Results 141-160 of 1,827 for speaker:Jillian van Turnhout

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: Yes. In the spirit of equality and the subject matter in question, Senator Fiach Mac Conghail and I have agreed to share our time equally.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I very much welcome former Senator, Dr. Mary Henry, to the House. I acknowledge the work of many people to get us to where we are in our consideration of this Bill today. Senator Mac Conghail's statement will focus on the transparency and disclosure aspects of the Bill. I wholeheartedly share his views on this. My statement will focus on the gender quota dimension of the Bill. I commend...

Seanad: Priorities in Foreign Affairs: Statements (2 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: We could all say a great deal but I will limit myself to one specific point. I welcome the Tánaiste's commitment to Internet freedom through his work as chair of the OSCE. It is on this note that I draw his attention to the recent arrest of a 31 year old Indonesian civil servant, whose name I will supply to the Tánaiste separately, for having questioned the existence of God on his...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I would like to begin by wishing the very best to my colleague, Senator Eamonn Coghlan, with his endeavours in his new career with Fine Gael. I look forward to continuing to work with him and all my colleagues in this House. It is a great shame that the Internet service providers of Ireland have chosen today - Safer Internet Day - to criticise the decision of their UK counterparts to require...

Seanad: EU Fiscal Compact Treaty: Statements, Questions and Answers (7 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: Group spokespersons will now make contributions of five minutes each. This will be followed by a contribution from a Sinn Féin Senator for two minutes and questions from Members, which will be confined to one minute each. I call Senator Leyden.

Seanad: EU Fiscal Compact Treaty: Statements, Questions and Answers (7 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank the Senator for keeping to time. We are moving to questions, each of which should not be longer than a minute. I have an extremely long list of Senators and we must try to keep within our time constraints.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: My question to the Leader today relates to the growing levels of child poverty here. Ireland is near the top of the table for OECD countries as regards percentage of children living in poverty. Figures for 2011 show that 19% of children live in poverty and 9% of children experience consistent poverty. The OECD has clearly identified that child poverty rates are significantly higher for...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I also contend the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act 2001 should be included in section 2 and should be in the scope of the Bill. We will deal with it later when discussing amendment No. 29 to section 26. The Standards in Public Office Commission should oversee the expenditure of leaders' allowances which should all be fully vouched. The Bill is an...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I second the amendment and concur fully with what Senator Mac Conghail said. Our group has put forward this amendment. As the Minister said, the Bill presents an opportunity to increase transparency. When he launched the Bill he spoke about addressing the question of unhealthy relationships and corporate donations are part of such unhealthy relationships. The Minister said that we have...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I want to ask for clarification from the Minister in regard to the banning of corporate donations, which he said would be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. How, then, can France ban all donations from private and public sector companies, as happened in 1995? In Portugal, donations by corporations are banned by...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: The Minister specifically quoted the European Convention on Human Rights and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Perhaps he could clarify this.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I second the amendment on donations and concur with the points made by my colleague, Senator Fiach Mac Conghail.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I agree with everything Senator Mac Conghail said in respect of amendment No. 29.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: We are discussing a group of amendments, of which amendments No. 29 is one. I am of the view that all allowances should be fully vouched. This is the first occasion on which I have been obliged to deal with different people in the context of different aspects of my income. In a normal job, one is given a contract of employment and one deals with a single entity such as a salaries section...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I move amendment No. 31: In page 25, line 35, to delete "30 per cent" and substitute "40 per cent". Since we last spoke on this issue the representation in our Independent group has gone up by 10%. This is a unique fact about women's representation in Irish politics. Of the total number of 1,620 Seanad seats filled between 1922 and 2009, fewer than 10% have been filled by women. Since the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I have listened to the debate on all sides of the House with great interest. I was very encouraged to hear so many supporting the view that even 40% is not enough and that we should aim for a ratio of 50:50 by 2020. My colleague, Senator Mullen, agreed with the principle of increasing female representation in politics and this is extremely encouraging. The Bill is welcome and has the...

Seanad: Child Abuse: Motion (29 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I move: "That Seanad Éireann: - Notes the adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, on 13 December 2011, of the Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA. Among wide-ranging provisions in relation to criminal offences and sanctions in the area of...

Seanad: Child Abuse: Motion (29 Feb 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank all my colleagues and, in particular, the Minister. He has paid full attention throughout the debate and he has listened to what we have had to say. He has given a commitment to fully consider blocking sites in the context of the development of the planned sexual offences Bill and I strongly urge him to do so. Both the Garda Síochána and Interpol wrote last year to Internet...

Seanad: Early Intervention and Family Support Services: Statements (7 Mar 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I welcome the Minister to the House. As we approach the Cabinet's first anniversary I recalled when the post of a minister for children was announced and I was in Brussels. I have learned that people in politics keep saying that they are not surprised by announcements. I did not expect such an announcement and was surprised. The Department has great potential and for once we had joined-up...

Seanad: Rare Diseases: Motion (7 Mar 2012)

Jillian van Turnhout: I thank the Minister for attending the House for the debate on this Private Members' motion. I thank my colleagues in Fine Gael, particularly Senators Burke and Keane, for bringing forward this motion. I was not very informed on the subject of rare disease care so I welcome the fact that I had to immerse myself in the subject and learn more. It astounded me the number of rare disease...