Results 21-40 of 519 for speaker:Mary Ann O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I will be able to pursue the matter with her. May I finish?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Yes. Could I finish.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Speaking as an employer I find the proposal difficult to comprehend given that we hear repeatedly from Ministers that job creation and the protection of existing jobs is their top priority. If the proposal is implemented it will stall job creation and in the long term may lead to businesses having to cease trading. I ask Members to imagine for a moment that they are employing 100 people who...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I do not believe we need stronger labour laws. Is Senator Cullinane an employer?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I am calling for a debate on-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Could I finish, please?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I employ 100 people, most of whom have been with me in excess of ten years. They love where they work and I treat them fairly but I am not certain that this proposal will allow me to operate my business in the future. I call for a debate on the proposal as a matter of urgency and a wider discussion on the Government's lack of focus on small, independent employers dotted around the country...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I thank the Minister for coming to the House so swiftly to discuss the issue of sick leave. Senator Quinn is here today and as head of the Superquinn chain he was one of my great mentors as he had one of the great cultures of employment here. I am one of the few employers in this Chamber. I am dismayed at this proposal and the haste with which it seems it will be put through. Will the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: As we prepare for the centenary celebrations of the 1916 Rising, I draw the attention of the House to a forgotten, although no less brave, cohort of men. During the Second World War almost 5,000 Irishmen left or deserted the Irish Defence Forces to join the British Army to fight for democracy and the future and freedom of Europe. Many of these brave men never made it home, giving their...

Seanad: Health Awareness and Physical Fitness: Motion (23 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: It is my pleasure to second the motion. Unfortunately, given our economic circumstances, too often matters such as this are overlooked due to the avalanche of budgetary items dominating our lives and the media. It is imperative that we do not allow this to continue as we will walk ourselves into a set of social crises which will be every bit as serious as the financial crisis we are...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Not being a Seanad veteran, I will do my best to be brief. I wish to inform the House of a very serious case of neglect in the care of a four year old child in County Tipperary. Some Members might think it is quite a serious claim but unfortunately, it is the reality. James John Ryan was four years old in September. He was a premature baby.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I beg your pardon, a Chathaoirligh.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Okay. This little boy was born with a hole in his heart, a chronic lung problem and a brain bleed at birth which left him suffering from quadriplegic cerebral palsy. He is profoundly deaf, cannot swallow and is unable to speak. The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation should have finished caring for him in September, but we are continuing to care for him because we cannot get the HSE to...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: What happens next Monday and Tuesday will be critical as we attempt to regain control of our finances. I was distraught to learn there were no plans to have a pre-budget debate in the House this week. One would think, at a time when we are all trying to show the value of this Chamber to the public, that time for a pre-budget debate would be provided. Furthermore, the decision by the...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I urge the Leader to revisit his decision not to allow time for a pre-budget discussion this week. If he will not grant time for such a debate, will he, at least, try to structure the exchanges on the budget next week in a businesslike and productive manner.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I apologise to the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, for my rudeness but can we have an extension please after the Minister has spoken?

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I wished to highlight some concerns last night during the statements on the budget. However, I was prevented from doing so by an inadequate time allocation provided for such a serious and relevant debate. The refusal to extend the time last night shows once again how the Seanad system is so badly broken. I am deeply ashamed and embarrassed because of the shameful cuts imposed on our young...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I have some questions for the Leader. I am a Seanad novice but I cannot believe what is going on here. Will the Leader tell the House this morning why the Government failed to freeze increments? "Increments" is a word I had to look up in the Oxford English Dictionary. It seems that it is a regular increase in salary, known in the private sector as a definite pay rise, every year. We are...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Dec 2011)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I do not believe for one moment that she has done her best to protect the most vulnerable members of society. The Government had two choices when looking at the making of cuts in the recent budget. The first was to cut services to the fragile and the poor, the very group with the weakest voice. The second was to cut public sector pay or...