I welcome the opportunity to debate this Bill.  Senator Boyle has already spoken about the prison at Thornton Hall in the Seanad several weeks ago.  He made it clear that the Green Party has qualms about the location of this prison.  We accept a decision has been made and we are prepared to live with [...]

I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time.” 

I also welcome the Minister of State to the House.  On behalf of the Green Party, I am very happy to move this Bill.  It is quite limited in its scope, which is deliberate.  There is a much wider debate about the appropriateness of [...]

I welcome the opportunity to make a statement on older persons. This is a key issue for the Government because it is important that we start planning for aging in Ireland and ensure that we make it a positive experience. There is none of us here who will not experience the aging process and it is important [...]

 
Private Members Bill being introduced in Seanad Éireann

This evening in Seanad Éireann, Green Party Senators Déirdre de Búrca and Dan Boyle are introducing a Private Member’s Bill “Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008 aimed at ceasing the practice of forced electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) and ending the practice of psycho-surgery, more popularly known as ‘lobotomy’.“The [...]

Could help meet all electricity needs sustainably says Green Senator 
Green Party Spokesperson for European Affairs, Senator Déirdre de Búrca has welcomed a new study from the Heinrich Böll Foundation , presented at the European parliament in Brussels today. ‘This new study reveals the huge potential for renewable energy in Europe and calls for the creation [...]

I participated in the Dublin Pride parade in Dublin on Saturday. It was a very enjoyable experience and very good humoured, but there were several references to the hope that the civil partnership Bill would be introduced as soon as possible. 
Members had a good debate in recent months on the Civil Partnership Bill and there [...]

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Curran, to the House and wish him well in his new portfolio. I was impressed by his response to some of the earlier contributions and I may cover some of the same ground. That the Minister of State would use this debate as part of the consultation process [...]

Pictured from left to right: Pierre Jonckheer Belgian Green MEP,
Senator Déirdre de Búrca, Environment Minister John Gormley and 
Philippe Lamberts spokesperson for the European Green Party

Pictured rom left to right: Philippe Lamberts spokesperson for the
European Green Party, Pierre Jonckheer Belgian Green MEP,
Senator Déirdre de Búrca and Environment Minister John Gormley 

I would like to start by commenting on the vote last week of the Irish public in regard to the Lisbon treaty. This is the first opportunity the House has had to discuss the outcome of that vote. We are in a situation that we did not predict. There was a resounding ‘’No’’ vote to [...]