Results 181-200 of 228 for speaker:Déirdre de Búrca

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I wish to respond to some comments made by Members on the other side of the House on yesterday's Budget Statement. Most reasonable people will accept that in the difficult economic circumstances in which we find ourselves, the social welfare provisions were satisfactory. Senator Alex White's comment was dismissive about the green crusade.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: What is at the heart of the Green agenda is social justice.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: It will be the poor in society who will suffer most if the Green agenda is not implemented. That is why the Green Party is in Government. There is a sense of urgency——

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I would like the Fine Gael and Labour parties to remember that. It is not enough to pay lip-service to the Green agenda. It is about getting into Government and implementing it.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I ask the Leader to invite the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with responsibility for housing, urban renewal and developing areas, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to address the House on sheltered housing for older persons. The National Council on Ageing and Older Persons is holding a conference today in Croke Park. It recently published a...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2008: Statements (Resumed). (5 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I was going to suggest I share my time with Senator Healy Eames.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2008: Statements (Resumed). (5 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: There is no such thing as a perfect budget but I suggest the budget announced by the Minister for Finance today was well balanced in the context of the straightened financial circumstances in which the country finds itself. The Minister's actions, in co-operation with the parties in Government, have meant the circumstances in which we find ourselves were turned into economic opportunities,...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2008: Statements (Resumed). (5 Dec 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the €12.5 million being given to fund the implementation of the recommendations of the national drugs strategy rehabilitation board. This will allow for the development and strengthening of the local drugs task forces and roll services out to the new commuter belt towns. We can see cases in the media where many young people are facing extremely adverse health conditions because...

Seanad: Overseas Missions: Statements (Resumed) (29 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I wish to share my time with Senator Ormonde.

Seanad: Overseas Missions: Statements (Resumed) (29 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I am glad of the opportunity to discuss this EU mission to Chad. The mission has a UN mandate and is being conducted within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy. UN Security Council resolution 1778, which established the mission, gives it a robust peace-enforcement mandate. We are a small country with a proud tradition...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I echo the call of the Fine Gael Senator for a debate in this House on the future of fire services in this country. The appalling tragedy that occurred in my constituency in Bray that resulted in the deaths of two fireman obviously has focused national attention on fire services. I know the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Tony...

Seanad: Report on Seanad Reform: Motion (28 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the opportunity to address the motion, which is the first Private Members' motion tabled by me and my Green Party colleague, Senator Boyle. That we have tabled a motion on Seanad reform shows the importance we attach to the question. The issue was quite extensively debated during our first couple of sitting days in the House when Senators expressed their support for Seanad reform....

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I wish to respond briefly to comments made by the Opposition with regard to the health crisis. As a member of a Government party I welcome the Opposition's support for the cancer care strategy being implemented. Unfortunately, this is not always obvious in the behaviour or public utterances of the Opposition parties. The Minister's call for a bipartisan approach to reforming our health...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: The Opposition parties should cease to be political on this——

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: ——and try to work on the reform of the health services which is in all of our interests. Will the Leader invite to the House the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism to respond to the issues raised yesterday by the chief executive of Fáilte Ireland, Mr. Sean Quinn, at its annual conference? He expressed concern that the tourism industry may be attracting people to the island on false...

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank her for coming again to participate in this debate on education. This is her second time in the House in the past two weeks and it is appreciated. Education is an important issue. As we are all aware, there have been many crises in the educational system of late due to the rapid population growth and the influx of people of different ethnic and...

Seanad: Seafood Industry: Statements (21 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and this opportunity to discuss the Cawley report. Other speakers have mentioned that we are a maritime nation and our fishing and seafood industry are very important. The Irish seafood industry generates more than €700 million per year and directly employs 11,665 people. The total catch in Irish waters, which are among the most productive in...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: Will the Leader invite the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to address the House on his Department's plans for the development of wind energy, especially offshore wind energy? The State is planning to spend at least €40 million next year on carbon credits which will allow it to exceed the greenhouse gas emissions limits agreed under the Kyoto Protocol. It is both...

Seanad: Cancer Services: Statements (20 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister for Health and Children to the House. I acknowledge this is the second time she has been to the House in the past few weeks to debate the important issue of the reform of our health services. The Minister began her speech by referring to the recent appalling misdiagnosis of a group of women with breast cancer. This has highlighted the shortcomings in our cancer care...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2007)

Déirdre de Búrca: Following on from the issue raised by Senator White I ask that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government come into the House to address the decision by An Bord Pleanála yesterday to grant planning permission for a 600,000 tonne mass burn incinerator for Poolbeg in Dublin, despite the recommendation of its inspector for a 500,000 tonne incinerator. The decision is...