Results 19,421-19,440 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald
- Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: On a point of order, the Leader had ample opportunity to talk to us last week.
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: I met him before the Order of Business last week.
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: On a point of order, it is poor form on the part of the Leader to create a smokescreen about the decision-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: He has not given an explanation as to why he took the decision yesterday and he created a smokescreen-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: -----about a meeting that I attended but which he had left, as Senator Twomey will confirm.
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: I take the business of the Seanad, namely, our discussions, debates and the work we do, very seriously. I am outraged at the idea that this House did not meet yesterday to facilitate a game of golf. That is simply not acceptable. The public is so disillusioned that we had pensioners throwing eggs at the AIB board at its EGM in Dublin today. People are unemployed. It is simply not...
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to put that on record. The first I heard of this is when a journalist called me last night to ask if we had agreed to the House not meeting to facilitate a game of golf. Of course, that is not true. Last week in this House I called for debates on the protection of children. I called for debates on the amendment to the Constitution on children. My colleagues called for debates on a...
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to make it absolutely clear there was no discussion with the Opposition on the sitting date.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: As far as I am aware, there have been no discussions with me or anyone else on this side of House.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: I want to make clear that there were no discussions-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: -----about the changes to the Tuesday sittings.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: There were no discussions about the changes to Tuesday sittings. The Leader stated to the media that the Seanad will not sit on Tuesdays in the month of May. Is there no legislation coming from the Government? Is there no business coming from the Government? Are there no debates on the list, in spite of the many debates that we have called for here, including debates on the economy, that...
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: Small business representatives stated today that 48% of them could not get credit last year, and that this has risen to 58% this year. Jobs are being lost all around us and we need to be debating these important issues, highlighting solutions and talking about the Fine Gael jobs plan in this House on a daily basis while we are sitting. There is no need to cut the sittings of this House to...
- Seanad: Swine Flu Outbreak: Statements (6 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to share time with Senator Liam Twomey. I thank the Minister for coming to the House to brief Senators on the situation regarding influenza A(H1 N1). I pay tribute to the medical experts in the Department of Health and Children, particularly the chief medical officer, Dr. Tony Holohan, and his team, for their excellent leadership on this issue, the crisis management provisions...
- Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: There is no doubt that the major concern for families is the appalling job losses which are affecting almost every family in the State. However, there are other issues of concern with regard to children and I wish to raise three of those issues. I wish to table an amendment to the Order of Business, that the Minister for Health and Children should come to the House today to discuss these...
- Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: This is disgraceful, if we are putting children's rights at the centre of our agenda. My final point is on the child care places. Child care providers do not know how many places will be available, are not happy about the costings that have been done and feel they will not be able to run their centres with the costings the Department has put out. These are three very serious issues about...
- Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: This is the Order of Business.
- Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2009)
Frances Fitzgerald: It is all fine when it is going Fianna Fáil's way.