Results 1-20 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Seanad: Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Statements (2 Feb 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: It was an honour and a responsibility to be a member of the banking inquiry. I use the word "responsibility" advisedly because it was a difficult and at times a frustrating task. My wise colleague, Senator D'Arcy, described it as a partial report. That is a very good short version of what happened because it was partial for so many different reasons. I will refer to some of them. Before...

Seanad: Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Statements (2 Feb 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: Parliamentary inquiries are not perfect. If someone can show me the perfect inquiry, I will be the first to say it is the model we should use. In the meantime, we make the best of what we have. We improve and build on it and commit to the notion of accountability and transparency. The ideal of having parliamentary accountability is necessary. If we need to go back and ask the people in a...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (27 Jan 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: I express my thanks to Brian Friel for having lived his life and shared his great intellect and work with the rest of us. Like many others, I saw many of his plays during the decades and the one I valued the most and that spoke to me the most was "Translations". It had the capacity to draw in so many difficult strands, so many parts of our life, culture and history. To be able to create...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Archaeological Sites (14 Jan 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Cathaoirleach and welcome the Minister of State to the House. I want to ask about the Killery Graveyard in Ballintogher. I am not entirely sure whether it is correctly described as a graveyard or a burial ground and I appreciate that there is a difference. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has efficiently and properly written a fully report on the maintenance...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Archaeological Sites (14 Jan 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Minister of State for his response. He has rightly pointed to the great and extraordinary variation and richness of the built heritage in County Sligo. While I appreciate it is the responsibility of Sligo County Council and that the Department does not have the resources to take on additional sites at this time what is the criteria for such a site to be taken on by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (13 Jan 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the Chairman. Ms Norrie Neary's petition is very detailed and interesting. It relates to the use of patient information and the risks of electronic health records. The recommendation from this committee is that this petition be forwarded to the Joint Committee on Health and Children so that it can consider the petition fully and report back to this committee on its recommendations...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (13 Jan 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: It is worth reminding people that it is illegal to cycle on Luas lines which is part of the issue that has been raised here. Luas has said that, as it goes forward with further building, it will be very careful and mindful of cycle lanes. All of us on this committee and outside of this committee would encourage cycle lanes and want to see greater use of them. Therefore, petitions likes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (13 Jan 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: Might I add that this is a particularly good example of how the petitions committee has worked in terms of a petition with nearly 20,000 supporting petitioners. I remind the public that that is what we are here to do. When one accumulates people who want to submit a petition together then we will accept it and look at the matter. This is an important petition which will extend beyond the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (13 Jan 2016)

Susan O'Keeffe: As a member of this committee since its establishment, I am delighted that in one afternoon we have had somebody who is interested in the whole idea of commemorating and acknowledging success, as Deputy Boyd Barrett has said. There are also issues concerning equality in schools. It shows the range and depth of interest that members of the public have. This committee can examine a wide...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: As it is coming up to Christmas I draw attention to the plight of farmers, who have had a particularly difficult time. Other colleagues have raised the continuing flooding and, even though it has stopped raining, the damage that has been done around the countryside is very difficult for some farmers to bear. This comes on the heels of some of the revelations over the Irish Farmers...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Second Stage (17 Dec 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: The Minister is welcome to the House and as my colleague, Senator Henry, has just stated, his commitment to this Bill also is welcome. I believe this really should be a day that Members recognise as marking the beginning of a change in people's entire attitude and culture of praising alcohol, welcoming alcohol, encouraging people to have another drink and of encouraging people to celebrate...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: I support Senator Bacik's call for a debate on gender equality. When the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced his new cabinet it was 50% male and 50% female. When he was asked why he had done that, he said, "because it's 2015".There could be no better answer than that and he is right. Moreover, others may soon follow his fine example. I am not familiar with his politics and...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: And his intemperate language.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: The Senator is speaking now.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: Please, Senator Walsh.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: It is a constitutional matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: As usual, the Senator degrades the debate.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: What about cronyism?

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2015)

Susan O'Keeffe: There are great female authors.