Results 1,841-1,860 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Chairman, may I take my slot, please?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I have just been sidelined.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Yes. That means a precedent has already been set, and that is just one example I can think of. A precedent has already been set within the Department of the Minister appointing a chair. It is a ridiculous argument. The Minister has said the hope is for a chair to be in place by early January. Going through a tendering process, there is surely to God a period in which people can respond....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Has that been checked with the Attorney General? Has a second opinion been sought?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I hate to be difficult but even at the start of this committee we did not have the terms of reference. They are available now. We really did not have time to study the terms of reference in order to have a meaningful engagement on this. The Minister gave an assurance earlier, indicating it was his hope and intention that the chair would be appointed by early January. Going through an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: There has to have been a way around this. There is a departmental budget of €24 billion and surely to God this is something so important to the health of the women of Ireland that a way around this should have been found. Perhaps the problem is the Department is completely knotted up in legality and it is possible this is why it is not achieving what it would like to. I am not going...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Will he come back next week for further engagement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: On that point, I should state that I never once questioned the Minister's commitment or the effort he puts in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: While I appreciate that, I ask the Minister to give us a timeline for each of those steps. He said the legislation has gone for priority drafting. When will that step conclude and the next step start? When can we expect the legislation to be before the committee? The dates are important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: We are talking about an absolute final date of the end of March. Is that fair?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: That is fine. I thank Ms Luddy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I fully accept that once the legislation has been referred to the committee, the timeline will be somewhat out of the Minister's hands. However, a clear commitment has been given this morning that the heads of the Bill will be referred to the committee by the end of March.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I welcome that commitment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: That is fine. This is a crucial point. I welcome the Minister, Ms Luddy and the other officials. When the task force on vaccination was set up and Professor Brian MacCraith was being appointed, was a tendering process gone through?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: On the legislation to provide for safe zones, this matter needs to be dealt with. We have seen what has happened to politicians recently. It is very similar to what is happening around facilities where terminations are being offered. That is not acceptable and needs to be dealt with urgently. Women who are going through a difficult period and the trauma of going for a termination for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Review of Scope and Structure of Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act: Engagement with Minister for Health (8 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I am taking this as a commitment by the Minister that the legislation will be before the committee by the end of March. I thank the Minister.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I commend the people in the emergency services today who are going out and risking their lives. They are doing so to save lives and to keep our communities safe. On 4 January 2014, the west coast of Clare, including my parish and Lahinch, was ravaged by the sea. Damage to both public and private property amounted to millions of euro, but thankfully we rebuilt. We have one of the best rock...

Seanad: Covid-19 and the New Measures (Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (7 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Covid-19 and the New Measures (Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (7 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister to the House. As he knows, there is a storm hitting County Clare now. It is at its peak as we speak. I hope Lahinch will be spared the drumming it got back in 2014, simply because of the €12 million invested by a Fine Gael-led Government in the rock armoury. We are now in a far better position to weather the storm than we were. The lesson is that Ireland is...

Seanad: Maternity-Paternity Leave for County and City Councillors: Motion (7 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: I commend Senator O'Loughlin for this excellent initiative. As somebody who shares the panel with us, I know the Cathaoirleach is very much committed to achieving as much as we can for the community that elects us to the Seanad. It is very appropriate that the Minister of State is here. We have been in government for a year and a half. During that period of time, we have seen the package...