Results 221-240 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Drugs Task Forces (27 Feb 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs with responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs, Deputy Pat Carey, and thank him for taking this Adjournment matter regarding the need to outline the reason the benchmarking pay award has not been paid to some staff who work for local drugs task forces. It has been brought to my attention...

Seanad: Drugs Task Forces (27 Feb 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Minister of State said the LDTF has completed the template.

Seanad: Drugs Task Forces (27 Feb 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Does that mean it is not dependent on all the other drugs task forces completing the template? Can the Minister of State deal with the issue as each drugs task force completes the template?

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are a number of recurring themes we speak on in the Seanad across all parties. This morning I heard Pat Kenny on RTE read a letter from a woman who stated it was a very bad week for parents in Ireland. She was referring to the horrific deaths of the two Polish men — the second man has now died — caused by what appears to be a gang of young people. She was also referring to the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: The headline over one of the letters in The Irish Times today is "RTE's coverage of tribunal". I am respectful of the Cathaoirleach's guide with regard to tribunal business but this is an issue of the freedom of the media. I note the writer, John Cregan T.D., states he writes as Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. He writes that RTE's...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am concerned that a chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources would write this type of letter——

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: ——telling our national broadcaster how to respond to issues of the day and making such critical comments. Is there any other western democracy where the chairman of a communications committee would write this type of letter to a national newspaper? Will the Deputy Leader respond to my points on this issue? Does he support the view of the writer with regard to the coverage on RTE being...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: We read them every day.

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the Minister to the House. There have been many calls in recent weeks for her to come to the Seanad and to explain the action she has been taking. The reason Members on all sides wanted her to come was because of the concerns of the pharmacy sector. These concerns focus mainly on the risks to the community pharmacy sector. Pharmacists say that many pharmacies could close because...

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: In her address to the Joint Committee on Health and Children, Aisling Reast, a young pharmacist from Lucan, stated: Young pharmacists like me face financial ruin for wanting to play a key role in looking after our community's health. We want this issue to be resolved in a way that will ensure our patients will receive the service they need and that our members will be paid a fair rate for...

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Minister for her response. Is she prepared to extend the terms of reference of the independent body and enter into negotiations with the IPU in this regard in order that we can move forward? What effort is she prepared to make to resolve this dispute and try to get to a stage where the mechanism she has set up is accepted by all? The Minister in her reply did not deal with the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Three reports into the misdiagnosis of breast cancer in the Midland Regional Hospital will be published today. I was concerned when I heard this morning that the patients involved had not yet been contacted to be told that the reports were being published. I hope that is rectified before the press conference today at which the results will be announced. However, even if they are contacted...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday, I spoke about the reviews being done into the incidents in Portlaoise and asked for time in the House to discuss them. Having seen and read the reports and seen the commentary on them today, I am certain this House needs to spend time as soon as possible discussing them and analysing their implications for the Minister for Health and Children and the HSE and for how our health...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: The join-up of the Luas, due to open in 2008, does not have a completion date. The Luas extension from Connolly Station to the docklands is delayed by another year. The Luas Tallaght to Citywest route has been delayed from 2008 to 2010 at least. The Cork to Midleton commuter rail line has been delayed from this year to 2009. Portlaoise train depot, which was due to open last year, is...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I call on the Minister for Education and Science to outline a timeframe for the delivery of the proposed second level school for south Lucan, based on lands at Kishogue Cross, which the Department has agreed to in its submission to South Dublin County Council on the variations for the Clonburris local area action plan. I am glad to have the opportunity to raise this issue today and to ask...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: When the three reports on the situation at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise and the management of the crisis there were issued last week, I asked the Leader for a debate as soon as possible. Will he confirm whether that debate will take place this week? It is critical that we have an opportunity to discuss the details in the Fitzgerald report, which I hope everyone will read, and...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Given that the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, is awarding himself a substantial salary increase, thus bringing his salary to more than twice that of the United States Secretary of the Treasury, the least we should expect is that he come to this House for a debate. The Central Bank issued a warning yesterday that our competitiveness has slipped again, by some 5%....

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (11 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: On behalf of the Fine Gael group, I pay tribute to the former councillor, Senator and Deputy, the late Kit Ahern. She was a pioneering woman, one of the few women in Irish politics when she was first elected. She had a passionate commitment to rural Ireland, to the quality of life for women and a strong commitment to arts, culture and language. Her influence in many ways transcended party...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (11 Mar 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to seek a manual vote.