Results 19,341-19,360 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Statements (27 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I hope it will be included in the Government recommendations.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is not much evidence of it.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Three of the 18 congregations are now responding to the Government and there is a Government response urging the congregations to act on ethical grounds and make an appropriate response at this point. I commend The Irish Times today for giving people a forum in which to air their views and thoughts at the disgust people feel about what has been unveiled by the Ryan commission. I welcome the...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: We need him to take charge of the issue of child protection because as the report from the HSE yesterday makes absolutely clear, child protection services at present — I do not speak of the past — are dysfunctional and in disarray, and action is needed immediately. I want to ask the Leader three questions. Is he satisfied that both Houses will be in recess when the Minister of State at...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Is the Department of Finance in a position to make resources available to deal with the enormous child protection issues? There are thousands of cases of children who are not being assessed at present who are reported as being at risk. What is the Government's response to the HSE report published yesterday? These are three serious questions. The issue of child protection is a national...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I ask the Leader to bring that view to Government from this side of the House and to ask for an immediate action plan. I hope we will begin to hear this afternoon from the Minister some preliminary steps on that action plan. We need an action plan that deals with the short-term, medium-term and long-term issues as well as the vast array of issues that arises about institutional violence...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Leader for arranging the debate tomorrow on the Ryan commission report. It is appropriate that the House should debate the report, although obviously there is a great deal of reading in the five volumes. This should be the first of a number of debates on this document and it should be just the initial stage of a comprehensive response from the House to the content of the Ryan...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: The country is reeling since yesterday from the revelations contained in the Ryan report. It is hard to look at the pictures in The Irish Times today of the institutions in question and to read and listen to the words of the victims. If it is hard for us to listen one can only imagine what it was like to experience the physical and sexual abuse, the ongoing trauma and the inability to...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Has the Leader received a commitment from Government that legislation will be introduced in the House on a more frequent basis than has been the case to date this term? The report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, which has been sitting for ten years, will be available this afternoon. The commission examined the abuse suffered by hundreds of children in institutions throughout...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday, we heard from Senator Healy Eames about a young autistic boy in Galway who needs to be cared for in a special class because of a mild disability. He can be cared for nowhere else except in a special class. Such classes are being withdrawn all over the country. These children are not getting the care they need. There are hundreds of children at risk of being abused whose cases...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (20 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: That is right. Will the Government guarantee the money?

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to share time with Senator Joe O'Toole.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome this debate. The support of Members for the aid programme has been well articulated, as has their concern about the cutbacks. It is important to put on the record how the crisis is affecting the poorest countries. It is the general view that the cutbacks in which the Government has engaged have been directed at an easy target because there are no votes involved. However, it is...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Last week I said we needed a debate on the scheduling of the work of this House for the remainder of the term. I called for a vote on the matter but, unfortunately, it was defeated. Today I shall move an amendment to the Order of Business proposing we have such a discussion. I raise this point because it is extremely important that we ask about the Government's approach to the Seanad. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I raise, first the disrespect shown to the House; second, the lack of information given to the House; and third, the problems this causes for the many people involved in these adoptions who are greatly concerned about the matter. If the Minister of State had brought that information to this House it would have been helpful and we might have discussed it. None of us wishes to exaggerate the...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Will the Leader raise that with the Minister and other Ministers when they come to the Seanad? They must take this House seriously, deal with the issues we raise and respond to the debates and points made on this side of the House. Some weeks ago we called for a debate on the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA. Unfortunately, that vote was defeated and it would have been a worthwhile...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is quite clear there should have been a discussion in the House on NAMA. Many Members of the House have a great deal to say about it. Fine Gael has a position on the Government's recommendations in this area which we would welcome an opportunity to debate. That is a debate we need to have which would be very relevant and of enormous concern to many people who are seeking loans from...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: These are critical issues for the public, which we need an opportunity to debate so that we may talk in this House for the remainder of the term about the real issues such as unemployment and the health services.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Senator should talk to the Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.