Results 1,781-1,800 of 2,078 for speaker:Mary Seery Kearney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: It is not true.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: With respect to the Chair, it does if misleading statements are made, by virtue of this being a public meeting. It is deliberate grandstanding and misleading.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Affordable Housing Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: When the report is published, there will be an abundance of evidence to demonstrate all of our wholehearted commitment to affordability. Deputy Gould's amendment did not set a precise figure, hence the reason we could accept it and move forward with it. The difficulty is that we are putting in place a precise definition that fetters the decision making and the discretion of a Minister in a...

Seanad: Future of Gambling Regulation: Statements (23 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: Good afternoon everyone. I welcome the Minister of State, who has been here a lot this afternoon. The Minister of State has ten minutes, all spokespersons have eight minutes and all other Senators have five minutes.

Seanad: Future of Gambling Regulation: Statements (23 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I apologise to Senator Malcolm Byrne but there is a difficulty as he has not been allocated a seat and, as a consequence, is not supposed to be allowed to speak.However, I understand from our conversation that the Senator made arrangements with Senator McGreehan on that.

Seanad: Future of Gambling Regulation: Statements (23 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank Senator O'Reilly. I know he is very passionate about this issue.

Seanad: Future of Gambling Regulation: Statements (23 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: How does one follow Senator Cassells's very powerful contribution? Part of me just wants to say "Hear, hear." There is no question but that gambling is an appalling blight on families throughout our country. Senator Wall read out an email from someone who was affected by gambling. When he referred to this person as "she", it came as a surprise. That is one of the issues. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: National Disability Inclusion Strategy: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the witnesses for their considerable contributions and opening statements. I also thank them for recognising what is positive as well as articulating extremely well what the challenges are. They have my ongoing commitment, as a member of this committee and as a Government party Senator, to advocate, push, lobby and ensure the programme for Government commitments are adhered to. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: National Disability Inclusion Strategy: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I reinforce that. The whole thing is to move away from the idea of best interests to a place where there is a reverse onus. Once the legislation is commenced, the onus will be on the State and not on the individual to prove his or her capacity. In fact, the presumption will be that there is capacity. This is really powerful and good. It is really important that we get this in place as...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I echo the advocacy of my colleague, Senator Black, regarding the action that needs to be taken to support the work of the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network, ICAAN, in particular. Last week's report by the Health Research Board contained shocking statistics. There was a doubling of alcohol-related discharges from hospitals, a trebling of cases of alcohol-related liver disease and an...

Seanad: Children Amendment Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (19 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I welcome, as others have, that this Bill will be completed today and ready to go to the President. It will be a huge relief to the families who have found themselves in the most peculiar place where they could not speak about their child. I could not imagine anything more horrible. I value that we are now in a position where the court has unequivocal discretion to have a bespoke answer to...

Seanad: Children Amendment Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (19 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: Now.

Seanad: Water Quality: Motion (19 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I propose to share time with Senator Ward.

Seanad: Water Quality: Motion (19 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I very much welcome the motion. The Green Party motions are always very long and informative and we learn a good deal from them. I thank Senator Garvey for it. It is very good, comprehensive and reflects the programme for Government on which our three parties came together and agreed to move forward together. I also welcome the White Paper. There is a great deal in it. I hope the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank our witnesses very much. I cannot but begin by saying how appalled and moved I was reading the submissions and opening statements for today's meeting. I do not think any of us could but be extremely upset by them. We are also here in our professional capacity. I can only imagine the horror families and survivors live every day. I begin by acknowledging that and, as Dr. O'Rourke...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: All right. Apologies. I am interested in that interplay of the agency and the jurisdiction of the coroner and how we can free up the agency to be all that it can be. I am fearful that, in advocating for a role for the coroner, we may in some way hamper or hinder the powers of this agency to be everything we want it to be. I will leave it at that and come back in later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I will pick up on some of the earlier comments to afford the opportunity for elaboration. Dr. O'Rourke said that there is public misapprehension or misunderstanding that a coroner's inquest requires a body. The fact it does not is news to me as well, and that perhaps an inquest could proceed without a body. I understand there are circumstances where this can happen, but in this context...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I cannot clarify that. One of the recommendations or things that I have discussed with the Minister is the possibility of running the timeline arising out of this pre-legislative scrutiny parallel to that of the mother and baby home timeline, namely to commence it at 1922. It would make sense to bring it along and expand it to that. I hope that would be one of the recommendations that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the Vice Chairman. Following on from Deputy Dillon’s questions, it is somehow palatable for us as a State to consider mass graves in, perhaps, the context of the Great Famine. Dealing with them in this instance, our response thus far is the creation of this agency and bespoke legislation and this unprecedented step in the State. In the nuts and bolts of it, where does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: I did. To come back to the 70-year time limit, if part of the recommendations from this pre-legislative scrutiny process was to extend that to since the foundation of the State, does Professor Murphy think that would that address the needs?