As the Oireachtas Education Committee continues to deliberate on the Cassells Report on higher education funding, I have continued to make the case against student loans and in favour of a publicly funded third level education sector. On April 13th 2017, I debated increasing the National
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Photo courtesy of Conor Horgan I would firstly like to wholeheartedly thank the members of the Citizens’ Assembly for their work and service over the past number of weeks. The dignified and compassionate way in which members listened to expert evidence, voiced their concerns and reached
Independent Senator Lynn Ruane will second the Electoral Amendment (Voting At 16) Bill 2016 on Wednesday 29th March in Seanad Éireann. The legislation is being proposed by Senator Fintan Warfield of Sinn Féin and if passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas, would reduce the
I was delighted to co-sponsor & speak in favour of Senator Colm Burke's Civil Law (Missing Persons) Bill in the Seanad today and see it pass to committee stage. The bill will go some way to providing families with a clear legal pathway forward in cases
I was proud to speak in favour of Senator Ged Nash's apology & exoneration bill in the Seanad yesterday and support the efforts to make amends for the historic wrongs carried out by the Irish state against the LGBT community. A video of my speech can
I was delighted to see my amendment to the Government's Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016 pass with majority support in the Seanad. I'd like to thank Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, Green Party and independent senators for their support. As a result of my amendment, the legislation
I'm delighted to publish my first office newsletter. It provides updates from my election in April until the start of the Seanad's new term in the autumn. It can be viewed here.
I was delighted to see three of my amendments with independent colleagues to the Government's Planning, Development & Residential Tenancies Bill pass in the Seanad this week, which seeks to give a statutory footing to the Government's Action Plan for Housing. As a result, protections in
The government's housing bill is currently before the Seanad. While I welcome the robust and timely response of the government to the housing crisis, I and a number of other senators have submitted amendments to improve protections and certainty for Irish citizens in the housing
