Results 1-20 of 74 for speaker:Maria McCormack

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: Today, the Sinn Féin team will bring the first ever motion on endometriosis care to Dáil Éireann. I am so proud of this motion. Since I first rose to speak about endometriosis and Women's Health Week on 5 March, so many women have reached out to me. We have held nine public meetings and engaged with thousands of women. We heard harrowing stories of the failures they...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(3) Before the coming into operation of this Act, the Minister shall publish a report which outlines the following: (a) the degree of financial dependence that families with divorced or separated parents have on those parents; (b) an overview of the legal issues with not providing the same...

Seanad: Pregnancy Loss (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: I welcome the work that Senator Ryan and my party, Sinn Féin, have done on this issue. I thank Nicole for sharing her personal and powerful story. It is a story to which, sadly, the one in four women who experience a miscarriage can relate very well. There are approximately 15,000 miscarriages a year in Ireland. We know this loss can have a profound emotional impact not only on the...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill on behalf of the Sinn Féin team. This legislation started from a really good place, namely, the intention to address the historic injustice whereby children of cohabiting parents were treated less favourably than those of married parents, a provision found to be unconstitutional in the O'Meara case, as we all know. While this is welcome...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: I want to talk about Laois and especially the neglect of commuter counties. We take the overspill from the housing crisis. Laois is one of the fastest-growing populations but if the LDA was concentrating on the bigger cities, Laois was really left behind, so there are a couple of issues. The biggest issue is the affordability of the houses. It is like feeding a monster. I bought a house...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: Yes. There is then the piece around engagement on the infrastructure. If we are going to build more houses, every development that gets built in Portlaoise now will face the same problems. It is a case of having all the systems working together or else there is no point in doing it. We do not have many affordable schemes in County Laois. One started in Stradbally a couple of weeks ago....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Priorities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (8 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: Okay. I thank the Minister.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: There is a lack of GPs in Laois. We have had a large population growth but do not have services, especially GPs, to match this. The national average GP ratio is 1:1,000 but in Laois at the moment the ratio is about 1:1,600. There are large areas in Laois that have no GP. To use the town of Ballickmoyler as an example, it has a population of approximately 1,100 people and hundreds of new...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: I will pick one issue and explain and give an overview of it. I mention Hollybrook, a developer in County Laois. I feel like piggy in the middle in this situation. Eighty houses have been sold to families, some of whom have reached out to me. They were originally supposed to move into the houses in February 2025. The date was pushed back to April or May 2025 and then again to October...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Housing Delivery, Service and Supply: Discussion (1 Jul 2025)

Maria McCormack: Before Mr. Rossiter comes in, can he provide me with some kind of date for these 80 families? We can imagine how stressful it is for them.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I am seeking an update on the new site for the Portlaoise courthouse building. The ongoing situation with Portlaoise courthouse is absolutely unacceptable. As a facility, it is one major incident away from closure. Judge Johnson has described the condition of the building in stark terms, citing serious concerns around health and safety and basic functionality. Yet, despite Laois County...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: Where do I start with this Bill? When I got my head around it, there is more confusion than anything else. I understand the pressures the Minister is under. We know housing is an emergency. When I went through it, I felt like this was some kind of a sick joke. The Government has failed so badly on housing that we are running out of ways to explain to it how badly it is doing. Record...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: "Amendment of section 19 of Principal Act 2. Section 19(4)(b) of the Principal Act is amended, in the definition of "relevant percentage"— (a) in paragraph (a), by the substitution of "0 per cent" for "2 per cent", and (b) by the deletion of paragraph (b).". The amendments seek to defer...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I cannot share the analysis now but I can get it for Senator Fitzpatrick. We do have analysis. Our housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin, has the full analysis. I do not have it with me here now.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, line 25, to delete "28 February 2026" and substitute "23 June 2028".

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, line 27, to delete "28 February 2026" and substitute "23 June 2028".

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I move amendment No. 4: In page 4, line 11, to delete "28 February 2026" and substitute "23 June 2028".

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, line 14, to delete "28 February 2026" and substitute "23 June 2028".

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following: "Report on ban on rent increases 5. Within a week of the passing of this Act the Minister for Housing will publish a report on the introduction of an emergency ban on rent increases for all private rental tenants, including existing tenancies, new tenancies in existing rental stock and new tenancies in...

Seanad: Report of the Farrelly Commission: Statements (18 Jun 2025)

Maria McCormack: I will start with Grace in mind. One of the things that defines us as human beings and sets us apart from all other creatures is our ability to communicate and give voice to our experiences, fears, suffering and hopes. The very act of being heard is central to our humanity. For those who cannot speak or whose voices are not heard, they are utterly dependent on all of us, including the...