Results 19,121-19,140 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the Minister to the House for this important debate, which has occupied much of the psyche of the Irish nation in the recent months. Today is not the day to focus on the past campaign, but I have no doubt that theses and many studies will be done on the dynamics of that campaign and what exactly happened. There is quite a story to be told about it, about the dynamics and funding...

Seanad: Stardust Tragedy: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the motion before the House, which has the agreement of Members on all sides of the House. I also welcome the important points that are made in the motion, which states: That Seanad Éireann: - notes the report of the independent examination by Mr. Paul Coffey SC of the concerns of the Stardust Victims Committee in relation to the investigation of the cause of the fire disaster; -...

Seanad: Enforcement of Court Orders (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Enforcement of Court Orders (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: If I correctly understand what the Minister of State said, the amendments will bring those sections into play immediately the Bill is passed.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: We support much of what is in the Bill. I did not get an opportunity to speak during the debate on Second Stage. I pay tribute to the work of those agencies that will come under the remit of the Department. The work of the board and staff of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency has been exemplary in recent months and years.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: The rate of abortion has gone down in this country, which is a very welcome development. The initiatives the agency has taken have been superb. Its work has been based on research and its literature has been excellent. I hope the Minister of State will ensure that the kind of work the agency did, and the initiative that it was able to show, will continue within the structures under which...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: No, I am speaking about section 63 of this Bill.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: The changes being made in this Bill are being made on foot of the High Court case. The Bill does not set out in statutory form the qualifications required by personnel in this area. I do not wish to cast any aspersions on the people currently carrying out this work but there have been many scandals in the UK and elsewhere arising out of the privatisation of parts of the health service,...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Minister of State said it references the other amendments and has spoken to them.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. The Minister of State said the amendments relate to sections 62, 63 and a number of others. I am addressing them now as the Minister of State said these sections are to be implemented immediately after the Bill has been passed.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are implications for the sections to which I am speaking arising out of those amendments. That is the key concern we have about this legislation. We are also concerned this is being introduced separate to mental health legislation and does not put on a statutory footing the issue of standards. Can the Minister of State reassure us that there will not be future difficulties or abuses...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Where a dispute or incident arises about which there is concern will this be investigated by the Health Service Executive or the Mental Health Commission? The Minister of State said that the Mental Health Commission does not have a statutory responsibility in this area but it does have an interest here. When the legislation in this regard is being drafted it will be important to ensure...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: The problems arise at a later stage.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday in this House there was an attempt to take All Stages of two Bills. That is clearly bad practice and I hope it will not happen here again. Next week, the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill will come into the House. Whatever approach one takes to that Bill - Fine Gael supports many aspects of it - there is an ever-growing view that not enough time is being given to debating it and...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is not just the economy that the Government cannot manage, but the business of the Seanad and the Dáil. How else can one explain what is happening today in the Seanad, with all Stages of two Bills being taken?. It would appear from the way the Leader has announced the Order of Business that there is no break between Second Stage and Committee Stage of the Enforcement of Court Orders...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will be opposing the Order of Business in regard to the management of the work of the House today.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: All Stages are being taken on the same day.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 Jul 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: All Stages of a Bill are being taken today. That is not a misunderstanding.