I welcome the Minister of State. As a former psychologist and someone who managed a project for young people who had had their first serious experience of mental health difficulties, including psychosis, I also welcome the opportunity to conclude my reply to the Second Stage debate on the Mental Health (Involuntary Procedures) (Amendment) Bill 2008. [...]
Continue readingGreens in Government
The Irish Green Party has found itself in Government for the first time during a very interesting but extraordinarily challenging period. Little did we realise when we optimistically negotiated the 2007-2012 Programme for Government with our coalition partners that we were about to face into the worst global, and domestic economic recession since [...]
I welcome this opportunity to make a statement on the recent flooding. I feel very passionately about flooding because in my eight years as a member of Wicklow County Council some of the most difficult planning situations I had to deal with or be involved with were cases in which flood plains were being zoned. [...]
Continue readingI apologise for leaving earlier. There were several votes in the Seanad and I was unable to be present. However, I read the delegation’s document and, as the delegation is aware, the Green Party has been very concerned about the cutbacks in the past year to the budgets of the Equality Authority and the Irish [...]
Continue readingI welcome the Minister and the opportunity to debate the Courts and Court Officers Bill 2009. Like Senator Walsh, I must admit to feeling at a slight disadvantage. I am not a legal practitioner and thus am not on the receiving end of some of Senator Walsh’s criticisms, but I have been a litigant once [...]
Continue readingI welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to debate the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009. This is very important legislation of which the Green Party, particularly the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, can be very proud. If I have any regret it is that the Bill is [...]
Continue readingI welcome the Minister of State to the House and I welcome the opportunity to engage in the Second Stage debate on the European Union Bill. The purpose of the Bill is to give domestic effect to the provisions of the Lisbon treaty. Before I refer to the provisions of the Bill I welcome the [...]
Continue readingI welcome the Minister and his officials and I commend him on the role he and the Department played in the release of the GOAL workers, Sharon Commins and her colleague. This is the first meeting the committee has had with the Minister since the positive result of the Lisbon referendum about which our fellow [...]
Continue readingThe Green Party has argued that the guarantees that Ireland had received on retaining the State’s military neutrality are cast-iron and cannot be altered by the Lisbon Treaty.
In the party’s last press conference before polling , Green leader John Gormley yesterday described as “utterly without foundation” claims that Irish people will be conscripted into a [...]
A YES vote is the first step to economic recovery – Gormley
Green Party leader John Gormley today said Lisbon NO campaigners who question the validity of Ireland’s Lisbon guarantees are simply telling lies. Addressing the Green Party’s final YES to Lisbon campaign press conference, Minister Gormley said the 27 EU governments had given Ireland guarantees [...]
