the legislation to date. I also warmly welcome the Palestinian ambassador, H.E. Ahmed Abdelrazek, and Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, who are...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jan 2018)

Frances Black: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 18 be taken before No. 1.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: First Stage (24 Jan 2018)

Frances Black: I move:That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to give effect to the State’s obligations arising under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and under customary international humanitarian law; and for that purpose to make it an offence for a person to import or sell goods or services originating in an occupied...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: First Stage (24 Jan 2018)

Frances Black: Next Tuesday, 30 January 2018.

Seanad: Reception Conditions Directive: Motion (23 Jan 2018)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I am really glad that we have been given a chance to debate this issue. The discussion at the meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality committee last week left several questions unanswered and much more detail is needed on how Ireland will comply in practice with the EU reception conditions directive, particularly the right to...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jan 2018)

Frances Black: I would also like to highlight the audiovisual room event that was on today around the emergency crisis. Even though we all know there is a crisis, it is just shocking to hear the stories. That is what was really most upsetting. I refer in particular to the choice of who can have a bed, whether it be a 90 year-old woman who is very sick with a bad chest infection or a 45 year-old woman who...

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

Frances Black: I thank the Minister of State for his time today. I would like to welcome the report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution and strongly support the call for the amendment to be repealed. I am deeply saddened by the harm it has done to women in this country since 1983. It is clear that we cannot move forward on this issue until the eighth amendment is removed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Directives: Minister for Justice and Equality (17 Jan 2018)

Frances Black: There is no doubt that this is a positive step in the right direction albeit we could probably do a good bit more. I do not have a question but I record my slight disappointment that the period from which asylum seekers can work will be set at nine months. The Minister said he wanted to align fully with European norms on this, which is great, but research from the Irish Refugee Council...

Seanad: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Statements (13 Dec 2017)

Frances Black: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am very concerned about this issue and I completely agree with the concerns raised here today, particularly by Senator Higgins. I firmly believe in Ireland's neutrality, and state in the strongest possible terms that I do not want to see Ireland participating in military schemes such as PESCO. I have listened to the Minister of State, but...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2017)

Frances Black: I want to highlight the issue I raised last week. I was on Molesworth Street a few minutes ago at the peaceful protest by the "My Name Is" campaign around the homelessness situation, at which there was a huge crowd. We really need to look at this issue because people are starting to get tired of the fact they do not see any change. We have to address the issue around homelessness. People...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2017)

Frances Black: I wish to raise the crisis relating to homelessness. The reality is that people are dying on our streets. Two people died last week. I believe most citizens would give up tax cuts in order to ensure that children have homes at Christmas. All children have a basic human right to have homes. Almost 8,500 people are homeless and, of these, more than 3,000 are children. I know that Members...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Status, Treatment and Use of the National Anthem (5 Dec 2017)

Frances Black: I thank those who have given us such fantastic presentations today. I really enjoyed listening to each of them. It makes me proud. I feel very connected to our national anthem. Any time I have sung it, I have felt huge emotion. I feel proud to be Irish and proud to sing the national anthem. I congratulate the Lord Mayor of Cork on a fantastic initiative which reminds me of the time I was...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the Minister for his presentation today. Like my colleagues, I support the initiative for dialogue on climate change. I know we are here today to hear him report to the Oireachtas on the mitigation policy measures adopted to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases so that we can transition to a low carbon, climate resilient, environmentally sustainable economy as well as compare our...

Seanad: Garda Overtime Budget: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank the Minister for coming in today. I appreciate his coming in personally because this has been a tough week. While the credibility of An Garda Síochána as an organisation has been repeatedly called into question in recent years, I believe that Irish people still have a lot of trust and belief in their local community Garda. This trust has been fought for and won over...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank Professor O'Neill for his presentation. We had two men presenting last week who talked about how their wives, when diagnosed with serious illnesses, had a fear of unbearable suffering. They both discussed how if they got to a point they would have assisted them in suicide. When that decision was made, both women felt relieved. They ended up dying naturally. However, it struck a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank Dr. Campbell for her very comprehensive presentation. I ask her to give us an example of someone for whom assisted dying would be appropriate. I saw a documentary by Louis Theroux on hospitals and dying in America. It featured a young man who had been in a very bad accident. If I remember correctly, the medical team was saying that the machines should be switched off because he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: That worries me a little because it gives rise to the question as to where one draws the line. It is a minefield if families get involved. We are working on introducing legislation to safeguard vulnerable adults and have been working on this area for some time. I am concerned about the role that families might play in this. Will they have an influence? What kind of influence will that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Right to Die with Dignity: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Nov 2017)

Frances Black: I thank Ms Hall for her presentation. It is difficult to argue with and challenge it. Ms Hall can see from our responses that we are trying to think of what questions can be asked. Regarding compassion, and if someone presented to Disability Action who was in agony, had an horrendous quality of life and had made the decision to go because he or she could not live like that anymore, how...