Results 1-20 of 764 for speaker:Kathryn Reilly

Seanad: Tourism Sector: Motion (1 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I second the Sinn Féin amendment. Ours is a small island of only 6 million people on the periphery of Europe, yet the Irish and Ireland are celebrated and known globally. For example, Cavan was the second most searched place in the world for accommodation earlier in the year because of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which will take place again in August this year, as Senator Labhras Ó...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I support Senator Quinn's comments on the food export industry. With the outbreak of E.coli in Europe and the many deaths caused by haemolytic-uraemic syndrome, a complication arising from it, will the Leader organise a debate on food, particularly country-of-origin labelling? While such labelling is a requirement for beef, fruit and vegetables, it is not so for pigmeat, poultry and...

Seanad: Jobs Initiative and Competitiveness: Statements (Resumed) (8 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I echo the comments of other speakers. I welcome the Minister and also the establishment of the Ministry for small business. It is crucial. While I welcome the focus on improving job creation and job retention in this State, we cannot allow the illusion to be created that it will solve the unemployment crisis. The jobs initiative was, in the words of the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, a...

Seanad: Third Level Fees (8 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I thank the Minister of State for taking my Adjournment matter on third level fees. Today 58,795 students across the State sat down to their leaving certificate and leaving certificate applied examinations. Six years ago I was one of those students. With my CAO form completed and submitted, I could prepare for college because the absence of third level fees opened up endless possibilities...

Seanad: Third Level Fees (8 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: Students will be charged €2,000 again this year but there is uncertainty about what will happen in 2012 and 2013. The Minister of State said the HEA is working on a report which the Minister commissioned. Will the Minister outline the terms of reference for the new report to both Houses of the Oireachtas, given the Hunt report has already been published? It would be beneficial to all...

Seanad: Third Level Fees (8 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: Will the Minister of State ask the Minister to outline the terms of reference to the House? Will he consider opening a consultation process on the findings of the report?

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I echo the sentiments of my colleagues who condemned the abuses in the Rostrevor nursing home. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health to the House to discuss not only abuses in nursing homes but also abuses across all institutions of the Health Service Executive, including general and psychiatric hospitals. He should seek to carry out a review of historical cases of abuse that...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Statements (14 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and echo the sentiments of my colleagues. Language support teachers and resource teachers for special needs students provide services to those most in need. We discussed investment in education and how much it has increased in recent years, but we must remember that it is not a niche interest or a luxury addition to our education system. It is...

Seanad: Death of Former Minister: Expressions of Sympathy (15 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I thank the Government for affording us the opportunity to express our sympathies on the passing of Brian Lenihan. His death was met with great sadness, not only within the Fianna Fáil party but throughout the political spectrum and the island, not only in this State. I extend my sympathies on behalf of the Sinn Féin party to Brian's wife, Patricia, his son, Tom, his daughter, Clare, his...

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

Kathryn Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, and prior to her the other Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, to the Chamber. This week marks the first 100 days of the Government which was elected by the people with an unprecedented majority to lead in a time of crisis and to deliver change. However, the Finance Bill comprises just 14 pages, fails to deliver change and hope and is...

Seanad: General Practitioner Services (15 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I thank Senator Wilson for sharing time with me on this issue. As he mentioned, Ballinagh has only had a brand new health centre in the past few years and it provides critical services to the local community. The removal of the GP service in the area will inflict a significant blow not just on Ballinagh but on the surrounding areas. What is the guarantee that other towns like Kilnaleck,...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I would like to support the amendment to the Order of Business. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House to discuss his plans for third level student grants and the delays suffered by students across the State. The Minister has said that although the existing 66 awarding bodies will continue to process grants in 2011 and 2012, a single unified...

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

Kathryn Reilly: I will add a few brief comments on the section, which I support. While we wholeheartedly support the reduction in the lower rate of VAT, we have some concerns about the programme for Government commitment to limit the top rate of VAT to 23% and the effect this will have on retail and trade and ultimately on jobs, especially in the Border areas, if people start going North to do their...

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

Kathryn Reilly: I want to express my opposition to section 4, the central tenet of which is the imposition of a 0.6% pension levy. I will address the amendment shortly. The pension levy is not about burden sharing on an equitable basis. It is deeply inequitable and, because it excludes approved retirement funds used by higher earners to invest in their pensions, we are opposed to it. It makes no...

Seanad: International Agreements (16 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: The Aarhus Convention was signed by Ministers of European countries on 25 June 1998 and came into force in October 2001. It stands on the three pillars of access to information, public participation and access to justice, which are provided for under Articles 4 to 9. The convention aims to strengthen the role of members of the public and environmental organisations through giving them the...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I call on the Leader to bring the Minister for Health before the House to discuss a report published this morning which claims that a previously undisclosed form of brutal child birth surgery was used on Irish women for several decades. The document details the practice of pubiotomy, in which the pubic bone of a woman in labour was cut to facilitate difficult births, instead of Caesarean...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I second the amendment proposed by Senator Cullinane. Last week the Leader stated that the House is to engage in a debate on food labelling in the next three weeks. Will he indicate when this debate will proceed and identify the Minister or Minister of State who will come before the House to take it? I am sure every Member has received a copy of the report circulated by the IFA - which it...

Seanad: Jobs Initiative and Competitiveness: Statements (Resumed) (22 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: There is a jobs crisis in our community which can be seen every day on the streets, standing on dole queues, and getting on planes saying goodbye to their native land. Our people demand to be brought back to work and in order to meet this demand we need investment proportionate to the crisis we are facing. We need to invest in our economy to deliver employment and increase competitiveness...

Seanad: European Affairs: Statements (22 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: I welcome the Minister to the House and echo the sentiments of my colleagues on the importance of the ministry for European affairs. I hope that with the permission of the Leader we will have regular debates with the Minister on issues of importance, given the current flux in European affairs. The European Union has an odd relationship with the concept of innovation. If points were awarded...

Seanad: Housing Market: Motion (22 Jun 2011)

Kathryn Reilly: Sinn Féin welcomes this motion. Every Member recognises the problems facing homeowners today. Circumstances have deteriorated further since the motion was published. The Central Statistics Office reported that house prices continued to fall this month by 1.2%, by comparison with 1% in April. There was a fall of 12.2% over the year. There seems to be no end to the decline in property...