Results 301-320 of 519 for speaker:Mary Ann O'Brien

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Second Stage (15 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I will.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Second Stage (15 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (15 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: While we are on the subject of water services, I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on this subject because I would add to that subject the issue of the addition of fluoride to our water supply, which I find extraordinary. We are the only country in Europe together with America and Australia that have fluoride in our water supply. Northern Ireland does not have fluoride in its water supply...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (15 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: This is happening at long last. The Government is spending €4 billion plus in the charities sector. We have not even had a centralised register of all charities. We will have that now and a proper regulator and we will come up to international best practice in this sector. I welcome that and look forward to the Minister progressing that. I caught the end of Senator Cullinane's...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I cannot believe I am attempting to protect a third of our Oireachtas, a pillar of our democracy, which has been the base of our State for 91 years. We are moving to an alarming situation where our top Ministers will have a powerful, vice-like grip on power and the decisions made for all of our citizens. "Reform" and "change" are words with which we are in agreement when it comes to our...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: That is how I feel. I have listened to others over the past few days but I am not here to stay. I am here for a fleeting visit for three to five years, depending on what happens, so I am speaking about the institutions. I am really concerned about future generations - my children and my children's children - and what we might be doing.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: In more unsettled times, our legislators were so sensitive to the voice of the people-----

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I thought it was me.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: In much more unsettled times, our legislators were so sensitive to the voice of the people that they made special provision in the formation of the first Seanad to ensure former southern unionists, the Protestants and even the Jewish people had a vote in the public forum. In these particularly settled times, we apparently have the arrogance to think we can simply abolish or retain the Seanad...

Seanad: Promoting a Sustainable Future for the Post Office Network: Statements (4 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I welcome the Minister to the House. I am delighted we are having this discussion on the sustainability of the Irish post office network. Our post office network is undervalued and few people fully appreciate and consider the vital and important role it plays in Ireland's social fabric. Undoubtedly, with the rapid developments in new forms of instant communication, its importance has been...

Seanad: Food Provenance Bill 2013: Second Stage (3 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, to the House on his inaugural visit. I thank Senator Feargal Quinn for his hard work in putting together the legislation he has presented to the House today. I disagree with Senator Martin Comiskey's argument that as member states operating in the Single Market we should follow Europe's lead in this matter. I am delighted Senator Quinn has...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I was stunned the other day when Senator Sean Barrett revealed how much had been spent on legal advice in drawing up this Bill. Between that and the cost of holding the referendum, we are looking at a bill of some €23 million to ask the people whether the Seanad should be abolished. I will speak more about that in due course. Suffice to say, it seems an extraordinarily expensive...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: We must, in any case, have a plan B. It is just as well the Minister of State has all those reform proposals stored in his head. An issue that concerns me greatly is the additional workload that will be placed on committees under the Taoiseach's plan for Oireachtas reform in the event that the Seanad is indeed abolished. The current committee system does not work and, like the Upper House,...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I hope I am not saying anything incorrect but can we make certain there are consequences and that those responsible for this end up where they should?

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: To take up Senator O'Brien's comment about the special needs assistants, SNAs, and the resource teaching hours, which I welcome, am I right in assuming that SNAs help people with special needs to be there to be educated? It is wonderful that we have the resource teachers in place but the SNAs help those people in great need to take part in the education. The Minister has made a mistake. He...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I wish to again raise the savage and unacceptable cuts in the area of special needs. On the Leader's statement in the House yesterday that there have been no cuts, I met yesterday afternoon with staff at a school in Killinarden, Tallaght, who told me the school had applied for 90 resource hours and was granted only 33 hours and that its special needs assistant staff has been reduced from...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: As I demonstrated yesterday these so-called special needs people could be the next Thomas Edison, Steven Spielberg or Richard Branson. Let us assist and educate these people. Why should we educate normal children and not special needs children? I call on the Leader to provide time for a debate on this issue, at which time the Minister, Deputy Quinn, will hopefully climb down from the...

Seanad: Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (19 Jun 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I welcome the Minister of State. I will not take six minutes because, like Senator John Crown, I am delighted with the Bill on which I congratulate Senator Feargal Quinn. As Senator Marc MacSharry said, this is a no-brainer. The Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, talked about prevention, which we all want to see. We want to see nil use of tobacco, responsible use of alcohol,...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I was taken with what my cousin, Senator Darragh O'Brien, said and I wondered what Winston Churchill, Jamie Oliver, Stephen Spielberg, Agatha Christie, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Richard Branson and Erin Brockovich have in common. They were all special needs students and brilliant people who contributed so much to society. They are also vulnerable people when they are young and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Management of Upland Habitats in County Wicklow: Discussion with Wicklow Uplands Council (18 Jun 2013)

Mary Ann O'Brien: I will be brief because the previous three speakers have done an extremely good job of summing up and posing some questions. Well done to the delegates on their collaboration, which was impressive. It is not easy to collaborate different points of view and they all come from different areas. Along the lines of what Senator O'Keeffe said, I do not come from a hill farming area; rather, I...