I welcome the Minister of State and second the motion proposed by my colleague, Senator Dan Boyle.
This motion addresses the growing challenge of unemployment facing the country. We are all aware that the global community is grappling with an economic and financial crisis but that we have our own domestic strain of that crisis. We [...]

That Seanad Éireann, acknowledging that an ongoing examination of State agencies and public bodies is occurring, recognising that those who are and have been appointed to such bodies have done so with the purpose of commitment and the following of principles of strong public service believes that the review should further examine how such appointments [...]

 I welcome the Minister to the House. I am very happy to second the motion. I would like to address particularly the issue of microfinancing across Europe and the need to promote a much greater availability of these services to address the growing levels of unemployment due to the economic crisis in the EU and [...]

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, and the opportunity to discuss this Private Members’ Bill. I congratulate Senator Mullen on bringing it forward. There is a need for comprehensive debate on stem cell research, especially the merits of embryonic stem cell research versus adult stem cell research. Unfortunately, due to the lack of [...]

I congratulate Senator Quinn on his Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008. He has taken the opportunity in Private Members’ business to advance draft legislation in this House to prompt the Government to accelerate the preparation and enactment of legislation in this area. Judging from other speakers in the House today there is [...]

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 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 [...]