Results 41-60 of 775 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: Crime and Policing: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: High visibility works. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, and the Minister, while visiting Cherry Orchard about 18 months ago, put in place a plan to clamp down on the antisocial behaviour we had been reading about and attacks on gardaí. Since then, reports show that incidents of antisocial behaviour are not as prolific as they were at the time. On the issue of walking the streets...

Seanad: Crime and Policing: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: The Minister of State is Deputy James Browne.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I also wish to convey my sympathies to the family of Damien O'Reilly, in particular his fiancé Lisa, his children, Carly and Kyle, and his wider circle. Damien was a friend, and a colleague of many of us. He was a really happy-go-lucky guy and he will be sorely missed around this House by his colleagues and everyone in the Fianna Fáil Party. I also want to raise the issue of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Implementation of the Recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General for their attendance. I commend them on all the efforts of Óglaigh na hÉireann in the context of the crackdown on drug smuggling into the country. As other members said, a lot of important, dangerous work is going on and I thank the Chief of Staff and the members of the Defence Forces for that. It plays a vital role in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Implementation of the Recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I just asked what type of investment was going into recruitment and whether the Department was using online social media-type investment. I have never seen an ad asking me or my peers to enter the armed forces. What space is the Department working in regarding recruitment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Implementation of the Recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I was here for the whole private session as well.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the visitors from the university to the Public Gallery. I also join with my colleagues in thanking Martin Groves, Bridget Doody and all the team in the Seanad Office. People always describe the Seanad and the rest of the Oireachtas as being like a swan going along gracefully while underneath there is much going on that we do not see. I thank all the staff of the Oireachtas,...

Seanad: Care Payments: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the Minister. I thank the Labour Party for tabling this motion. It is really important and timely because we have the budget discussions. As my colleague said, there are 500,000 or more carers in the country. I have a son who has level three autism. He is non-verbal and has severe, challenging behaviours. I am constantly up at two in the morning, but I have a privileged life....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (11 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: This issue is very interesting. I have a few questions. The attrition rate of 5%, which everyone mentioned, is obviously jaw-dropping. Mr. Richardson mentioned the medical reports that had to be commissioned. There seems to be a lot of duplication for reports in that there is a pre- and post-fitness test report. Many GPs around the country are on GP contracts. Has there ever been some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (11 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: It is absolutely being strung along. The RDF needs to look for a commitment that this is happening, especially since that commission report was signed off in 2021. The space we are in at the moment as regards defence in Ireland has changed dramatically. My colleagues referenced the consultative forum. This concerns the public. When I say "public" I mean politicians because we are the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (11 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: Why is the first GP report not accepted?

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cancer Services (13 Jun 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: In this Commencement matter, I call on the Minister for Health to provide an update on the pilot lung cancer screening programme and to indicate when a full programme will be rolled out nationally. Lung cancer is one of the biggest killers in Ireland, accounting for 22% of cancer deaths in males and 20% of such deaths in females. There are 2,500 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed every year...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cancer Services (13 Jun 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I would just like to follow up on that. European, Dutch and Belgian trials confirmed that very low dose CT screening in people at high risk of developing lung cancer demonstrated a reduction in mortality rate of 26%. This is factual scientific evidence. The European Respiratory Society has urged countries across Europe to implement lung cancer screening programmes without delay. The...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 May 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: All of us in the Seanad and the Dáil have had much communication from people and proponents against the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022. Some are well-meaning and others are not but for many people, there is a huge feeling that we need to properly debate this Bill. The House should be used as a forum to deliver legislation on racism and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Hybrid Threats and Threats to the National Infrastructure: Institute of International and European Affairs (9 May 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the witnesses for their two interesting presentations. Recently, as a committee, the Chairman, myself and Deputy Brady visited Stockholm to attend the EU Defence Conference and it was notable that Ireland does not spend as much on defence and we are very much non-contentious when it comes to our European counterparts. Europe has adopted a more offensive stance whereas Ireland is a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 May 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I also want to mention the auto-enrolment scheme. When the Deputy Leader was Minister for Social Protection it was something she was working on. Ultimately 750,000 are possibly holding off getting a private pension because they are waiting on the auto-enrolment scheme. It is great to see the Oireachtas committee working on it but we have been waiting on it a long time. I hope that finally...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 May 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to mention today’s presentation by Cara Darmody in the audiovisual room, which was organised by my colleague, Senator Keogan. Cara has been here 13 times since January. She is a 12-year-old girl who sat her junior certificate last year in aid of her local school and the school of her young brothers who have severe autism and are non-verbal. She is now sitting the leaving...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Apr 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: Today I raise the issue of July provision. I am a member of the Joint Committee on Autism which is chaired by my colleague, Senator Carrigy. Last July that committee issued a report which made a number of recommendations relating to July provision. We are getting a lot of feedback from parents who are telling us that many schools still do not have their July provision in place for this...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2023: Second Stage (20 Apr 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2023: Second Stage (20 Apr 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the Minister. I am pleased, together with my colleague, Senator O’Loughlin, to bring the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2023 before the House today. This Bill is of significant importance to me. A huge amount of time and effort has gone into bringing it to this point, including hours of consultations with patients, doctors, stakeholders and meeting with the...