Results 41-60 of 228 for speaker:Déirdre de Búrca

Seanad: Appointments to State Agencies and Public Bodies: Motion (8 Apr 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I second the motion. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I welcome my party's Private Members' motion. As a member of a party that is committed to the whole process of political reform, this motion is very much in keeping with the Green Party's approach to that issue. On the day after a very difficult budget was announced, if we examine some of the provisions of that budget we...

Seanad: Local Economic Initiatives: Motion (4 Mar 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House. I am very happy to second the motion. I would like to address particularly the issue of microfinancing across Europe and the need to promote a much greater availability of these services to address the growing levels of unemployment due to the economic crisis in the EU and globally. As my colleague, Senator Boyle, said, microfinance aims to close the...

Seanad: Report on European Union Scrutiny: Statements (3 Feb 2009)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, to the House. I also welcome the opportunity to discuss this final proposal of the European Parliament and Council on the provision of food information to consumers. Food is becoming an increasingly political issue. As elected representatives, we are all aware of the kind of issues with which we have had to deal in recent years in regard to...

Seanad: Gun Crime: Statements (18 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, to the House. I welcome also this timely debate on gun crime. There is much public anxiety and a genuine sense of insecurity about the current level of gun crime. The public is looking for a strong and adequate response. There is no scope for the legal possession of handguns in this country. Other Members have said that almost 1,300 guns,...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to speak about the Health Bill 2008. It is obvious from the fractious nature of the debate in the Chamber that we are discussing an emotive issue. It is emotive because there are many older people who regard the withdrawal of universal access to a medical card by those over 70 as regressive. The Green Party did not support...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Many people in Ireland are convinced by and wedded to the idea that low rates of taxation are essential to the success of the Irish economy. We need a very honest debate and I call on the Opposition to be honest in that regard. It is very easy, when in opposition, to condemn the Government for what is, in effect, a system that will provide a medical card for 95% of older people. At the...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Members on the other side of the House may find themselves in a position in which they will have to make hard decisions in the near future.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (12 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: A Government should be capable of making decisions that may not be very popular among the public. This Health Bill advocates as fair a system as could be asked for by the State in the sense that, under it, 95% of older people will be looked after. The system we are introducing in the Bill was designed to minimise hardship and undue anxiety among those over 70. Those aged 70 and over on 31...

Seanad: Report of Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the EU: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I also welcome the opportunity to discuss the report of the Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the European Union. As a member of that sub-committee, I am delighted that both Houses of the Oireachtas are debating this excellent report. It is excellent because in the short time available to the sub-committee, it managed to interview,...

Seanad: FÁS: Statements (2 Dec 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House and the opportunity to make statements on FÁS. To put my statement in context, FÁS is an extremely important agency in this State and, given the economic downturn, its role will be all the more important for this State. It is our national training and employment authority. It has had an overseas budget of €1 billion and an advertising budget of €9...

Seanad: Stem-Cell Research (Protection of Human Embryos) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Nov 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, and the opportunity to discuss this Private Members' Bill. I congratulate Senator Mullen on bringing it forward. There is a need for comprehensive debate on stem cell research, especially the merits of embryonic stem cell research versus adult stem cell research. Unfortunately, due to the lack of debate, there has also been a lack of...

Seanad: Development of Green Technology: Motion (5 Nov 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: As the second speaker for the Green Party, I second the motion before the House. It is timely for us to debate such a motion, which calls on Seanad Éireann to recognise the importance of the development of green technology for economic growth. Given the current economic conditions we are experiencing, our case is all the more compelling. Even before the crisis became as deep and obvious...

Seanad: Nursing Home Standards: Statements (5 Nov 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her for her statement. I welcome the opportunity to make a statement on the nursing home support scheme and the standards for residential care settings for older people. There is much concern about the issue of care for the elderly. Many of our population are ageing and this presents people with questions about how best to look after...

Seanad: Health Promotion Priorities: Statements (23 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to discuss health promotion priorities. Health promotion is a central interest of the Minister of State's portfolio. What is most important in setting priorities in this area is the basic model of health care that underpins our health care system. Obviously, health promotion is about prevention and early intervention. It is about trying...

Seanad: Child Care Services: Statements (21 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, to the House and the opportunity to make a statement on the provision of child care services. There is little disagreement in the House that a considerable challenge faces this country in terms of developing a quality child care infrastructure, but there is a clear need to establish a workable, flexible, equitable and affordable model of...

Seanad: Report on EU Climate-Energy Package: Statements (16 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State and welcome the opportunity to discuss the scrutiny report on the EU climate-energy package produced by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. I remind Members that the Green Party was instrumental in having that committee established. It has been an active presence on the committee, as have all the committee members. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I will comment briefly on the budget, about which many Senators have spoken. We were all prepared for a budget that would not be easy. In difficult economic times hard choices have to be made. It will be helpful in the coming weeks and months, when various Ministers come before the House, to question them about the priorities they highlighted in their budget allocations and choices. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: The Opposition would be much more credible if it showed a willingness to acknowledge the positive aspects of the budget in areas such as public transport, the roll-out of broadband to secondary schools and so forth as well as highlighting concerns about certain areas.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Major public transport projects such as metro north are proceeding. This is welcome in the current climate and given the cutbacks we are facing elsewhere. I call on the Opposition to be more balanced in its comment.

Seanad: Volunteering in Irish Society: Statements (14 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the important role of volunteering in Irish society. We cannot emphasise often enough the importance of the volunteer. I came across an interesting definition of volunteering which captures its spirit. It states: Volunteering is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society, local communities, individuals outside the immediate family, the...