Results 1,881-1,900 of 2,438 for speaker:Caít Keane

Seanad: Order of Business (3 May 2012)

Caít Keane: We have discussed obesity in the House for some time and Senator Eamonn Coghlan is doing much work on it. I bring to the attention of the House a study which has found that children who are breast-feed for the first six months are less likely to be obese when they reach nine years of age. Growing Up in Ireland was a wide-ranging study of 8,500 nine year olds and 11,000 nine month olds. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 May 2012)

Caít Keane: Do they? I thank Senator Brennan for that information. I ask the Minister for Health to consider setting up some facility in hospitals to educate first-time mothers. Some time ago, formula manufacturers could go into hospitals to promote their wares in little bags and hand them out to first-time mothers to disincentivise them from breast-feeding. That no longer goes on but what was not put...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 May 2012)

Caít Keane: I have one question. Less-educated and poorer mothers are particularly at risk of not knowing the benefits of breast-feeding. I am not calling for a debate but for a report from the Minister for Health on what action he will take to ensure information is made available in hospitals and in schools and that the La Leche League, a voluntary body, is consulted and asked for its expertise, which...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 May 2012)

Caít Keane: One more minute.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 May 2012)

Caít Keane: One second. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has set up a new group on child care and this should be part of its remit because it will be dealing with preschool and will be making recommendations. I ask that it consider this issue.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 May 2012)

Caít Keane: I am delighted to speak on this Bill and commend Senator Power on bringing it forward. I am delighted to speak after Senator Byrne who asked us not to pat him on the head, etc. l remind him that this legislation is long overdue. He said 172 years. Who was in power last? Why was it not introduced when it was very necessary and when the Equality Authority, society and all the groups in the...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 May 2012)

Caít Keane: To the best of my knowledge, not one Fine Gael Private Members' Bill was accepted by Fianna Fáil. Mary Harney accepted the legislation brought forward by Senator Bacik on female genital mutilation. That is Fianna Fáil's record, so Senator Byrne should not lecture me or anybody on this side of the House on accepting Bills.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 May 2012)

Caít Keane: Senator Byrne should not accuse me or anyone on this side of the House of patting him on the head. We are serious about this Bill. I remind him that before Senator Power brought it in, it was in the programme for Government and was agreed by both parties in government. I was not going to say that in deference to Senator Power but as Senator Byrne made a political football of it, I decided...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 May 2012)

Caít Keane: On 11 April, the Minister for Education and Skills made an announcement, which was welcomed by the chairperson of the Equality Authority, Ms Angela Kerins, that section 37(1)(b) of the Employment Equality Act would be amended to ensure it cannot be used to discriminate against lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers. Section 37(1)(b) is not explicit in regard to gay and bisexual people but Ms...

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 May 2012)

Caít Keane: Naming an organisation would confine the legislation. The CSO recently published figures revealing that one in five weddings taking place in this country is civil. Not all of these will be humanist. The Minister outlined the organisations that have already been defined. That law was passed by Senator Walsh's Government. The definition that applied previously will continue to apply. If...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2012)

Caít Keane: I support Senators Norris and MacSharry who have called for a debate on church and State. While we had a good debate yesterday on pluralism in education it would be valuable to have a debate on church and State. Senator Norris said he knew of several cases of homophobic bullying by clergy. If any Senator knows of anything of this nature, the onus is on them to do their level best to ensure...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2012)

Caít Keane: Where is the Kerry connection?

Seanad: Rural Development (1 May 2012)

Caít Keane: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon.

Seanad: Coimheas Dalta-Múinteoir (1 May 2012)

Caít Keane: Go raibh míle maith agat. An bhful ceist agat, a Sheanadóra?

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Caít Keane: I thank the Minister for his statement on the report, which I listened to on the monitor in my office. While I welcome the review of rule 68 perhaps the Minister will tell us what is to be put in its place. During the late 1990s I was a member of a Dublin group on the separation of Church and State which was discussing this issue at that time. However, it is only now being implemented. My...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 May 2012)

Caít Keane: It is not there now.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Caít Keane: What this section does is make us all think about the necessity for child care, preschool and after school care. In 1995 and 1996, when I was a member of the old expert working group on child care set up by the previous government, this was being discussed. I compliment the Minister on putting this issue on the table and I compliment the Government on setting up the Department of Children...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Caít Keane: I wish to make a contribution on the section.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Caít Keane: On the generality of what the Minister said-----

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Caít Keane: I know.