Results 121-140 of 167 for going forward speaker:Joe McHugh

British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly: Statements (17 May 2012)

Joe McHugh: ...former members who worked proactively and engaged in the peace process. I also acknowledge the officials, on both the British and Irish end, who have worked towards a well-crafted and well-written Good Friday Belfast Agreement. We should note the work done by officials. We are sometimes good at lauding our colleagues, peers and former political representatives but it is also important...

Private Members' Business. Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: ...level. In 1998 some 24% of children were leaving school without sitting the leaving certificate whereas this had dropped to 6% by 2011. In 1998, only 9% of children from the Glengad area were going on to third level whereas in 2011 the figure was 73%. Statistics of this nature are important. I know the Minister is going to work with school authorities, boards of management, parents and...

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings: Motion (17 May 2011)

Joe McHugh: ...of the victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings on 17 May 1974, a day when the greatest loss of life in a single day of the Troubles occurred. I also commend Justice for the Forgotten on its ongoing efforts. I first made contact with it when I was a Member of the Seanad in 2002. The progress of its members and their journey has been a difficult one in dealing with their personal...

Tax Code (30 Mar 2011)

Joe McHugh: ...the next three months. The paper has potentially enormous implications for enterprise, employment and trade on this island and in this 26-county State. It is a two-sided coin; the sovereign governments must decide if they want Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to compete against each other or if they want Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to compete together. If...

Road Traffic Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Mar 2011)

Joe McHugh: ...to the 31st Dáil. In the absence of Deputy Pádraig MacLochlainn and some of his Sinn Féin colleagues, I acknowledge the new addition to the political representation in County Donegal and I look forward to working with my new colleagues in this Dáil. I acknowledge the prompt activity of the new Government on this Bill and commend the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, on taking a proactive...

Health Services: Motion (Resumed) (6 Oct 2010)

Joe McHugh: I congratulate Deputy Reilly for tabling this motion. It provides us as Opposition Deputies with an opportunity to put forward observations and viewpoints. We must consider a new way of doing business. We are pumping all this money into the HSE and the health structure. While people who go through the system give positive feedback and are treated well, we must consider those waiting...

Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (1 Jul 2010)

Joe McHugh: I will not go over old ground but it is important to put on the record that this amendment makes sense. As a rural Deputy and as a Member of the Cabinet, the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, has an obligation to take this issue seriously at a time when there is international as well as national debate about how the banking sector should go forward. Obviously, the unregulated international...

Saville Inquiry Report: Motion (30 Jun 2010)

Joe McHugh: ...subsequently dying. The public acknowledgement of the innocence of these 14 people in Westminster by the British Prime Minister is significant historically and marks a watershed in our moving forward as a nation and in terms of the Good Friday Agreement. As the Taoiseach said, it is important that we listen to the people. I met a woman from Derry who is friendly with some of the...

Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2010)

Joe McHugh: ...get out of the mess we are in. Deputy Michael McGrath spoke about sending people to prison and I have a statistic for him. In the United States, 42 people who were in the banking profession have gone to prison whereas in Ireland not one person has gone to prison. Interestingly, about six weeks ago in County Cavan at a meeting of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly I asked Patrick...

Northern Ireland: Statements (9 Feb 2010)

Joe McHugh: I join with my colleagues in congratulating both Governments and compliment members of the DUP and Sinn Féin on the role they played in the negotiations, along with the other parties who were not just peripheral partners, but who were involved However, when the dust settles there may be questions as to whether that involvement was constructive enough. When we had statements on Northern...

Inland Fisheries Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (2 Feb 2010)

Joe McHugh: ...in his new position. In welcoming this Bill, it is important to state that any standardisation in legislation has to be examined critically. Many people may be sceptical and suggest that we are going back to the old days of centralising everything and implementing Dublin policy. That is a danger. I expect the Minister of State to use his vast network throughout the Twenty-six Counties...

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Nov 2009)

Joe McHugh: The House is almost 12 months into the debate on adoption, although it has been ongoing for many of the families involved. Almost a year has passed since e-mails started to come into our offices, yet many families are still in limbo and in the dark in terms of marking out a way forward. The tone of many of the e-mails sent in the past year was angry, but politicians could sense in the...

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Nov 2009)

Joe McHugh: ...have been cognisant of the surrounding sensitivities and have not turned it into a political football. Approximately one month ago on my local radio station, I was told by a mother of a woman going through the adoption process that she did not want to have it turned into a political football. It has not been, but we need to show a resolve in terms of mapping a way forward for prospective...

Foreign Adoptions. (23 Sep 2009)

Joe McHugh: ...and rationally and deal with the future parents who find themselves in this limbo. It is horrific, a horror story. I had a connection with parents whose adoption process broke down some years ago. It is likened to a form of bereavement. We must be measured but bold in our ambition concerning what we can and should do. There are legal parameters - and I know the Minister of State has a...

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Motion (21 May 2009)

Joe McHugh: ...connections of some Deputies on this side of the House. I also thank my colleagues in the Labour Party and Sinn Féin for trying to bring magnanimity to the debate. I acknowledge the role of the Government, which has given time to its motion. I acknowledge the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, for doing this and the backbenchers' participation. We must move forward, the way to do which...

Training Programmes: Motion (Resumed) (5 Nov 2008)

Joe McHugh: They could be in Cork. This is a suggestion I put forward 12 months ago and I want the Minister of State to take it seriously. A gentleman can start 100 jobs in the area of the oil industry, involved in dredging, tug boats, dredgers, self-propelled dump barges, geographical survey vessels, oceanographic survey vessels and cargo vessels, which take 60% of world trade. There are unemployed...

Morris Tribunal: Statements (22 Oct 2008)

Joe McHugh: ...issues with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Lenihan. That is how the people perceive him and the Fianna Fáil Party, in any case, but he has no idea of this as he listens. He has no idea what is going on outside the House or how people feel. He does not know how to listen. The Minister may continue talking but he has come into the Chamber and spent seven out of 14 pages attacking two...

Special Educational Needs. (19 Jun 2008)

Joe McHugh: ...is that neither the Department of Education and Science nor the Department of Health and Children is willing to take responsibility. The Opposition has spoken at length about its objection to quangos. The National Council for Special Education is a quango and is not taking responsibility for the withdrawal of services for children with special educational needs. The children to whom I...

Search and Rescue Service. (5 Mar 2008)

Joe McHugh: I look forward to the reply with the specific data I seek as I am only working on anecdotal information at this stage. From my information, between 2001 and 2007 more than 111 rescue missions in Lough Foyle were carried out by Malin Head rescue centre. Within that figure there were a number of joint operations between the rescue centres in Clyde in Scotland, Belfast and Malin Head. These...

Barron Reports: Statements (Resumed) (31 Jan 2008)

Joe McHugh: ...ones. The quest for truth and justice is paramount at this important juncture of the peace process. In 1996 we were fortunate to have an extensive peace and reconciliation programme, in which all Governments and parties were involved, including Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. I also acknowledge the efforts of Sinn Féin, the Green Party, the Progressive Democrats and Independents. It was an...