Results 21-40 of 228 for speaker:Déirdre de Búrca

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Nov 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: Will the Leader invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, to the House? We could raise a number of important matters with him. One concerns the disappointing signals emerging from the negotiations on the climate change agreement for the Copenhagen meeting, which is scheduled for December. An international climate change treaty is now very...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Nov 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: The reason I raised this matter and said the Minister should appear in the House is that the Dublin Docklands Development Authority is a statutory agency. There are serious questions about the assurances allegedly given to Mr. McNamara that the Dublin Docklands Development Authority could fast-track planning permission for the site and that it would not be subject to a planning appeal. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: Will the Leader ask the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, to address the House on his proposal on lowering the blood alcohol limit from 80 mg per 100 ml to 50 mg per 100 ml? I raise this because I noticed in an article in The Irish Times today that more than 500 people were arrested for suspected drink driving offences over the bank holiday weekend. This was because the traffic corps...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I want the Minister to come and address the issue before the House because I believe the debate is needed.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: There seem to be mixed views within all political parties.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to debate the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009. This is very important legislation of which the Green Party, particularly the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, can be very proud. If I have any regret it is that the Bill is only being introduced now, after a huge amount of damage has...

Seanad: European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I welcome the opportunity to engage in the Second Stage debate on the European Union Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to give domestic effect to the provisions of the Lisbon treaty. Before I refer to the provisions of the Bill I welcome the very strong and decisive vote in favour of the treaty cast by the people on 2 October. I congratulate...

Seanad: European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: On the issue of subsidiarity, section 7(3) provides that either House can adopt a resolution to prevent a particular EU legislative measure if it believes it is in breach of the principle of subsidiarity. The Seanad could have an independent role in this regard. If the proposed process of reform led to the House taking on a role scrutinising legislation without having to consult the Lower...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I refer to the issue we discussed yesterday, Deputy Kenny's proposal that the Seanad be abolished. I was disappointed I did not get an opportunity to contribute. It was a good and lively debate. I do not agree with Deputy Kenny's proposal to abolish the Seanad, although I strongly believe there is a necessity to reform the Seanad soon. However, what Deputy Kenny is proposing, that the...

Seanad: Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (13 Oct 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: On behalf of the Green Party, I express my extreme regret at the sudden passing of Senator Peter Callanan. As a relatively new Senator - I have been in the Seanad for a little over two years - I remember that Senator Callanan was one of the first to extend the hand of friendship to me. Other Senators have mentioned that he always had a twinkle in his eye and a dry or witty remark to make...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (15 Jul 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State and I welcome the opportunity to debate this point of sale amendment to the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 and 2004. It is important that we are debating the proposed amendments. We have seen a huge cultural change in our attitudes to smoking. When I was younger and going to pubs and clubs, smoking was part and parcel of everyday life in Ireland. It was...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House and am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill. I hope the Minister will forgive me when I say there is a slight sense of déjÀ vu about this because we sat here before the last Lisbon referendum and discussed the treaty, the campaign and so on. Looking back with the benefit of...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Second Stage (2 Jul 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State. I am thankful for the opportunity to engage in this debate on the Bill. We are all aware that public access to health services is becoming increasingly important. Some Senators referred to circumstances in the United States where 47 million people find themselves without health insurance. Health services and access thereto are becoming increasingly...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (2 Jul 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill is the first of a number of legislative measures that will come before us in an attempt to rationalise and introduce greater efficiencies in the agencies and statutory bodies we have established over the years. It is interesting to hear the squeals of outrage already coming from the other side of the House from parties which state that if they were...

Seanad: Unemployment: Motion (1 Jul 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State and second the motion proposed by my colleague, Senator Dan Boyle. This motion addresses the growing challenge of unemployment facing the country. We are all aware that the global community is grappling with an economic and financial crisis but that we have our own domestic strain of that crisis. We face an uncertain future and it is clear that growing levels...

Seanad: Multi-Unit Developments Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: Like other Members of the House, I welcome the opportunity to debate this appropriate legislation. Some Senators have said it is long overdue. There has certainly been a crying need for it. The legislation sets out to regulate new and existing multi-unit developments. That might sound like gobbledygook to most people but it refers generally to apartment living. We all recognise that...

Seanad: Human Trafficking: Motion (10 Jun 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Curran. I congratulate Senator Mullen on tabling this coherent and intellectually well put together motion. He has argued that we need to strengthen this country's human trafficking legislation, especially in so far as it relates to the sexual exploitation of women and children. I agree with the main point the motion seems to make, which is that...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for his overview of the current Government position on Ireland's overseas development aid policy. I welcome, too, the opportunity to discuss this issue today because the recent cutbacks in the overseas development aid programme have caused significant concern in many quarters. We are in a period of financial collapse. The...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I would love to hear where the Opposition believes we will find €16 billion to €20 billion in the coming years. If we do not, we will render ourselves bankrupt and will see the International Monetary Fund making decisions about this country and how it is run. I would prefer that we do it ourselves, which would be much more helpful. That is why the leader of my party suggested the idea...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: It is important to put that in context. I believe the tone of today's motion is somewhat self-congratulatory. Admittedly, the OECD report vindicates many of the positive aspects about Irish overseas development aid policy to date. That is a good thing but we are in danger of becoming complacent and failing to recognise the serious impact of recent cutbacks on our overseas development aid...