Results 1,801-1,820 of 1,966 for speaker:Mary Henry

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I have visited prisons on many occasions. I first visited one approximately 20 years ago. One of Nuala Fennell's first visits as Minister of State with responsibility for women's affairs was to the women's prison at Mountjoy Prison. She was shocked by the conditions, especially the lack of medical care. She asked me to visit the prison with her to see what could be done about getting a woman...

Seanad: Convention on the Future of Europe: Statements. (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I thank the Leader for bringing the Minister of State here today. Senator Ormonde is right to congratulate him on his hard work. However, I do not know if the job is difficult for him because I have not seen a person better suited to a job or enjoying it more.

Seanad: Convention on the Future of Europe: Statements. (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I am delighted the Minister of State is representing us at the Convention. It is good to see someone doing something for which he has such enthusiasm. He has always expressed great enthusiasm for any projects related to Europe. Senator Bradford is right that our attitudes have changed and expanded during the years we have been members of the EEC and then the European Union. However, we got a...

Seanad: Convention on the Future of Europe: Statements. (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: It would be better if we maintained openness and transparency rather than pulling down the shutters. What is the Minister of State doing about the rights of children? I have been getting fan mail asking me to suggest he change the attitude in his amendment regarding removal of the phrase "the rights of children". Apparently, this will now be amended to read "the rights of human beings". The...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: I thank Senator Quinn for sharing his time.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Mary Henry: Please allow Senator Dardis to continue without interruption.

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: I support Senator Norris's request to the Leader for another debate on Iraq due to the constantly changing situation. Representatives of a total of 114 non-aligned states met in Kuala Lumpur the other day. Senators will have noticed the alarming statement that came out of the meeting to the effect that an attack on Iraq would be viewed as an attack on Islam.

Seanad: Suicide Incidence: Statements. (27 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: I will not delay the House by repeating points with which other speakers have dealt. We must deal seriously with the problem of delay in patients being seen in the psychiatric services. I was alarmed to hear recently from a member of a schizophrenia association that there was a delay of about 18 months from the onset of symptoms of serious psychiatric disease until the patient received...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: Legislation to establish a children's ombudsman was passed during the lifetime of the previous Government. Members on the Independent benches thought this would happen rapidly. I contacted the Department of Health and Children querying the reason this had not been done and was told it was a matter for the President to appoint the ombudsman. I doubt the delay is due to tardiness on the part of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: That is what the Department wrote.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: This matter can be discussed on Committee Stage.

Seanad: Convention on the Future of Europe: Statements. (26 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: A couple of years ago I was the Irish representative on a panel of EU judges of a competition for school children to devise a motto for Europe. The motto they devised was "Unity in Diversity". It was interesting that many of the children wrote about the strength there is in diversity. With this Convention, will European citizens be too easy to control when there is so much conformity? Is...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: I welcome the Minister and the Bill. He must be fed up with the phrase "risk equalisation" because it has been around his neck ever since he took up office in the Department. I hope that when the Bill passes speedily through the Houses, the risk equalisation regulatory framework is brought forward rapidly because it is very important. The Bill is important, not just to the nearly 50% of the...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: I strongly recommend that people take up plan A or B because one pays a great deal of money for the hotel accommodation further on. A large amount of what people need is covered by the more minor plans which I hope people will take into account. It was extraordinary that children were insured under plans D and E when there was no private accommodation for them. People are being a bit...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: It is in the last two years of a person's life that most money is spent on medical care. Senator Feighan mentioned American companies. In the brief time I worked in America I witnessed the most appalling scenes with people being thrown out of schemes just when they needed them the most and private hospitals closing down, even though people had made huge subscriptions to them throughout their...

Seanad: Opticians (Amendment) Bill 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (25 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: I move amendment No. 5: In page 9, paragraph (a), line 12, after "action" to insert ", including the prescription or administration of any drug for the purpose of paralysing the accommodation of the eye,". When we were discussing whether or not we should take all Stages of the Bill today, the Leader stated that she did not think any of the amendments were serious or ponderous. In my opinion,...

Seanad: Opticians (Amendment) Bill 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (25 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: They are to be added.

Seanad: Opticians (Amendment) Bill 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (25 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: This is the worry. Will the person who refers a person to a private contractor be liable? The legal liability cover of these people, as the Minister knows, is not very high. They are to take on a whole new area in which there could be a clinical claim.

Seanad: Opticians (Amendment) Bill 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (25 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: I would like to see that. Before Report Stage, would it be possible to find out the provisions of legal coverage? I have failed to find this out. This is important because we are now allowing for drugs where, for example, there may be a corneal tear. It is very easy to tear the cornea using a tonometer. It is always a problem and is one of the things that the defence unions will admit they...

Seanad: Opticians (Amendment) Bill 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (25 Feb 2003)

Mary Henry: I am long enough in politics to know how long it can take for supposedly helpful legislation to be put into practice. We could spend the afternoon quoting various sources.