Results 19,841-19,860 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Obviously the focus in the United States has been very much on human rights. Yesterday I raised in the House the issue of human rights in Ireland with regard to the Irish Human Rights Commission and the changes to the Combat Poverty Agency and the Equality Authority. The Leader was not here yesterday, but I want to ask him to convey to the Government the concern of those on this side of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: ——fuelled by a Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government. This statement from AIB raises serious problems with the state of our economy. As I said yesterday, it is death by a thousand cutbacks. Where is the big plan? Where is the support to hard-pressed mortgage holders and small businesses? It is time we had the Minister for Finance in the House to tell us the plans. In view of...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Check the funding.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy Leader's announcement was very brief, which raises the question as to why so little legislation is coming through from the Government to this House. One must ask what is happening. We know what is happening on the financial side, namely, that the EU is taking on the Government over the enormous rise in borrowing and criticising its entire approach and does not believe the figures...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: How can a party that has long been concerned about human rights justify what is happening to these organisations——

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: ——and the disempowerment they are experiencing as a result of the cutbacks? If the Senator is not familiar with what is happening to those organisations, I urge him to make it his business to find out about the difficulties they are facing because of the Government's action. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business so that the Minister for Education and Science can come to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: The rip-off has not changed.

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Will the Minister confirm that each patient to be reviewed will have access to a mental health tribunal, with most having been before one already? With the new assessment and renewal to be made, will each patient have access to such a tribunal? It is interesting that the form ran into difficulties because it mentioned three-month, six-month and nine-month periods. I understand the Attorney...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: It pertained to the mental health tribunals.

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Minister for her contribution and for the briefing she and her officials provided earlier on the need for this legislation. This is obviously the best course to safeguard the health of those persons who have been involuntarily detained and in respect of whom there is uncertainty pending the outcome of the court case tomorrow. It is somewhat unusual to anticipate tomorrow's...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Chair for giving me an opportunity to raise this matter. Our schools are facing many problems at present. Schools in the Lucan area have been badly affected by the initiatives announced in the recent budget. I am concerned that many children in the Lucan and Clondalkin area are being educated in prefabricated buildings. Some of the schools in question were hoping to get...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Can the Minister of State give me any idea what the phrase "this project has a band rating of 1.1" actually means in terms of the timescale for the conclusion of the negotiations?

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Perhaps the Minister of State will ask the Department to contact the VEC.

Seanad: Health Promotion Priorities: Statements (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Minister of State for joining us here to discuss this area of health promotion priorities. This is the first debate in this session on this issue and it is very important. The Minister of State has covered a wide range of areas and we should return to particular areas, such as alcohol, smoking and obesity, in the Seanad because there are many reports covering different areas....

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: That is correct.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday, we saw people power at the gates of Leinster House, when tens of thousands of elderly people came to protest at the budget, as well as thousands of young people who also felt threatened by the decisions in the budget. The budget is unravelling and has become, as Deputy Enda Kenny has said, a discussion document. I am concerned about the figures contained in the budget, especially...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Senator is right.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: No it is not. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, has abandoned it.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Fianna Fáil bought into Progressive Democrats policy.