Results 181-200 of 416 for long speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Statements (Resumed) (26 Jan 2021)

Martin Conway: ...not responsible for what future politicians might do, but they are responsible for what is done now. This situation must be dealt with now. It needs to be dealt with, not in the medium-term future or in the long-term future, but in the short-term future. There are 22 recommendations in the report which the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, discussed with the survivors on the webinar. Those 22...

Seanad: Commencement of Irish Sign Language Act 2017: Statements (15 Dec 2020)

Martin Conway: ...President signed the legislation into law. As far as I am concerned, it was probably one of the most important pieces of legislation we ever put through this House. One might say three years is a long time to commence it but, when one looks at many pieces of legislation that we have had in this country and the length of time it has taken to commence legislation, 36 months is not bad....

Seanad: Access to Contraception: Motion (15 Dec 2020)

Martin Conway: ...and human nature. Therefore, this is where the State, which is supposed to be there to protect people, should intervene and should be there to facilitate what is extremely important. We have come a long way and the referendum on the eighth amendment reflects this. It was an amazing step forward in how people treat other people and how society treats women who find themselves in a...

Seanad: Central Mental Hospital (Relocation) Bill 2020: Second Stage (14 Dec 2020)

Martin Conway: ...transferring the Central Mental Hospital into the national forensic mental health campus, which one hopes is a centre of excellence, where people will receive the type of supports they need.For too long, we have heard about the negatives in the health services in this country, although more recently, there has been a more balanced discourse in that regard. This development has been...

Seanad: Technological Universities Agenda: Statements (2 Dec 2020)

Martin Conway: I listened with great interest, as I always do, to our long-established and learned colleague, Senator Burke. I often think about what would happen if I lost my seat. The Houses of the Oireachtas have a duty of care to people who have given good service but through no fault of their own are not re-elected. There should be a significant retraining and education programme to assist those...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water and Sewerage Schemes (26 Nov 2020)

Martin Conway: ...of Doolin deserve an upgraded sewerage system. Cooraclare is a village just off the Wild Atlantic Way. Thousands of people travel through it and people live there. Again, they have waited long enough for a sewerage system and an upgraded wastewater facility. They deserve it. Similarly, Carrigaholt is part of our tourism offering in County Clare. It is a super facility and area and...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Martin Conway: ...insurance. We in this country can stand over our health insurance system in a way in which those in the United States of America and other countries cannot. We ensure that vulnerable people with long-term illnesses, challenging conditions and lifelong disabilities are not ripped off when they purchase health insurance and have access to the same quality healthcare as everybody else. I...

Seanad: Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Martin Conway: ...and perhaps they are rightly placed. In many ways, we are dealing with a unique set of circumstances so I can see the logic in what is being done here, but I believe that if we are taking a long-term view, two terms is enough. I am on a couple of boards of directors of NGOs and the time limit certainly would not be 12 years, for a very good reason. We must look at best international...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Support Services (17 Nov 2020)

Martin Conway: ...the management of the service. I am looking now for a fundamental review of this service. This service enables people who are blind and visually impaired to avail of mainstream education because for too long they have had to attend a special school for the blind and visually impaired people in Dublin. We are all trying to achieve and create fully integrated mainstream education. The...

Seanad: Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Martin Conway: ...upgrade the capital programme and buy out the network of level crossings in order to increase train speeds. The rail journey from Ennis to Galway takes about an hour and a half but it should not take so long. One will get from Ennis to Galway by bus a lot quicker. The problem is that there are many level crossings along that route which create speed restrictions. I would like the...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Martin Conway: ...Minister of State at this stage. If he wishes to consult his officials to get their perspective on it, he can do so. Senator Ward has identified a clear definition that has been tried and tested for a long time in dealing with television licences, which are very much a household issue. Obviously, there have been thousands of incidences where the definition could have been challenged but...

Seanad: Budget 2021: Statements (14 Oct 2020)

Martin Conway: ...employment and hopefully growing the business again. I also thank the Minister for providing additional support to Shannon Airport through the €5 million that has been announced. There is a long way to go in rebuilding the aviation industry which is critical to the west of Ireland and to the mid-west in particular but this is a welcome start. The Minister will closely observe how...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (7 Oct 2020)

Martin Conway: ...in Limerick. That money was sanctioned, made available and ring-fenced. The years 2018 and 2019 have passed and 2020 is about to pass but the unit is still not up and running. Three years is a long time. A significant amount of facilities could be built in three years. The delay is completely unacceptable. Will the Minister of State confirm the date on which the new 60-bed modular...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (7 Oct 2020)

Martin Conway: ...This is extremely welcome and will come as great news for the people of County Clare, which I represent, and also the people of Limerick and north Tipperary. This project has been going on for a long time and the difficulties and challenges at the accident and emergency unit at University Hospital Limerick have been well aired and documented over the years. This is a clear Government...

Seanad: National Screening Advisory Committee Bill 2020: Second Stage (30 Sep 2020)

Martin Conway: ...deep end, he is probably in the Forty Foot, but he is swimming very effectively. All we can do in this House is to lend him our support and try to support him in any way we can. The Bill that my long-time friend and good colleague, Senator Norris, has introduced is one that, ultimately, if it passes, as I hope it will, will save lives. I wish to formally second amendment No. 1 because...

Seanad: National Screening Advisory Committee Bill 2020: Second Stage (30 Sep 2020)

Martin Conway: ...which I am sure the Leas-Chathaoirleach has often heard, that prevention is better than cure. Investment in prevention is better than trying to find the money to create the cure. That is thinking long term. Unfortunately, thinking long term is not politically expedient and does not feed the monster of social media, but vaccination ensures that people's sons and daughters will benefit...

Seanad: Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Sep 2020)

Martin Conway: ...everyone. I welcome the Minister of State into what is her Chamber and the Chamber of the rest of us. It is good for politics that we have one of our own sitting at the Cabinet table. It is long overdue and already the Minister of State is doing a fantastic job. One of the first Bills to come before us in this new Seanad is an important one. I would agree with lot of the arguments and...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies and Valuation Bill 2020: Second Stage (31 Jul 2020)

Martin Conway: ...of this Government to deal with the housing stock situation head-on and to engage in a large-scale building programme. This, in itself, will create jobs in the short to medium term, outside of its long-term benefits to society.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Jul 2020)

Martin Conway: ...of months we would have a detailed debate with the Taoiseach on the programme for Government. This is a new type of programme for Government. It is extremely detailed. It is nearly 150 pages long, with many aspirations and a huge amount of commitment. It is the type of programme for Government that one would see in other counties but until now, we have not seen in this country. It is...

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motions (29 Jun 2020)

Martin Conway: ...eighth year as Government spokesperson on justice that we have had to, at this time of year, discuss putting this legislation through for another 12 months. Senator Bacik, who is here doing it as long as I am, is quite right that the timeline was never as tight as it is today, with only three or four hours left to get it through. In previous years, we always had a debate on whether the...