Results 161-180 of 786 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Cost of Living: Motion (15 Jun 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for coming here. The Minister’s party has tabled an important motion because we all know, especially in recent weeks, that the cost of living has increased. I believe that we must go back to basics and ensure that the people on the margins are looked after, namely, the most vulnerable, who are people who have a fixed income from the State or receive pension or...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 May 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I commend the Cathaoirleach on travelling to Ukraine and representing this House. I would like to raise the issue of hormone replacement therapy, HRT. There has been unprecedented investment in women's health under the current Minister for Health, including the opening of menopause clinics in major urban areas. There has also been significant public discourse on the menopause, including on...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 May 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: Under the programme for Government, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage established a working group to examine defects in housing. I want to concentrate today particularly on apartment stock and multi-unit development stock. It is important that this working group does not pit homeowners against each other. There should be no discrimination between owners of homes and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (4 May 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I raised the issue of summer provision last week on the Order of Business and I tabled the Commencement matter on Friday. Thankfully, however, the Department released details of the summer provision programme yesterday. It is a great programme. In 2021, the budget doubled to €40 million, which shows the seriousness of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (4 May 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: It is great to hear all of the details. I especially welcome the online application process.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Apr 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I join in the comments about Michael O'Kennedy and Jimmy Leonard. Michael O'Kennedy had an unbelievable career, one that many of us would be envious of achieving. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Breda, and the rest of his family. I wish to discuss the serious concerns raised in an article by Ms Elaine Loughlin in the Irish Examineryesterday. It set out the challenges that the...

Seanad: Safe Access to Termination of Pregnancy Services Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (7 Apr 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank Senators Gavan and Moynihan and all the activists who have campaigned so long to have this Bill before the House today. It is gut-wrenching to hear Senator Mullen talk about fascism. To describe this Bill as fascist is completely disingenuous and he should retract those comments. We know the people have campaigned and the people decided on the repeal of the eighth amendment during...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I will be brief. I have been listening in to the discussion. I thank all of the contributors today. I want to particularly thank the Polish ambassador. Poland has led the way in terms of opening its doors to Ukrainian refugees. In the first few days of the war, we watched as many Ukrainian people were welcome into Poland. In terms of Poland's attitude to that of our neighbours, the UK,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I want to raise the issue of receiving a cancer diagnosis during maternity leave or during a pregnancy. We had a super presentation on this by the Irish Cancer Society and there is an anomaly in the legislation that those who receive or have to undergo cancer treatment during their maternity leave cannot defer their leave and go on sick pay at that time. Rather, they have to use their...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I raise an issue that I regret is not of the same importance as an issue raised earlier by my colleague, Senator Ruane. As mentioned by her, every day someone dies from a drug overdose. It is terrifying. As others said, we have to take this on board. As a House, we should be rallying behind our colleague, Senator Ruane, championing the issue of a citizens' assembly on drugs. Having...

Seanad: Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person (Amendment) (Stalking) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (9 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I commend our leader in the Seanad, Senator Chambers. We are proud of her and she is great for keeping going with the Bill. I commend Eve McDowell and Una Ring, as well as Dr. Catherine O'Sullivan, the academic behind the Bill. I also commend the Minister for not reinventing the wheel, for taking the baton and following through with it and not redoing Second Stage of the Bill. That shows...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Education in Developing Countries: Discussion (8 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank Ms McKenna and her team for coming here today to give their really insightful presentations. It is super how, with the advent of Covid, we have been able to meet people from all over the world and get their perspectives. That is one positive effect of Covid. All of the speakers referred to violence against women and the failure of girls to access education, which still goes on....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister and the Secretary General for coming before us in such a timely manner. I know we requested the meeting. We thought it would be the end of February by the time we got to meet the witnesses and get to discuss the report. The co-operation shown to the committee should be acknowledged. Winning a seat on the UN Security Council was clearly amazing, and I would hate to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: There are also my questions on the fines.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: On the second part of my question, is there any general precedent for fines?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Russia's Foreign Policy and Security in Europe: Engagement with Ambassador of Russia (2 Feb 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the ambassador for coming before the committee. It is H.E. Mr. Filatov's second time before us in the new Dáil and Seanad. It was great to see the ambassador speak so fondly of his diplomatic incident with the Irish fishermen. It is clear from the ambassador's demeanour today that he was taken by them, their work ethos and their commitment to their communities and to the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jan 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I raise again the issue of hyperemesis gravidarum, the medical term for a condition that arises during pregnancy whereby women become severely ill. It is a condition that involves severe sickness and vomiting. Famously, the Duchess of Cambridge, if that his her title, suffered from it. There was a huge campaign last year but to date nothing has been done by the HSE. The campaign is to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with Representatives of Médecins Sans Frontières (25 Jan 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank our guests and congratulate them on the anniversary of the organisation they represent. One of them used the term "feeding centres". As a mother of two children in Ireland, that is not a word I come across when I bring them to a children's hospital. Nutrition is something we take completely for granted in this country. It hit home when our guests narrated the story of the doctor,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jan 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to again raise the issue of the Ashling Murphy trial. I think it is important for us to highlight the sub judicerule, not only for this House but for people who are following our proceedings online. As we know, the sub judicerule is Latin for legal proceedings becoming active. In Ireland and other common law jurisdictions, it is not appropriate to comment on matters that are...

Seanad: Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (20 Jan 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I commend the Labour Party on bringing forth this legislation and I commend the Government for taking it in Government time. As pointed out by Senator Sherlock, Ireland is one of a few countries that does not publicly fund IVF, which affects one in six couples. This legislation in regard to leave in the workplace is a really important step to ensure that the stigma associated with fertility...