Results 1-20 of 54 for going forward speaker:Pat Casey

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Apr 2024)

Pat Casey: ...inclusion, and mentioned that great Irish quote, céad míle fáilte. Are we realistically living up to that today? The challenge for every county is diversity and inclusion in our society. I look forward to seeing a copy of the proposal the witnesses are making, because maybe it is something that could be rolled our in each local authority as we are challenged with that....

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Pat Casey: ...not fully understood by the councils as to what exactly they could do. Equally, the officials were behaving in an autocratic manner. It was a case of "you cannot decide where your 15% increase is going to be spent, we are going to decide it." It is stuff like this that went against what possibly could have been a forward-moving measure and in fairness to the property tax, that has...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Pat Casey: ...balanced representation in terms of having more female representation. Fair play to Carlow County Council, which has 50:50 representation. Wicklow County Council has a significantly long way to go. Wicklow County Council ended 2019 with probably the highest female participation but, sadly, three female councillors have vacated their seats and been replaced with male councillors. The...

Seanad: Local Government Matters: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Pat Casey: ...play in communities. We must recognise that role. I do not agree with everything Senator Keogan said but I agree there has been a diminishment of the powers of councillors, not just under this Government but under previous governments as well. The Putting People First policy probably was the start of it. I looked at that in a positive way initially but, in fact, it has not restored any...

Seanad: Naming of National Children's Hospital for Dr. Kathleen Lynn: Motion (24 May 2023)

Pat Casey: ...and mine is significantly different from his. That is what politics and debating is about and I respect that. I acknowledge the role my colleagues, Senators Ardagh and Fitzpatrick, had in bringing forward this motion. I want to go back to the role of women in Ireland. I do not think we are trying to rewrite history by calling the hospital after Dr. Lynn. We are acknowledging the role...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 May 2023)

Pat Casey: ...disappointment was that SSE Renewables was unsuccessful in its bid relating to the Arklow Bank, which is interesting because that was the first offshore wind project in the country almost 20 years ago. It has taken us 20 years to get to the stage we are at now, even though we saw the potential at that time. My concern is how we move forward from here. Is An Bord Pleanála fit for...

Seanad: Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (17 Nov 2022)

Pat Casey: I welcome our special guests in the Gallery and the Minister of State. Fianna Fáil welcomes the Bill, which was put forward by my colleagues, Senators Ardagh and Buttimer. It seeks to end the discrimination cancer survivors face when trying to access financial services. Research from the Irish Cancer Society has shown that nearly a quarter of people affected by cancer are unable even...

Seanad: VAT Rate for Tourism and Hospitality Sectors: Statements (Resumed) (19 Oct 2022)

Pat Casey: ...sector was closed down. I would have preferred a discussion about the VAT on food, accommodation and alcohol and a more intense discussion on where VAT is within the whole hospitality sector going forward. I appreciate the Minister for coming into the House and taking this debate. I thank him for giving of his time.

Seanad: Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Jun 2022)

Pat Casey: ...of State to the House. He is becoming a regular visitor. I believe he will be back again next week. This is another piece of the insurance reform jigsaw that is being put in place. It is good to see that there have been no amendments and that the Dáil has more or less recognised it for what it is doing and has accepted that. However, we still have a long way to go within the...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (8 Mar 2022)

Pat Casey: ...variant, that is, the increase in the rate and the extension of the redundancy period up to January 2025. We do not yet know the full impact of the past two years on the viability of businesses going forward. A significant number of businesses have borrowed over the past two years. That borrowing now has to be repaid. Worryingly, over €3 billion was lodged in the tax warehousing...

Seanad: Credit Union Sector: Statements (2 Mar 2022)

Pat Casey: ...borrowed was from my local credit union. During my lifetime credit unions have been an integral part of every community in Ireland and it is important that they remain an integral part as we move forward. We must recognise that the credit union movement is one of the most trusted brands among our people and maintain that situation. Maybe, with the work that we are doing here and the...

Seanad: Broadband Roll-out: Statements (26 Jan 2022)

Pat Casey: ...contract was signed and we could start delivering this much-needed infrastructure. Senator Dooley and a number of others mentioned that people do not care and that they just want to know when they are going to be connected. They do not want to know that the box in the village is broadband but, sorry, they are still connected to the exchange, or when we roll out to the 300,000 homes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Covid-19 Payments and the Sale of AIB shares: Minister for Finance (19 Jan 2022)

Pat Casey: Rather than having questions, I have a concern about the viability of many businesses moving forward as we emerge from the pandemic because of built-up debt and so on. The viability of the hospitality sector has changed significantly. Some 300 or 400 pubs have not reopened their doors and might never do so. It is a very challenging time for us as a sector to survive and get back to where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Discussion (16 Dec 2021)

Pat Casey: ...had to drag them through the courts before they agreed that they did have to cover business interruption. As businesses progressed their claims, the next clanger was that insurers would deduct any Government supports given to businesses during that period. I know of some businesses that are now being challenged with a claim that once they reopened their doors, despite the business being...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Dec 2021)

Pat Casey: I welcome the Minister of State. The Bill, the second Finance Bill of this historic coalition Government, aims to give the people value for the money they pay in taxes by investing wisely in public services such as health and education and to invest strategically in the needs of our people, particularly in the area of housing. Moreover, the Government has agreed a climate budget required to...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Second Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Pat Casey: ...'Brien, and with Deputy Cowen for the year before that. We have always raised concerns about the SHD process and had serious reservations about it. I welcome the legislation that is being brought forward to eliminate that process. At the core of it was the lack of democracy around the SHD process. By reinstating it to the local authorities, we are restoring part of that democratic...

Seanad: Future of Banking in Ireland: Statements (10 May 2021)

Pat Casey: ...to attend at 2 p.m. I also wish the very best of luck to all the businesses that are reopening their doors today as part of a gradual process. It has been a challenging time. We are looking forward to opening ourselves on 2 June as our hotel reopens its doors. This would not have been possible without the Government supports that we have been given over the past very difficult period...

Seanad: National Development Plan: Statements (22 Mar 2021)

Pat Casey: ...review of the national development plan. Senator Gavan mentioned that he was looking for a link to Shannon Airport. He may get it more quickly than the one to Dublin Airport at the rate we are going for that particular link. He made another point about now being the cheapest time to get money. For someone who is in business and is being asked to borrow more money, it always has to be...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Second Stage (8 Dec 2020)

Pat Casey: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House, and I promise I will not mention the VAT refund scheme today. I will leave him alone on that issue. The economy is going through a turbulent time, with the two most dramatic impacts which none of us probably ever believed we would be dealing with, namely, Brexit and Covid-19. These impacts have disproportionate effects on different...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Pat Casey: I will not delay the House too long. I have said nearly everything I could say at this stage. I again express my disappointment that the Government is not willing to accept any amendments, even those from its partners in the Government. I know the Minister of State referred to the fact that no amendment relating to the collective spend was tabled, but I think the result would have been the...