Results 281-300 of 992 for speaker:Gabrielle McFadden

Seanad: Project Ireland 2040: Statements (7 Mar 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: The main thing is Athlone is a city. It is the centre of the universe.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: Like others, I commend the work done by different agencies over the weekend. The Defence Forces, the Civil Defence, county council staff, gardaí, fire and ambulance staff, HSE staff, volunteers and county councillors all over the country came out and worked beyond the call of duty. People cleared roads, took calls and in some cases worked 18 hours a day in the same manner as the...

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Mar 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: Under Standing Order 62(3)(b), I request that the division be taken again other than by electronic means.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: As Senator Coffey mentioned, last Friday Project Ireland 2040 was announced, and I welcome it in its entirety. I particularly welcome the recognition of the role that Athlone has to play as a regional centre for the midlands. I thank the Minister for listening to me, and I harassed him a lot, the poor man.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: I made submissions to the plan. While I was writing to the Minister I got to thinking about what Athlone had to offer. Among these elements are projects that were delivered to the town by previous Athlone town councils. I served on the town council, as did my late sister and my father before me. Through the years, Athlone town councils, made up of all parties and none, set aside money in...

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (21 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for coming here. He is always quite obliging when asked to come here and we appreciate that. He and the Office of Public Works, OPW, have been working very hard to address the flooding issue and we acknowledge that. I welcome the €1 billion allocation he mentioned in his contribution. I apologise for not being here for it...

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (21 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: I do not know if the Minister of State mentioned the dreaded, or not dreaded catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, report which has been under way for a long time. The previous Government took a good deal of flak from people who said we did not need a CFRAM report coming out in 2016 or 2017 because they know the river but we all know that we do need a CFRAM report. We have...

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (21 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: We agreed the Order of Business.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: We are very happy in Athlone.

Seanad: Housing: Statements (Resumed) (20 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: There are many difficulties with housing and many proposed solutions and suggestions for solutions. A suggestion made by Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, at one of our parliamentary party meetings was that we should not take away people's social welfare benefits if they allow family members to move back into their home. I do not know whether this subject has been raised since the...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (Resumed) (20 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: Obviously, it has all changed and I am the perfect lady now but it did me no harm. The street was our playground. Everyone knew everyone else and everyone looked after everyone else's children. I realise times are different but there is no reason there could not be schemes to encourage shop owners to convert the upstairs part of a building to allow accommodation for single people. That is...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: Yesterday, my colleague, Senator Craughwell, mentioned the ruling by the European Committee of Social Rights in response to a case lodged by the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA. The committee ruled that there was justification for the absolute prohibition of the right to strike. However, the committee has upheld the entitlement of the Irish armed...

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Committee Stage (15 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: Under Standing Order 62(3)(b), I request that the vote be taken by other than electronic means.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Overseas Development Aid: Teagasc (14 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: One of my questions has already been asked. Professor Boyle referred to small projects in different countries. Teagasc does wonderful work in building relationships and partnerships, which we are well aware of, but will Professor Boyle tell us about what the small projects involve on the ground on a day-to-day basis?

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: I ask the Leader to request the relevant Minister to come to this House and update us on the current situation on pay and conditions for councillors. I agree with a lot of what Senator Wilson said in his contribution. Some councillors have had a pay increase while others have not. There are also vouched and unvouched expenses. The pay and conditions for councillors seem to be all over the...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: I wish to raise the issue of the threat of the possible closure of passenger rail lines across the country. The matter may have been raised yesterday. My understanding is that Irish Rail has commissioned a report into the funding of rail services in Ireland. According to a report in yesteday's Irish Independent, in the worst-case scenario, intercity services to Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Kerry,...

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: May I make a quick point?

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: If there is a student on the governing body, as is the case in most universities, the onus is on that student to ensure there is a student representative on the academic council.

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: In all my years involved in education and training bodies and as a member of the governing body of Athlone Institute of Technology, I have yet to meet a student who is shy, reserved or unable to put across his or her point. I do not believe an issue will ever arise in this regard. What is the position in respect of the academic councils of existing universities?

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2018)

Gabrielle McFadden: The Senator is delighted.