Results 21-40 of 240 for speaker:Maria Corrigan

Seanad: Child Care Services (6 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I welcome the Minister of State's response and thank him for his kind words. The 80% level of returns is heartening and is a credit to the Minister of State and his Department. I particularly welcome the fact that 415 letters have been issued approving the transition. The most important aspect of the scheme is that it offers us the opportunity to ensure that the people who most need...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I support the calls by other Senators for a debate on drugs. Such a debate should seek the integration of the alcohol and drug strategies. It is no longer acceptable or appropriate to view alcohol abuse and drug or substance abuse as two separate issues. In reality, alcohol is most frequently the gateway to drug abuse. If we are concerned about early intervention through an effective...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: In light of the report of the inquiry into the Brothers of Charity that was released yesterday, I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister to attend the House. The report raises a number of issues that are not limited to the Brothers of Charity services by any means, but in fact could apply to any disability services around the country. For example, there are aspects of the current legal...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I would like to raise again the point I made yesterday about the proposed inspectorate for residential homes for children with intellectual disability, as well as the residential settings for adults with intellectual disability. Can the Leader ascertain the timeframe for the commencement of this? It is absolutely essential. I would also like him to convey to the Minister the need for the...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I call on the Leader to organise, as a matter of urgency, for the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House early in the new year for a focused debate on mental health. The debate should focus on the implementation of A Vision for Change. In its briefing last week, the HSE informed us that it hoped to have a draft implementation plan by the end of December. It is unacceptable...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: Will the Leader schedule time for the Minister of State with special responsibility for disabilities to come into the House? In the budget, €50 million has been allocated to people with disabilities. This House should make it a priority to discuss the allocation and expenditure of that money, having seen what happened to the moneys allocated to the mental health services in the previous...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Second Stage (19 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank the Chair for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this debate. As the Minister has outlined, the main purpose of the Bill is to put beyond doubt the vires of bodies established under the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act 1961. It also amends the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 and provides for a technical amendment to the Health Act 2004. The...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to raise this very important matter. I request the Minister for Health and Children to provide a report on the progress of inspections of facilities and residential services for children with disabilities, residential services for adults with disabilities and such services for unaccompanied minors. It has long been a requirement for residential...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (19 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Minister of State for the very positive response. Will he convey to the Minister that a requirement for all services in receipt of funding to implement guidelines for the investigations of allegation of non-accidental injury and sexual abuse should be included in the contractual agreement between the HSE and these services? There is no requirement for any service to do that....

Seanad: Health Services (20 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me the opportunity to raise this matter and I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have tabled this Adjournment matter to try to obtain clarification on the allocation of moneys to the areas of mental health services and physical and sensory disabilities in the 2007 budget. Some confusion has arisen in this regard. The impression among...

Seanad: Health Services (20 Dec 2007)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Minister of State for his reply and his kind words. It is clear from the moneys allocated that mental health and disabilities are a priority for the Government but did the HSE spend those moneys in the areas for which they were allocated?

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I was hoping to have some clarification from the Leader on my request for two debates that I made prior to Christmas. One was for a debate on the roll-out of the national disability strategy and how we are meeting the needs of people with a disability in such a way as to enable them to take their rightful place as equal members of society. There are still a number of legislative issues to...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I have asked the Leader on a number of occasions to facilitate a debate on the needs of people with intellectual disabilities in order that we can add our voices to ensuring they have the opportunities to avail of equal citizenship in our county. Senator Mullen brought the House's attention to the request of their representative groups to use the Chamber to facilitate a debate in which they...

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this important issue and thank her for regularly making time available to come to the House. I commend her on the determination and commitment she brings to the vital issue of health reform. It is important to remind the House of the long-standing problem faced by patients regarding the cost of medication. They pay a multiple of the cost in...

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Minister for her response. Is there an estimate of the timeframe for the independent body to come back to us?

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Maria Corrigan: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (11 Mar 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue on the Adjournment and the Minister of State, Deputy Smith, for his attendance. I welcome the Government's additional allocation of €50 million to disability services in budget 2008. I ask the Minister of State for an update on the projects to which this money is being allocated. In particular, I seek an assurance that this...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (11 Mar 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Minister of State for one of the most comprehensive replies we have received on the Adjournment. I ask him to convey to the Minister that while I welcome the HSE's proposals for the allocation of the additional €50 million, I ask that she use her influence to ensure the money is spent on the proposed projects. I am conscious that moneys allocated in the previous year's budget...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I support the calls of my colleagues regarding inviting the Taoiseach to the Chamber. I also support the comments of Senator Shane Ross on Zimbabwe. I raise the very disturbing reports that we are facing a measles epidemic as a direct result of a decrease in the rate of vaccinations. While I can understand the concerns and fears of parents regarding the consequences of the MMR vaccine,...

Seanad: Mental Health Services (8 Apr 2008)

Maria Corrigan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to raise this issue. I accept the Government is committed to the development of appropriate mental health services and this is clearly seen in the allocation of money to those areas of the health service. My question is about the allocation of €25 million for the implementation of A Vision for Change in the 2007 budget. On 20 December last, I...