Results 281-300 of 519 for speaker:Mary Ann O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I welcome the further much-needed step forward towards a new system of charity regulation that has been put in place by the Minister for Justice and Equality and his Department. The development is essential for the restoration and maintenance of public trust and confidence in our charities whose work now, more than ever and across many sectors, makes such a crucial and highly valued...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (7 May 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I welcome the motion tabled by the Labour Senators. I welcome Mr. Gary Lee from the Centre for Independent Living, Mr. John Dolan from the Disability Federation of Ireland and all of our guests this evening. I strongly support the statements of my fellow Senators as well as the necessary legislative and administrative requirements to ratify the...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (7 May 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I do not apologise for standing up to speak about medical cards because I do not think enough of us can discuss it. Today, Tuesday, nothing has changed. I welcome the Sinn Féin motion tabled in the Dáil this evening on discretionary medical cards. I welcome the news that the Joint Committee on Health will visit the medical card centre on Thursday next. Following these two...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (13 May 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health to come to the House or make a statement, because we simply cannot continue in this vein.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: As our economic challenges continue to be a huge reality in the lives of parliamentarians, I wish to highlight what I believe is a piece of low-hanging fruit, dressed up as the betting legislation. I urge the Leader to have a chat with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, about the status of the legislation and to note that its passage is vital to the industry and for the revenue it can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture and Fisheries Councils and Report on Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (10 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I have one quick question which is slightly left of field. It relates to fluoride. The Minister will head off to his European Union meeting next week. I had to leave earlier when we were discussing the milk quota and we have been discussing fisheries up to now. What is the Department's position on fluoride? Is the Department doing any studies or looking into the science on the effects of...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Transparency of Boards) Bill 2014: Second Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I welcome the Minister of State and his officials. I congratulate Senator Feargal Quinn on bringing the Bill before the House. I spoke to him about this legislation before this afternoon. As we are all aware, as a country we are still hugely burdened with a terrifying amount of debt. Many of our citizens are unemployed, many have huge mortgages, there is a great deal of homelessness and a...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: International Bodies Membership (17 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I thank the Minister of State for attending. Will the Minister for Education and Skills consider joining Ireland to the New York Academy Global Network and attending the global science, engineering, technology and mathematics, STEM, alliance international launch? This is due to happen at the United Nations next September. We all regularly speak about the importance of education and skills...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: International Bodies Membership (17 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I thank the Minister of State for his reply, but I am a little disappointed. I admire the work being done in the STEM area and acknowledge the focus the Department has put on it. I have a little girl aged 14 years and I am well aware of the focus on STEM in the education system. However, this is low hanging fruit. I am sometimes critical of the Internet and the effect it might have on...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I shall not shout like the Senator. I wish to follow up on the views expressed by Senators Kelly and MacSharry regarding the welcome return of discretionary medical cards. The Jack and Jill families feel greatly relieved by their return. There is no point backdating and asking whether people have kept their receipts because those options will not happen. Like Senator MacSharry, I wonder...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Catherine McGuinness (19 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I welcome Judge McGuinness. It is an honour to have her in the House. I have three comments and-or questions. With Senator van Turnhout, I attended a very interesting talk by Alcohol Action Ireland. It is very educational and was about using children's rights as a rugby ball. Senator Feargal Quinn asked how we could visualise a better Ireland for Ireland in 2020. I was shocked as I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Drinks Industry and Rural Economy: Discussion (24 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I thank the delegation from the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, Mr. Peter O'Brien, Ms Marie Byrne and Mr. Willie Masterson, for making this very good presentation. I echo Senator Mooney's closing words as I too admire the industry that creates economic benefits, employment and growth in the country. I love wine and a glass of whiskey but as a member of the Oireachtas, we are all in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: In the committee rooms yesterday, unusually, representatives from the alcohol sector attended a meeting of Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Also, the alcohol consumption in Ireland document was published yesterday. I do not know whether any of the Members were in the AV room last week where Alcohol Ireland make a good presentation. It is timely that we would ask the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (1 Jul 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Is there any reason only on course betting is covered?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (1 Jul 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: It is interesting that much of the funding for the industry emanates from betting and that this-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (1 Jul 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Therefore, it is not responsible for off course betting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (1 Jul 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Should the word be “directive”?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (1 Jul 2014)

Mary Ann O'Brien: My comment is a little left of field. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby was on at the weekend. The number of foreign runners was a little disappointing. We want our derby to be one of the jewels in the crown, almost like the Triple Crown in the United States. I wonder could we make a reference to international fixtures in the Bill. The French racing authorities moved their derby, which now...