Results 41-60 of 132 for long speaker:Maria Byrne

Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...position. I welcome the living city initiative. I am from Limerick city and I live just off the Georgian area. For many years, nobody was living in many of those houses. People have moved back in but there is still a long way to go because there are a lot of restrictions around planning permissions and a lot of red tape that people have to overcome. These are all costly exercises, for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...temporary person, but would it be preferred that it would be another female? Can that be suggested? Second, that councillors will qualify for and get a payment is very important, because for so long they did not qualify for anything. I thank the Minister of State for all he did to bring councillors into the scheme and that their PRSI now means something for them, because for a long...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medical Cards (21 Sep 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...live on their own. The scheme would enable them to have company at home. It would also help to address the student accommodation crisis. It is not going to solve the overall problem, but it will go a long way towards it. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Education are very much in favour of the scheme, but the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Sep 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...-section 38 organisations, private sector nursing homes and hospices or those working in private and voluntary section 39 organisations, eligible staff who work on-site in section 39 organisations or in long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities or agency workers in the HSE and healthcare support assistants. Seven months have elapsed and none of them have received...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Issues at the Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick Raised in the HIQA Report: Discussion (21 Sep 2022)

Maria Byrne: ..., scan. There was an eight-to-ten week waiting time to have the results read. The person who contacted me was concerned with the health of their loved one. Is it the norm that it would take this long for a scan to be read? The patient in this case ended up having a fall and had to go into the main hospital. As a result of a shortage of staff, however, personnel had to be brought in...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Sep 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...if it was open for restricted hours, it would help people. People want to be able to go in and to ask their question face to face. It is just not acceptable. I know that Covid was an issue for a long time, but every other public building is open. Why is the office of the Revenue Commissioners not open? I ask for the Leader's support on the matter. The other issue I wish to raise is...

Seanad: Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...to Charleville rather than have the child attend either of the two local schools, given there was no vacancy. There are so many sensitive issues in the context of special needs but we have come a long way in regard to what the Minister of State and the Department have been delivering, not least when compared with a few years ago. It is wonderful that there is now greater inclusivity of...

Seanad: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...review. I know he is committed to working with the groups. I compliment the groups and all those involved who came together and put their case. I look forward to supporting the Bill, which has come a long way. While some people believe it has not fully addressed their concerns, I believe it will address many of the issues affecting families. What is the timeframe by which homeowners...

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...that the Minister is amending the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981 to allow educational institutions to take out loans and build their own student accommodation. This has been a major problem for a long time and it is welcome to see this included in the legislation. I am aware that one or two of the ITs approached the Minister or had engagement with the Department regarding their ideas on...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jun 2022)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the intervention, at long last, from the Minister for Health on University Hospital Limerick. I welcome the fact that he met senior officials in the HSE yesterday and that he has put together a crisis management unit that is to go to the hospital and work with senior people in the HSE and in the hospital. There also needs to be some independent people brought into this because it...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Overcrowding (21 Jun 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...University Hospital Limerick. It is a damaging, concerning, disappointing and shocking report. I have been raising the issue of UHL in this House, as well as with the Minister for Health, for a long time. I raise issues every week. While there are positive things that happen there, this report is damaging. It is important that the Minister acknowledges the concerns around the...

Seanad: Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Jun 2022)

Maria Byrne: .... The Minister of State indicated that people are being stung for the fact that they were with the same insurance company all the time. That is not right, either. People should get credit for how long they stay loyal to a business. That happens in many organisations. It needs to be brought in to the insurance sector. The Minister of State is committed to that. While some small...

Seanad: Cost of Living: Motion (15 Jun 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...the war would cause all this pain. It is not something that will disappear overnight. There has to be a more structured solution. The Minister said that. We need to look at short-, medium-, and long-term responses and at key measures that will alleviate the pain of families on lower and middle incomes. Every family and citizen deserves a degree of certainty. The Government has done a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Jun 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...wish to be associated with the votes of sympathy to former Councillor Noel Collins. He certainly was a gentleman. I know he will be missed by many and especially the people he represented over a long period. May he rest in peace. I rise today because 700 is a number that is lucky for some in County Limerick and not lucky for others. More than 700 people were accepted into the mica...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Regional Airports (31 May 2022)

Maria Byrne: ..., whom I understand is attending a meeting in Dublin Airport. I call for balance in regional air routes in the context of what is happening in Dublin Airport. We must explore short-, medium- and long-term solutions. I tweeted over the weekend to encourage people to consider using regional airports and particularly Shannon Airport. It has the longest runway and the capacity to handle up...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Regional Airports (31 May 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...the airports. They need to look at the various routes available. They have to take routes from Dublin Airport and give them to the other airports. It may not happen in the short term but in the long term this needs to happen. This is obvious from what we saw last Sunday. We need to put in place proper regional balance to encourage people and to support those airports that need...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Primary Medical Certificates (5 May 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...committee, will soon be in place. I understand that it is not the Minister's responsibility; it is the adjudication board's. The big problem was that no board was in place and it has taken so long. I understand that a process needs to be followed to fill these positions, but people have been waiting since last November. We are now in the month of May and there is still no decision. I...

Seanad: Impact on Farming Sector Arising from the Situation in Ukraine: Statements (29 Mar 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...are dependent on grain to feed their animals. Pig farmers were protesting on the streets today and I thank the Minister for agreeing to meet them this evening. We have been heavily reliant for so long on imported grain and animal feed. Members of the Irish Grain & Feed Association are working hard to find and import grain and I urge the Government to support them in their...

Seanad: Humanitarian Support for Ukrainian Refugees: Statements (23 Mar 2022)

Maria Byrne: ...for them because we are trying to eradicate that system. We know further large numbers of Ukrainians will be arriving here and they are all very welcome to our country. We need to look at long-term supports and accommodation for them. The Minister referred to the Green Glens Arena. I do not want to see that turned into a type of direct provision accommodation.I spoke to representatives...