Results 1-20 of 187 for like to work speaker:Mary Seery Kearney

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Assisted Human Reproduction (5 Nov 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the Minister of State to taking this Commencement matter. Last July, we had a fantastic day here when the assisted human reproduction Bill was passed by this House having previously been passed by the Dáil. We had families in this Chamber, along with my own, who celebrated the fact that both parents of children had a way forward in getting the legal recognition they absolutely...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Nov 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I am up to my ears with work, so I was not going to come to the Chamber, but I heard Senator Clonan's contribution and felt I needed to do so. If this is going to be one of the last times I speak in this House, I need to say that whatever happens in the next Administration, the issue of the culture in the HSE has to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck. I have to hand a copy of a letter...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I am rising today to again ask that we have statements in this House on the apartment defects remediation scheme. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has an awful lot of good news to share with this House of huge developments and input progress over the last few years. Most recently, he brought a memo to Cabinet for the drafting of the...

Seanad: Maternity Protection Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I welcome this fantastic legislation and pay tribute to the Irish Cancer Society for all its advocacy in this regard. I also acknowledge that Senator Catherine Ardagh brought a Private Members' Bill on this issue earlier this year highlighting her continued work with the Irish Cancer Society and acknowledging the need for maternity leave to be preserved for very serious illnesses like...

Seanad: Maternity Protection Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: “Surrogacy Parent Leave 3. (1) For the purposes of this section, a nominated employed parent is a parent who has been an Intended Parent within the meaning of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 and who has been a successful applicant for a parental order in respect of a child born...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Oct 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: Senator Fitzpatrick began the Order of Business by talking about the substantial allocation on housing, and particularly highlighted the help-to-buy scheme and the extraordinary purchasing by first-time buyers. The Senator also talked about the LDA. The LDA is really coming into its own now. It took time to gather information before being able to carry out works. As I come in here every...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Oct 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I rise today to congratulate the Government on the budget. It has been an exceptional budget. It has particularly focused on children and families. There are two areas I want to call out in particular that were specifically mentioned by both Ministers yesterday. They are areas for which I have been advocating for a very long time. The first is tackling and really intervening on child...

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation of Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Sep 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank the witnesses for attending and for their opening statements. I pay tribute to both of them as valuable and incredible members of our community. They contribute so significantly, particularly in the care of those who are caught in addiction. I am delighted that the emphasis of the Irish College of GPs at the beginning was on the humanity of the individual and is compassion led for...

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation of Drugs: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Sep 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...really respectful here and I hear that from both organisations in a way I just love. I have three areas of questions. I thank Dr. Quinlan for talking about the Medical Council and prescriptions. I worked as a counselling psychologist in Ballyfermot for a number of years. I felt there was an instant prescribing. I would have someone coming through counselling and all of a sudden they...

Seanad: Better Planning for Local Childcare Provision: Motion (17 Jul 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: Lest anyone thinks I am unqualified to speak in this area, I have owned a childcare facility. I built the largest one in the city in 2002. I have been a consultant to the sector and led them through GDPR. I have consulted and been a mentor on county childcare committees. If anyone thinks I do not know what I am talking about, actually I do. When I speak to and meet with services, I...

Seanad: Protection of Children (Online Age Verification) Bill 2024: Second Stage (11 Jul 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...pornography. However, I do not think the Bill is the answer. Although I note the Minister is not opposing the Bill I would understand if she was. There is no question that when it comes to pornography, full stop, we need a greater education and I see that increasing. In the education provided in schools we need very clear instruction to discern between the reality and beauty of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I congratulate our new colleague, Senator Bradley. I could not be more thrilled to see her here. I am very proud of the Taoiseach for recognising her sheer talent and skill and elevating her to the Seanad. I also welcome the Senator's family. It is a really big day. I was emotional seeing her walking in. Her family can be very proud of her. As her colleague, I am very proud of her....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Jul 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: Over recent years, I have spoken in the House about the apartment defects issue on numerous occasions. I welcome to the Gallery Sam and Odette Doran of the Not Our Fault campaign. They represent more than 100,000 homeowners throughout the country who, through no fault of their own, have found themselves to be living in multi-unit developments where there are fire defects. The sequence of...

Seanad: Migration: Statements (10 Jul 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: First, I congratulate the Minister on his elevation to the leadership of the Green Party and I wish him well with that. We are here to make statements on migration. When I see it and read it, it gives me the chills because I have a fear of any further stoking of the hate and the activities that we have seen in our country in the last year and a half especially, which have just been...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Second Stage (27 Jun 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I commend the Minister of State and officials for the amazing work. The engagement with the Oireachtas committee has been fantastic. I commend my colleague, Senator Cummins, on his leadership within our party in this area. He has been insightful in his contributions and a great advocate and colleague. I welcome this Bill. It is critical, exactly as described. We need an coimisiún...

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation of Drugs: Discussion (27 Jun 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I want to come back to the fact that what we are talking about here would be quite a cultural and societal shift. When we put that inside a context that marginalised communities are most impacted by treating drugs in a criminal justice system rather than a health driven system, that suggests it is more than just treating drugs in criminal justice, it is actually about the issues within that...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (26 Jun 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...explanation of the screening of anybody who applies for fertility and not just surrogacy. As I said last week, I had a problem where if suddenly one has a diagnosis of something which is going to bring a person into a territory of requiring fertility treatment, and then having to prove oneself as a parent, when that is not the case when one does not have a fertility issue. I would argue...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (26 Jun 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: -----that the children are only being reared by their biological parents. All sorts of thing constantly go on in society. Step-parents rear children. I have a blended family visiting the House today. Blended families work. They rear children all of the time. As such, to speak about it as being prejudicial to a child born of surrogacy is to deny the reality of what happens in the world...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society: Department of Education (25 Jun 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...the Minister of State for taking the time. I had a meeting with her last week that was very comprehensive. Some of this is just me thinking on further from that meeting. I apologise, but I had to go to another event and the Minister of State may already have answered this question. The parents in my home constituency of Dublin South-Central have the experience of being handed a list...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Jun 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: I think I am in line for a Louis Vuitton for her 21st birthday or something like that. I am saving; I have saved for 21 years. I want to begin by paying enormous tribute to the Acting Leader. I am thrilled to see him as Acting Leader today. I missed the last day he was here. I am about to speak about the Oireachtas disability group, but I actually want to pay tribute to the fact that...