Results 61-80 of 228 for speaker:Déirdre de Búrca

Seanad: Hunger Task Force Report: Statements (7 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am pleased to have an opportunity to discuss the report of the Hunger Task Force.Other Members have spoken eloquently before me, so it is difficult to find the right words to describe the sense of hopelessness out there. Even in the 21st century, we see examples of chronic hunger and chronic food insecurity in parts of the world, specifically...

Seanad: Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I congratulate Senator Quinn on his Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008. He has taken the opportunity in Private Members' business to advance draft legislation in this House to prompt the Government to accelerate the preparation and enactment of legislation in this area. Judging from other speakers in the House today there is a widespread consensus that such legislation is badly...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House. While I will not throw any bouquets in his direction, like my fellow Green Party colleagues, I am satisfied to support the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008. If we are prepared to be honest, the Government had little alternative but to act in this way.

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: To have not acted swiftly would have led to a very serious disturbance of the economy. As other speakers have said, it would have moved out beyond the banking sector and have had a much wider economic, social and employment impact. As the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, outlined earlier, this Bill is necessary to protect the stability of credit institutions and also to maintain the...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Oct 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I look forward to the debate on the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008 later this evening. As my colleague, Senator Ó Murchú, said yesterday, we have a choice in this regard. We have seen the political response to this issue in the United State in terms of the bail-out proposed there. It would appear that a certain party responded more in a highly populist and political...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: It is hard to concentrate on other issues given the turbulence in the international financial markets and the impact this is having on financial institutions, taxpayers and consumers in Ireland. I welcome the action of the Minister for Finance on protecting Irish banks because the interests of Irish taxpayers and consumers will as a result be protected in the longer term. However, the...

Seanad: Prison Development (Confirmation of Resolutions) Bill 2008: Second and Subsequent Stages (26 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the opportunity to debate this Bill. Senator Boyle has already spoken about the prison at Thornton Hall in the Seanad several weeks ago. He made it clear that the Green Party has qualms about the location of this prison. We accept a decision has been made and we are prepared to live with it. We agree there is a need for a new prison and we are very aware of the Victorian...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (25 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I will wrap up. I also mentioned concern about some of the statements in a recent article published in an Irish psychiatric journal, which supported the appropriateness of the use of electroconvulsive therapy on people with Down's syndrome, intellectual impairments and so on. This issue must be considered. The Minister of State appeared to accept the proposal pertaining to an advance...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (25 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, for his open response and the commitments he made to addressing some of the issues raised in the Bill. Many Ministers and Ministers of State come before us but I was very impressed by the extent to which he indicated his willingness to take these issues seriously and make progress in respect of them. I thank him for this and for setting out his...

Seanad: Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (25 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I also welcome the Minister of State to the House. On behalf of the Green Party, I am very happy to propose that this Bill be now read a Second Time. It is quite limited in its scope, which is deliberate. There is a much wider debate about the appropriateness of certain psychiatric practices and the model that underpins them. Those of us who have been involved in the mental health...

Seanad: Older Persons: Statements (Resumed) (25 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the opportunity to make a statement on older persons. This is a key issue for the Government because it is important that we start planning for aging in Ireland and ensure that we make it a positive experience. There is none of us here who will not experience the aging process and it is important that with advance knowledge of the extent to which our population will age, we put in...

Seanad: Older Persons: Statements (Resumed) (25 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Age Action Ireland asked that the Government would ensure proper measures are put in place in anticipation of these price rises and that the next budget might look at the issue of fuel allowance for older persons to match the increases in energy bills. Age Action Ireland proposed that energy providers could play their part in easing hardship for pensioners by deferring any increased charges...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I participated in the Dublin Pride parade in Dublin on Saturday. It was a very enjoyable experience and very good humoured, but there were several references to the hope that the civil partnership Bill would be introduced as soon as possible. Members had a good debate in recent months on the Civil Partnership Bill and there seemed to be consensus around the House on the importance of...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I would like to start by commenting on the vote last week of the Irish public in regard to the Lisbon treaty. This is the first opportunity the House has had to discuss the outcome of that vote. We are in a situation we did not predict. There was a resounding "No" vote to the Lisbon treaty and it is a difficult position for Ireland to be in. I wish the Taoiseach good luck tomorrow when he...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: ——was to align the electoral areas with the Dáil constituencies——

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: ——and to reduce the number of three-seat constituencies. Every democrat in this House will be very happy that the number of three-seat constituencies has been significantly reduced.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: It is in the interests of the proportional representation system, of independent candidates and of smaller parties.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Any of us who believe in the democratic system will welcome that change. I compliment the committee and welcome the recommendations.

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Curran, to the House and wish him well in his new portfolio. I was impressed by his response to some of the earlier contributions and I may cover some of the same ground. That the Minister of State would use this debate as part of the consultation process is a good way to benefit from the various perspectives that Senators will articulate on the...

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, to the House. Like the rest of us he is probably trying to digest the verdict of the Irish people on the Lisbon treaty, which we became aware of last Friday. There is an opportunity to define what is the problem. Given this unpredicted result, I have great sympathy for the Taoiseach who has to attend the European summit tomorrow and see what...