Results 1-20 of 1,214 for speaker:Ann Ormonde

Seanad: Death of Former Members: Expressions of Sympathy. (12 Sep 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I, too, wish to express my sympathy to the families of the late David Molony and Michael Queally. I did not know David Molony, but wish to be associated with the many tributes paid to him. I knew Michael Queally, not as a politician, but as a friend. His late mother and my late mother were best friends. He never discussed politics with my father when they were having their drinks – he was...

Seanad: An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Fiche ar an mBunreacht, 2002: An Dara Céim. Twenty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (12 Sep 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I am pleased to see the Acting Chairman back and will be delighted tomorrow to see his position as Leas-Chathaoirleach formalised. I also welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, to the Chamber.

Seanad: Education Funding: Motion (9 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I welcome the Minister and wish him well in his new portfolio. I know he will be competent in this post because he comes from an education background and no area of first, second or third level education will be daunting for him. When I was involved in second and third level education in the 1980s, I remember the dark days of cutbacks, high unemployment and massive emigration. Since then...

Seanad: Education Funding: Motion (9 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I can make a contribution on any aspect of education and if the Senator wants to contradict me, we can have it out. I want to highlight the Education Welfare Board established in 1999 which put in place welfare officers to deal with regular attendance. We have also created the statutory advisory disadvantage committee to deal with integrated education, which I am pleased to say is what we...

Seanad: Education Funding: Motion (9 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: What we have to do at second level is prepare children to allow every single one to have that access to training and resources to bring them up to standard to get into third level education. That is a fact of life, it is reality. I only deal with facts; I am good at them and that has always been my forte. Special education increases according to my notes – if I can find them—

Seanad: Education Funding: Motion (9 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I do not need them, but I want to make sure I get the right facts. In the special education area we increased the number of special resource teachers from 104 to 1,550 and the number of special needs assistants from 300 to 2,821.

Seanad: Education Funding: Motion (9 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: We have also made efforts to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio and introduced a programme of psychological services. I am the first to admit it is still weak and I will be telling the Minister that I want to ensure there are educational psychologists in every region providing us with links to the schools. We have not got it right, but we will because I will make sure that we do. I will be...

Seanad: Address by President of the European Parliament. (10 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I also welcome President Cox. He has certainly given us the long history of Ireland's association with Europe. He highlighted the huge investment in education, the equality legislation and the environmental infrastructure that has brought this country to its present state and given it an improved quality of life. He has referred to the point I want to raise. We all know the core of the Treaty...

Seanad: European Union (Scrutiny) Bill, 2001 changed from European Union Bill, 2001: Second Stage. (16 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I am my party's spokesperson on European affairs and I am on a learning curve. I am a good listener and I have decided to put away my prepared script and speak about the little knowledge I gleaned from the two Nice referendum campaigns. There is an element of truth in the view that the first referendum was lost because of dissatisfaction with the democratic deficit and with the fact that...

Seanad: European Union (Scrutiny) Bill, 2001 changed from European Union Bill, 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (16 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs for bringing this timely Bill to the House. It was well overdue. I thank the Labour Party for initiating it last year. It is clear today that there is a consensus in the House and I hope it will have an impact on the final Nice referendum on Saturday.

Seanad: Sub-committee of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges: Motion (Resumed). (24 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: In both the previous Seanad and the Seanad before that there were people of great experience such as Professor Joe Lee and Maurice Manning, who researched this question of Seanad reform and did quite a lot of homework on it. All the points I would make have been made already. That said, I did a lot of thinking on it. There is no fixed answer to this but it is an open debate.

Seanad: Sub-committee of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges: Motion (Resumed). (24 Oct 2002)

Ann Ormonde: That is why we are all here. We should keep contributing to this debate because when the Seanad was set up 60 years ago the concept was one of reflection, and it has not changed. Society has changed greatly, yet our system has not been adapted to cope with those changes.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: Christy Burke.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: Not "late".

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: Not in Killarney.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I would welcome a debate on the progress made in education over the past five years. It will highlight what has been achieved and what will be done. I will have no difficulty in defending the programme for education. I also support the calls for a debate on planning and the role of An Bord Pleanála. I can cite many examples of the transparency of the board and the role of inspectors.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: The Senator is all for the birds.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: It has put Fine Gael in a spin.

Seanad: European Communities (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Order for Second Stage. (20 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now." Question put and agreed to.

Seanad: European Communities (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (20 Nov 2002)

Ann Ormonde: I join other Senators in welcoming the Minister of State. I wish him well in his ministerial portfolio and look forward to working with him on European policy issues. When I was given the assignment of speaking in the debate on this Bill and got down to researching and studying the matter with the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs, my initial feeling was one of being somewhat...