Results 1-20 of 459 for speaker:Phil Prendergast

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (20 Apr 2011)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes to the House and wish him well in his brief. I listened to his speech earlier. I did not hear Senator Boyle's speech, but I am sure he will fill me in on anything that I missed. The fact that the IMF-EU-ECB troika has just completed its quarterly review of our finances gives us a fairly good idea of where we are at. The economy is on a...

Seanad: European Directives: Motion (20 Apr 2011)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister to the House. The necessity of the European Union directive on the retention of passenger data is unquestionable. Like enterprise and governance, crime and terrorism have become globalised. We are all aware of that. A co-ordinated international response, therefore, is required. The retention of passenger name data has been used to thwart terrorism, drug smuggling...

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Apr 2011)

Phil Prendergast: It is my last day and contribution here. I have been delighted to have been part of the 23rd Seanad and would like to wish everybody that is going forward for election the best. On the Nyberg report, which cost €1.2 million to tell us what we knew, and the herding and group-think but were the key drivers of financial instability, there was no collective consciousness in that regard....

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: In tabling the amendment, we agree that when a patient who is competent to consent refuses consent that refusal should be accepted.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: There is no question about that and an issue is not raised. However, and this might address the concerns expressed, where a patient is genuinely unable to consent there is no reason for an absolute legal rule prohibiting any one form of medical treatment. Someone else must make a competent decision on behalf of a person or patient who is unable to consent. This is where Senator Boyle's...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: I believe it does.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: With regard to a second signatory or where a second opinion is sought, it is never only two psychiatrists and a person in need of the procedure involved; it always involves a multidisciplinary team and involves discussion with the family, occupational therapists, general practitioners, public health nurses, psychiatric nurses and community psychiatric nurses. It does not involve just one person.

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: It is in the most part and I speak with some degree of authority. I agree with Senator Corrigan that if a second opinion is sought, particularly with regard to something as important as ECT, that second opinion is a genuine second opinion and is not a signature or a rubber stamp that one psychiatrist concurs with the opinion of another. This does not happen. The person is genuinely...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, before section 2, to insert the following new section: "2.—Section 59 of the Mental Health Act 2001 is amended in subsection (1)(b) by the deletion of "or unwilling".". It gives me great pleasure to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House; it is a great honour to do so. I wish her well in her tenure as Minister of State and I am...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: I congratulate all those who were elected to Dáil Éireann, especially Senators from the Labour Party benches which, as Senators will note, are virtually empty. I welcome Senator Darragh O'Brien who will, I am sure, make a valuable contribution to the House. I concur with the views expressed on the new Government which will have to work hard. Politicians who sought election on a platform...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (8 Mar 2011)

Phil Prendergast: On behalf of the Labour Party, I would like to be associated with the tributes paid to the late Willie Farrell. I am sure the family is immensely proud to hear the details of what he did during his life, although I am sure it will not capture enough of the essence of the man. He had a long and distinguished career. As has been mentioned, anyone who can overcome a disability and turn it...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jan 2011)

Phil Prendergast: The former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, is on record as saying the buck stopped with her regarding any Health Service Executive decisions. Will the Leader ask the Tánaiste and acting caretaker of the Department of Health and Children to put a stay on all processes relating to the reconfiguring of the integrated service areas or the transferring of such services by the...

Seanad: Water Services: Motion (12 Jan 2011)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister. Not for the first time the House is experiencing déjÀ vu because, as the motion points out, we had the same debate this time last year following the extraordinary conditions that affected the country over the Christmas period. I am sure this sense of déjÀ vu was felt more acutely and painfully by the hundreds of thousands of householders, elderly people, care...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I welcome the Minister. There are some excellent initiatives in this Bill. We are largely supportive of these measures, although I hope the transfer of functions from FÁS to the Department of Social Protection will not delay the improvement of jobs and training initiatives. We have made the point many times that there has been a slowness in this regard but we look forward as best we can....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: I acknowledge this is a person-centred policy but I also know that some people would not chose to have the landlord paid directly but would prefer to go somewhere else with the money. I have in mind a particular cohort of tenants, older men in their late 60s living in flats in the city centre who are very content with their arrangements and would not wish to go into accommodation supplied by...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: Perfect. I thank the Minister as this was not quite clear. Like Senator McFadden, on many occasions I have been called to visit people who are living in very unsuitable accommodation. I called to see a young mother with a two-year old child. She accessed her flat by means of an iron stairwell at the back of a premises. The lower ground level window was broken and rats were running around...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: From Tipperary.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: Yes.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: Yes.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2010: Second Stage (15 Dec 2010)

Phil Prendergast: No, there is a problem. That person came back because her father became infirm. She has not received a carer's allowance. An appeal is pending which was to be heard in October. I spoke to the gentleman in the Department who is very nice. He told me they would treat the matter with urgency but it is now nearly Christmas.