Results 141-152 of 152 for long speaker:Maire Devine

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Oct 2016)

Maire Devine: ...a direct say in who is elected to it, a choice to elect who they want to represent them. Embracing our fellow citizens and holders of Irish passports from the North is also very welcome. We have campaigned for a long time for voting rights for our fellow citizens in all elections that take place in the Republic. We believe it is only a matter of time before it happens and we look forward...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Maire Devine: ...services without delay. This issue is not about party political lines and is certainly not an issue for scoring political points. Our families and communities cannot wait for this service any longer. We have spoken and spoken and spoken ad nauseamon this issue and for far too long. The stark reality of the non-provision of this service is that our citizens, in every town, village and...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Maire Devine: ...to talk to their friends and other politicians and to urge them to vote this afternoon. This is about mental health services and is really relevant. We have been banging on about it for a long time, some ten years. Over 70% of A Vision for Change has not been implemented.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2016)

Maire Devine: The Fianna Fáil amendment mentions a seven-day week in two years but does not commit to a 24/7 service. The timeline for seven-day services is far too long and the non-committal of Government is deeply worrying. Members of this House and the Dáil should not stand back and allow this to continue. Our citizens are dying and are crying and begging for help. I welcome the Green...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2016)

Maire Devine: ...property related schemes. I call on the Minister to lobby and do all in his power to relax the rules and amend the legislation to allow the release through voluntary funds of €4 billion which would go a long way towards providing 20,000 to 25,000 housing units which would be welcome throughout the country for the people who are in need. We need a commitment to establishing a...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2016)

Maire Devine: Along with Senator Dolan, I wish the raise the issue of the budget choices launched by Social Justice Ireland yesterday. It is hoped that this report will be studied, listened to and acted on in all the deliberations as the Government prepare for budget 2017. Ireland faces major challenges. There are challenges that have been constant, such as poverty, inequality and homelessness, but...

Seanad: Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Motion (19 Jul 2016)

Maire Devine: ...and should be supported and protected because they also provide the potential for the growth of Irish transnational companies. I hope the motion will resolve the issue that arises in the provision of long-term benefits in cases of sickness or injury. We must have a wider discussion on the improvements we need to make to assist the self-employed and how the proposed extension of benefits...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second and Subsequent Stages (14 Jul 2016)

Maire Devine: ..., although we recognise that it certainly will not speed up the process. However, we have to see the greater good. Our main concern, while supporting the amendment, is to ask why the process is taking so long. While we can understand the huge administrative task involved and the time it took to bed down the initial process, we ask for the exact factors which are causing the delay and...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (12 Jul 2016)

Maire Devine: ...significantly below the poverty line. These are known now as the working poor. That we could come to see a day where we have hard working women and men all over the country going out to do a long day of hard work to provide for themselves and their families, but still not earning enough to sustain a decent standard of living, is a damning indictment of this and previous Governments....

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2016)

Maire Devine: ...attendance of Senators and Deputies at the launch of the pre-budget submission. The majority of people with dementia live at home and want to remain there but they need support to do so. For too long, home care has been simply a solution to the hospital crisis and not an integral, long-term part of dementia care. Appropriate home care can keep people well in the community and out of...

Seanad: Delivering Sustainable Full Employment: Statements (Resumed) (30 Jun 2016)

Maire Devine: .... We have seen this in Mexico and other areas of America as well, where these agreements have the power to supersede any rights that already exist in countries such as ours. We have fought too long and hard to let this go. Everything the Minister of State does in the area of sustainability has to be done with an eye on TTIP and its sneaky progression into legislation here, although I...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Hospital Staff (21 Jun 2016)

Maire Devine: I do not want to be negative, but I have been involved in this game for a long time. In the 1990s the level of funding for mental health services was 14%. It is now somewhere in the region of less than 6%. I become cynical when I hear that it will be increased by 5.2% and when talk year after year of the figures of €41 million and €35 million. We never actually get our hands...