Results 221-240 of 1,827 for speaker:Jillian van Turnhout

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have listened very carefully to the debate. Senators across the House are either calling for us to reverse or, at the very least, pause this cut. That is what I am hearing and I hope the Minister of State is hearing similar. When the Government came in, I supported a number of cuts that had to be made because we had to cut our cloth to our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Legal Highs: Discussion (9 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I join other members in thanking Mr. Packie Kelly and Mr. Tim Murphy for their presentation and in thanking Deputy Ó Caoláin for suggesting they appear before the joint committee. On reading this report, this is a new area for all members but as members of the Joint Committees on Health and Children and Justice, Defence and Equality, it is important that this issue be examined and...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I will start by referring to the children's future health cross-party group which we launched this morning. I thank Senators and Deputies, across parties, who joined me. They included Senators Ivana Bacik and Marie Moloney and Deputies Clare Daly, Billy Kelleher, Sandra McLellan, Mary Mitchell O'Connor and Thomas Pringle. I thank the Irish Heart Foundation for supporting us in our work...

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I wish to share my time with Senator Mary Ann O'Brien. I thank the officials of the Department for the briefing they provided at my request. It was useful to go through some of the issues I have with the Bill. On Committee Stage we can explore in more detail certain aspects of it such as waste management, air quality, paints and solvents, about which I have learned a good deal, motor...

Seanad: Conditions of Work: Motion (8 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I welcome the Minister. I am pleased to support the motion and thank Senator Averil Power for tabling it, as it gives us an opportunity to see where there is consensus and agreement for the betterment of all. I compliment the ICTU on putting forward the charter for fair conditions at work. I have been an employer more often than I have been an employee. I worked in the private sector...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: As always, the Minister is very welcome, as are his officials. I appreciate the work of all the staff in the Department who supported and helped the young people in organising Comhairle na nÓg and ensuring their voices got heard in their campaign Let's Go Mental. It was very good to be part of something so positive regarding mental health. I congratulate those concerned. With regard...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: Early Childhood Ireland has a policy in this regard-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I agree with the Chairman's concern, but many child care providers have good policies in place on allergies and they are facilitative to children. I am concerned by the comments made by Deputy Mitchell O'Connor but not all providers are affected.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (2 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: Staffing issues in the Ombudsman's office.

Seanad: Growing Tourism to 2025: Statements (1 Jul 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I welcome the Minister. I am delighted to speak on how we can grow tourism, and will focus on one particular area which builds on what Senator Mary Ann O'Brien has said about heritage. Related to heritage is our genealogical trail and how people access genealogical records. In the late 1990s in Ireland, there were about 5,000 active genealogy enthusiasts. We reckon there are at least...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Affordable High-Quality Child Care: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I welcome the witnesses. To make a declaration of interest, I am the chairperson of Early Childhood Ireland, but that is a governance role and I am not necessarily advocating its positions. My first question is in regard to inspections. Is consideration being given to bringing inspections together and to who should take the lead? There is a strong role there for the Department of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Affordable High-Quality Child Care: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: Regarding the additional and special needs, I greatly appreciate the two days per week in one year and the three days per week in the following year. However, when the providers appeared before the committee, I asked them, from an employer's perspective, how they managed it. How does one get the staff? One has to know what is required as one goes down through the ratios of two days per...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Affordable High-Quality Child Care: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I am conscious of that. This comes back to the value we accord to a primary school professional versus an after-school professional and looking at the qualifications of someone in the profession. The issue of professionals having to sign on for 14 weeks of the year also must be addressed. Has consideration been given, for example, to having continuing professional development days for part...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I am happy to add my name to the motion. I did not receive the e-mail. I have double checked and I did not receive it. I applaud the work of Ireland's top EU civil servant, Catherine Day, who has announced her retirement from the European Commission as of the end of August. She is an unsung hero for us as Irish citizens but also for the EU, particularly when she championed the enlargement...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: I will do so. Could we have a debate at the earliest opportunity on the Government working group report on direct provision? It has been widely reported on in the newspapers. Senators and Deputies may be the last people to receive this 360-page report. My understanding is that it is going to Cabinet next Tuesday. Given the work we have done on a cross-party basis on direct provision - the...

Seanad: Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (23 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: Senator Keane without interruption. I ask Senator Craughwell to direct his comments to the Minister.

Seanad: Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (23 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: We will have plenty of time on Committee Stage to go through all the issues in detail.

Seanad: Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (23 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Affordable High-Quality Child Care: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: Our guests are all extremely welcome. These hearings have been very helpful to the members of the committee. I wish to declare an interest in that I am chair of Early Childhood Ireland. However, my role in that regard is one of governance. A point that has arisen at each of our hearings relates to staff and professional qualifications. Each of our guests touched on this point, but Ms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Affordable High-Quality Child Care: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2015)

Jillian van Turnhout: It depends on geography. Some in the HSE are allowing services, but in some areas there is none available.