Results 161-180 of 768 for speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jan 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I wish to again raise the issue of the Ashling Murphy trial. I think it is important for us to highlight the sub judicerule, not only for this House but for people who are following our proceedings online. As we know, the sub judicerule is Latin for legal proceedings becoming active. In Ireland and other common law jurisdictions, it is not appropriate to comment on matters that are...

Seanad: Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (20 Jan 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: I commend the Labour Party on bringing forth this legislation and I commend the Government for taking it in Government time. As pointed out by Senator Sherlock, Ireland is one of a few countries that does not publicly fund IVF, which affects one in six couples. This legislation in regard to leave in the workplace is a really important step to ensure that the stigma associated with fertility...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (19 Jan 2022)

Catherine Ardagh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I stand today with colleagues and a nation in expressing my deep sympathy to the family and friends of Ashling Murphy. As a nation we joined in the grief that the family, her friends and community suffered and I hope that that grief and the loss of her life will not go to waste. As legislators in this House and as a House, we need to ensure we...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I join other Members in what has been said about maternity leave for politicians. I am a politician who took maternity leave during my Seanad term, but, in fact, it was not maternity leave because I had to hand in a sick note to the one-stop shop. That is wrong. I was not sick; I had two children. We are all ad idemin terms of regularising...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: Now.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. It is great to see her here. I think she comes to the Seanad once a year and Senators usually have a list of asks for her. My asks will come at the very end of my contribution. It is important to recognise why we have a Department of Social Protection. I will rely on statistics compiled by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. There are...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: Tomorrow.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: EU Special Representative: Mr. Eamon Gilmore (14 Dec 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: Apologies; my laptop is not working. I thank Mr. Gilmore for his presentation. I was listening. I want to put on record my horror at the serious erosion of democracy in Belarus. I cannot believe that Ms Tsikhanouskaya's husband was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment. She is nine days older than me and has two young children like me. It strikes me that as a committee, we should make...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Dec 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I join my colleague, Senator Malcolm Byrne, in calling for the full implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act and the introduction of Irish Sign Language as a second-level subject. Senator Fitzpatrick was able to give us a lovely presentation on one of the reports done by her constituents who are studying politics and society, which was not available when I did my leaving certificate. We...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I congratulate my colleagues on Dublin City Council who approved the scheme to build 853 homes on the Oscar Traynor site. It includes 40% cost-rental, 40% social and 20% affordable housing and is a physical manifestation of the legislation that was passed in these Houses, so we should congratulate the Minister on that. It is a hugely welcome development but there are other really important...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (18 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: It is a genuine honour to be on the Taoiseach's Fianna Fáil team in the Seanad. I have a few small issues to raise. I commend the Taoiseach and his team on all the women's health initiatives. The shared island unit is a huge part of our tradition as members of Fianna Fáil and a huge part of our republican ethos of treating children equally, but it would be remiss of me to stand...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I want to talk about antigen testing. This is an issue I have raised on many occasions in the House. I welcome the extension of antigen testing to schools, but I feel it is not going far enough. In the UK an individual can order seven antigen tests and QR codes for a household and report the results of the tests. We are just not going far enough. I realise there is a great cost involved....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: Today, I wish to raise two issues. First, I seek a meaningful debate on the St. Michael's House rejuvenation project. This is not just any development; it is one of the State's flagship cost-rental developments. At this stage we do not have a meaningful update from the Minister on where exactly we are with the project in terms of the budget envisaged and the timeframes. I would like the...

Seanad: Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People: Statements (9 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I thought her speech was very honest and informative. I wish to convey some positive news about the way we treat people with disabilities. There are 12,700 people with autism and learning disabilities in the education system and €9.2 billion was put into education funding in budget 2022 with additional special education...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Deputy Leader for attending. I wish to raise the matter of disability services in Dublin 12. The first service to which I wish to refer is the Employ Ability service in Dublin west, which is based in Bluebell. Service users were told in November that the office would cease operating next month and that it would continue to give support until then. When I made my own inquiries...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Nov 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I ask you to bear with me for two minutes, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. The group has told me that not one child in Dublin 12 is receiving therapy. We know that the three-month assessment rule applies and that children are getting assessed within that time, but there is no point in a child having an assessment of need if he or she is not going to get the therapy arising from it. It makes no...

Seanad: Budget 2022: Statements (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. We know that no budget is a panacea. Each budget has to be ambitious and try to change people's lives. Our representative in the Department, the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, and his counterpart, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, have come up with a progressive budget that lays the foundations to ensure that people have better lives,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Oct 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I will raise the issue of early-school education and after-school education. I raised the issue last week in the context of the national childcare scheme and how it is disadvantaging children from lower socio-economic areas of the city and country. I support those providers, and parents, who were outside Leinster House yesterday in their campaign to get clarity. They hope the employment...

Seanad: Situation in Belarus: Statements (5 Oct 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for attending the House today. This is a topic on which many of us are ad idem. Many of us had the opportunity meet Ms Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya when she was in this country. We know Sviatlana, along with her compatriots, have unceasingly and courageously stood up for human rights and basic freedoms. As others have outlined, they have sought democratic elections in the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (29 Sep 2021)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Josepha Madigan, for coming to the House today. As we all know Fianna Fáil has a very proud tradition in education. Famously, and radically, in September 1966 Donogh O'Malley announced plans to introduce free second level education, something we take for granted now but at the time was very radical. In 1996 our former colleague, Niamh Bhreathnach,...