Swimming Pools Fund
Mary welcomes the announcement from Sport Ireland of a €2.5 million fund for swimming pool operators. Sport Ireland has appointed Ireland Active, the representative body for the leisure, health and fitness sector to administer the swimming pool grant scheme 2020, supported by Swim Ireland. It has been recognised that the changing environment of restrictions has […]
Swimming Pools Fund
Mary welcomes the announcement from Sport Ireland of a €2.5 million fund for swimming pool operators. Sport Ireland has appointed Ireland Active, the representative body for the leisure, health and fitness sector to administer the swimming pool grant scheme 2020, supported by Swim Ireland. It has been recognised that the changing environment of restrictions has […]
Provisional Vaccine Allocation Strategy
Mary welcomes the Government announcement that Covid19 Vaccine strategy is being urgently rolled out for free and to those most at risk first, BUT we must all continue to limit our contacts, wash our hands, keep our distance and cover our face so we can save lives and livelihoods. Click HERE for strategy. The strategy […]
School’s Summer Works Scheme
Mary welcomes the announcement from Minister Foley on December 7th of over €31 million in summer works scheme for 2021. In total 275 projects have been approved nationwide. The Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is designed to allow schools to carry out small and medium scale building works that will improve and upgrade existing school buildings. […]
#DontForgetMe Campaign
Mary supported Inner City Helping Homeless #DontForgetMe campaign outside Leinster House on December 2nd, calling for an investigation into the increase in homeless deaths this year in Dublin. Mary has written to Minister O’Brien asking that the Homeless Task force set up by the Department, examine the cause for the increase in in homeless deaths. […]
Mother & Baby Homes Commission Report Update
Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman TD confirmed to Mary that the report from the Commission of investigation into the Mother and Baby Homes will be published the week of January 11, 2021. The report will first be released to survivors by the Minister and Taoiseach before being released to the public. Counselling is available for […]
Mother & Baby Homes- Access to Information
In October 2020 Mary voted to pass the Mothers and Baby Homes Bill 2020 designed to prevent the destruction of the database and records from the Commission of Investigation into the Mother and Baby Homes. Over five years the Commission of Investigations’ gathered records and documents of more than 70,000 women and baby’s, in 18 […]
Housing Defects
Mary called for urgent establishment of working group to review with specific focus on legacy defects and report on implementation of the safe as houses report before July 2021. Housing defects is an extremely serious issues affecting 10s of 1000s of homeowners. They undermine individuals’ homes, their sense of security and wellbeing. On a more […]
Planning & Development Bill 2020
On Wednesday November 26th, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Darragh O’Brien TD introduced the Planning and Development Bill 2020 into the Seanad. The legislation updates Planning and development Act of 2000 to allow : Local Authorities to hold virtual meetings to conduct public consultations when making City and County development plans Planning and […]
UN Day of Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls
November 25th was UN Day of Elimination of Violence against Women & Girls. Mary spoke to this in the Seanad, stating: The UN says “Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma […]