Tag Archives: Seanad Éireann

SENATOR Róisín Garvey has criticised delays in cervical screening services, saying they are causing huge stress. The Inagh woman also shared her own experience of the worry that results when a smear test shows up irregularities. “Several women have contacted me to tell me that they have experienced a huge amount of stress caused by delays in getting results after they had an initial cervical smear test, and they experienced further delay, in cases where there were irregularities, in getting an appointment for a colposcopy procedure or have irregular cells removed and discover the final diagnosis,” she told Junior Minister Frank Feighan. “A few women have told me that they had to wait over five months. As a woman who has had a cervical smear test and irregular cells were discovered, I know that as soon as one is told irregular cells have been found one automatically thinks cancer, and one continues to think like that until one is told …

A PARTEEN woman, whose home has been seriously damaged by the presence of a defective building material, has made an emotional appear for others affected to go public about their situation. Geraldine Kennedy is one of more than 35 members of the recently-formed Clare Pyrite/Mica Action Group. The group is calling for home owners in this county to be allowed into a scheme to address the issue of defective concrete blocks in Donegal and Mayo. The grandmother of ten has already spent thousands of Euro on tests to prove that her home has 95% pyrite. She later spent €6,000 to have a chimney taken down, after fears it might fall. During a meeting over Zoom with Senator Timmy Dooley, Mrs Kennedy urged others to go public to highlight the extent of the distress the issue is causing. “I would encourage people to get in touch with the media,” she said. “We have already gotten local and national publicity. It’s not …

AS one of the so-called ‘Taoiseach’s 11’, Senator Timmy Dooley said he is delighted to return to the upper house, where he pledged to leverage his close contacts at the cabinet table in the best interests of Clare. The Mountshannon native denied that the beard he sported during lockdown was symbolic of his stint in the political wilderness, after two two unsuccessful election campaigns, one for the Dáil and the other for the Seanad. A fund-raising shave raised over €2,000 for Sláinte an Chláir and sharpened his image for a return to Leinster House. The former Fianna Fáil TD is intimately familiar with the corridors of power, and his senator’s office is in close proximity to some of those who will be sitting at the cabinet table. “My close colleagues Micheal McGrath and Darragh O’Brien have two powerful portfolios,” he said. “I was in Ógra Fianna Fáil with Norma Foley 30 years ago. I won’t be slow to use my …

TWO Clare candidates have lost out in their bid to secure a place on the Industrial and Commercial Panel of Seanad Éireann. The development means that former Fianna Fáil TD, Timmy Dooley, has failed in his bid to return to the Oireachtas. The Mountshannon native was one of the surprise casualties of February’s General Election, and having formerly been a member of the Upper House, was thought to have been in with a strong chance of taking a Seanad seat. While he secured 35 first preference votes from the Industrial and Commercial Panel electorate which is comprised of local authority members, he was eliminated on the twenty-first count on a total of 52 votes. Also seeking election to that panel was prominent Clare hotelier and former President of the Irish Hotels Federation, Michael Vaughan. The Lahinch man, a first-time candidate, was eliminated on the fifth count. Counting for the Administrative Panel continues today with two Clare candidates in contention, for …

Fine Gael’s Martin Conway will be Clare’s sole representative in the Seanad. The Ennistymon man successfully retained his seat on the Administrative Panel of Seanad Éirean. He was first elected to this panel in 2011 and was the Seanad spokesperson on Justice, Disability and Equality. He is the first visually impaired member of the Oireachtas. Conway’s first foray into politics was in 2004 when he won a seat on Clare County Council, representing North Clare. He was re-elected to the council in 2009, topping the poll. However, outgoing senator Tony Mulcahy from Shannon surrendered his seat. He was one of 23 candidates seeking the 11 seats on the Labour panel. He was eliminated in the sixth count. Following his unsuccessful bid Senator Mulcahy said that one of the first things he has to do is get a handle on his finances. He said that despite perceptions of politics being ultra-lucrative, most of those who have lost their Seanad seats face …