Results 1-20 of 2,438 for speaker:Caít Keane

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (2 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire chuig an Teach. Táim an-bhródúil as an deis labhairt do mo chéad uair sa Teach ar an Bhille seo. Inniu, tá deis againn, ní amháin caint agus obair a dhéanamh ar son mná na hÉireann ach ar son mná an domhain. Táim an-bhródúil a bheith páirteach sa díospóireacht seo. On my first opportunity to speak in this House, I am delighted to be afforded...

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I propose it.

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus gabhbaim buíochas as an méid atá ráite aige. Bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh ansin agus luaigh sé an gabhar agus an síoda. Níl an gabhar agus níl an síoda ar an taobh seo Tí ach tá na Seanadóirí ar nos an ghabhair dhaill ar an taobh sin den Teach agus é ina luí. I am delighted this debate is being held. Given that...

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: If the Senator will allow me the courtesy of being able to say a few words, he can then tell me who engaged in the speculation. We all know who said what because the media have covered the issue. The Minister has responded loud and clear and given a good insight into what is proposed. The final decision has not been made, but we have been informed about the level of the free water...

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: Yes, it is. There would be a significant environmental benefit to the State in not having to treat as much water. That has been shown by a cost-benefit analysis and it has also been shown that there would be a carbon-saving element also. I refer to electricity, chlorination and other water treatments with which we are polluting the environment. We pay a great deal of money for that and...

Seanad: Progress on the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language: Statements (9 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I wish to give one minute of my time to an Seanadóir Terry Brennan.

Seanad: Progress on the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language: Statements (9 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: Táimid ag caint inniu faoin straitéis tábhachtach seo, an straitéis 20 bliain, agus an straitéis trí bliana chun an obair a dhéanamh agus an straitéis a chur i bhfeidhm. Aithnítear go hidirnáisiúnta an fiúntas a bhaineann a bhaineann le héagsúlacht theangeolaíoch. Caithfear, mar sin, teangacha cosúil leis an nGaeilge a chosaint chun éagsúlacht cultúr a choinneáil ar fud...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I welcome my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, and thank Senator Jim D'Arcy for sharing time. Will the Minister of State review the provision in the Finance Bill (No. 2) 2011 whereby the level of guaranteed income required for entry into an approved retirement fund, ARF, is being increased from €12,000 to €18,000? The conditions of qualification for...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: It could take 20 years.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I do not want to speak specifically on the recommendations but to raise the issue concerning ARFs which I brought to the Minister of State's attention yesterday. I am raising a different angle on ARFs, namely, the increase from €12,000 to €18,000 in the minimum amount required for qualification for entry into a fund. Senator O'Brien spoke about those on the upper echelons of the scale...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I wish to raise an important issue on behalf of the deaf community, namely, Irish sign language. I am not referring to signing in Irish but the sign language and culture of the deaf community. It is an old language, having been first established in Ireland in 1846, but it is not recognised. It is in the programme for Government which states that it will examine different mechanisms to...

Seanad: Housing Market: Motion (22 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, to the House. This is a very important issue. In Ireland, speaking about houses and land is close to everybody's heart. No one depicted better than John B Keane in "The Field" how important a field is to a person. Considering this, how much more important is one's house and home? I differentiate between house and home, as has the...

Seanad: Housing Market: Motion (22 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: The programme for Government includes initiatives, and I will give Fianna Fáil credit for what it did in the past, which was mentioned by Senator MacSharry. Schemes are being examined and I ask the Minister of State to elaborate on personal debt, support for those who need assistance, mortgage interest supplement, MABS, the code of conduct for mortgage relief - which is not on a statutory...

Seanad: Housing Market: Motion (22 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I will be good and I will sit down. We all need to take this motion seriously. Nobody owns sympathy for mortgage owners as everybody feels sympathy for them.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I hope to speak for the same time as other Senators.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: I will be as brief as possible, even if the issue I raise is an important one. Senators need to put some order on the Order of Business, which should be renamed the "Disorder of Business" as it goes all over the place. We all read the newspapers and follow daily news reports and while it is enjoyable to listen to Senators raise various newsworthy issues for two hours on the Order of...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: We should set out ten ways in which we would have a more orderly Order of Business which would deliver result. We must define and communicate to the public what is the purpose of the House, rather than having Senators engage in a chat across the floor on topical issues with a view to featuring on the "Oireachtas Report" programme. I would prefer if, at the end of each week, we could show...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Caít Keane: Caithfidh mé cúpla focail á rá sa teanga Gaeilge. Ba cheart dúinn aon iarracht gur féidir linn a dhéanamh chun na doiciméid seo a chur ar fáil sa dá theanga ag an am céanna as seo amach. I hope we have learned our lesson. This is my first time in the House and I hope in the future we will see a version of a Bill in the first language of the country available at the same time. I...

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Caít Keane: I thank Senator O'Neill. I will speak quickly but I have something important to say on the food legislation. Senator Feargal Quinn spoke about one type of technology, the GM. I will speak about another type of technology that is not mentioned in the report, that is, nanotechnology and its application in the food sector and particularly for the consumer. Nanotechnology is the science of...

Seanad: Irish Sign Language (5 Jul 2011)

Caít Keane: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this matter in which I am representing the deaf community. In Ireland, apart from English and Irish perhaps the most significant other language is Irish sign language. The Irish deaf community regards Irish sign language as its primary language. It is the language of the deaf community and the word "Irish" in its name has...