Results 1-20 of 353 for at speaker:Catherine Ardagh

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 May 2024)

Catherine Ardagh: I would like to join with the sentiments of my colleague, Senator Fitzpatrick, on the anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings. These were a series of explosions which killed, maimed and ruined many lives and created intergenerational trauma which we are still seeing today. A total of 34 innocent lives, including a full-term unborn child, were taken that day. It was probably one of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council, UN Matters and Individually Tailored Partnership Programme with NATO: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (14 May 2024)

Catherine Ardagh: Go raibh maith agat. I know the Tánaiste has other commitments so I will be very brief. I thank him for attending and for being very candid with us. I also thank the officials for opening the Department to us. Like the majority of Irish people, we support the Tánaiste's narrative and beliefs when it comes to the crisis in the Middle East. He outlined the huge amount of work he...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cancer Services (17 Apr 2024)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister of State for attending the Chamber in the stead of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. As we know, earlier in the week, a group of prominent oncologists wrote to the Taoiseach outlining the crucial need for new and recurrent multi-annual funding to the national cancer control programme in 2024 and to commit to ring-fenced funding to enable full delivery of the National Cancer...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Feb 2024)

Catherine Ardagh: I welcome the Bill. It has the full support of the Fianna Fáil Party. It is great that social welfare payments will be extended to children aged 18 who are still living at home and in full-time education. That will be of huge benefit across the country and it is one of the main points of this legislation.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Second Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for attending. Fianna Fáil supports this Bill. It is a small, but practical, Bill and has three elements. It started its life in the Dáil mainly as a child maintenance Bill but has since grown practical legs. Regarding the International Protection Act 2015, it is important to have on record that Ireland has welcomed 2.3% of those who have fled Ukraine to the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Catherine Ardagh: I also congratulate the chair of the autism committee, Senator Carrigy. In our various groups, we all tried to push our colleagues to ensure that they did the training and we were pushed by the Senator. It was well worth the effort. I raise the issue of buy now, pay later services. Many of us because of our age - I am middle aged - use mainstream banks. Revolut might be as far as I go in...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. A strategic plan is probably one of the most important documents in all organisations. Much of the time, organisations do not spend enough time considering a strategic plan. I note that a board will be put in place and the establishment of the board has already been discussed in the Seanad. I add that it is important that people from a...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: As Senator Chambers said, some people will not be able to access a plan like this, particularly those with a disability. A lot of information from other Departments is only accessible online and not everybody has an email address or access to broadband. Could we get an assurance from the Minister that the plan will be on display - possibly in every Garda station in the country - and that...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I refer to section 65(13), which we discussed at length when we discussed the strategic plan under section 63 and its publication. Is it similar in that there will be some sort of right of reply? Will it be displayed in public? Will there be a right of reply for members of the public to the plan and a body that will accept any recommendations or submissions the public will have? In the...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (13 Dec 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I will speak on the issue of capital planning. We all know that the process of budgeting resources for organisations is a budgeting process for their long-term future that includes projections for future projects.I commend the Minister and the Department. Around the country, we can see beautiful Garda stations. I think we have seen these in all our communities. I know the OPW can be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Budget 2024, Official Development Assistance, COP28 and Ongoing Humanitarian Situations: Dóchas (21 Nov 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: ...witnesses have answered a lot of the questions from my colleague. I thank all of our witnesses for coming in today and taking the time to come into the committee. It is really interesting and great to get first-hand information on what is happening on the ground with the humanitarian crisis. Obviously, we are all listening to and checking our phones to see if there will be a some sort...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Nov 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Cathaoirleach for representing us so well yesterday in Westminster at the opening of the House of Lords. We owe it to Senator O'Loughlin that we have a bank holiday on St Brigid's day. I commend her hard work in championing that cause. I want to raise the issue of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and the abysmal figures we are seeing. There is a huge increase in the number of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Oct 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: As chair of the Oireachtas cross-party group on cancer, it was great to learn at the weekend that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, will finally legislate to allow women undergoing cancer treatment during their maternity leave to defer that leave until their treatment ends. I do not need to explain to anyone in this House how important...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Taoiseach for coming in to us today. It is great to have him in the Chamber. I just want to raise two big issues coming up to the budget. The first is disability and the hidden costs of disability. If someone has a child with a disability and he or she gets a diagnosis, there is a huge outlay in getting a private diagnosis because, as we all know, the assessment of needs...

Seanad: Crime and Policing: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: High visibility works. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, and the Minister, while visiting Cherry Orchard about 18 months ago, put in place a plan to clamp down on the antisocial behaviour we had been reading about and attacks on gardaí. Since then, reports show that incidents of antisocial behaviour are not as prolific as they were at the time. On the issue of walking the streets...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I also wish to convey my sympathies to the family of Damien O'Reilly, in particular his fiancé Lisa, his children, Carly and Kyle, and his wider circle. Damien was a friend, and a colleague of many of us. He was a really happy-go-lucky guy and he will be sorely missed around this House by his colleagues and everyone in the Fianna Fáil Party. I also want to raise the issue of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Implementation of the Recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: I thank the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General for their attendance. I commend them on all the efforts of Óglaigh na hÉireann in the context of the crackdown on drug smuggling into the country. As other members said, a lot of important, dangerous work is going on and I thank the Chief of Staff and the members of the Defence Forces for that. It plays a vital role in the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: ...Martin Groves, Bridget Doody and all the team in the Seanad Office. People always describe the Seanad and the rest of the Oireachtas as being like a swan going along gracefully while underneath there is much going on that we do not see. I thank all the staff of the Oireachtas, including our ushers, caters and cleaners, who make this a beautiful place and a wonderful environment for us to...

Seanad: Care Payments: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: .... As my colleague said, there are 500,000 or more carers in the country. I have a son who has level three autism. He is non-verbal and has severe, challenging behaviours. I am constantly up at two in the morning, but I have a privileged life. I am a Senator. I have a great job, which I love, but it is tiring. I am here to represent those who do not have the privilege that I have....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (11 Jul 2023)

Catherine Ardagh: It is absolutely being strung along. The RDF needs to look for a commitment that this is happening, especially since that commission report was signed off in 2021. The space we are in at the moment as regards defence in Ireland has changed dramatically. My colleagues referenced the consultative forum. This concerns the public. When I say "public" I mean politicians because we are the...