Results 22,921-22,940 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: That does not bode well for the banking inquiry. They ran rings around the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Ciarán Lynch.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: Yes.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: Well done.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: The general secretary of Fine Gael is not an elected person, is he?
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: The Senator is right. I agree with him.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: If it is so critical, why should it not be done today? There are only statements scheduled for today.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: Hear, hear.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: Will the Acting Leader clarify whether the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, is coming to the House for the debate on No. 2?
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: If so, it will afford us an opportunity to discuss the forthcoming budget with him. The debate yesterday on disabilities was useful as we were able to outline to the Minister the various areas we want protected. That was in advance of the budget, and the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, committed to bringing the points raised back to the Government. It shows that the budgetary...
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: I certainly am.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: It is a matter of concern that even the Cabinet is not discussing the budget with only about two weeks to go, and that we have not had structured debates in the House. If the Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, comes to the House today I will use the opportunity to impress upon him the importance of not increasing the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools. That is vital.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: Certainly not.
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: What is the Government's position? It is clear the process in both Houses for preparing for the budget is wrong. We have heard indications through the media from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, that he will increase the VAT rate to 13.5% for the hospitality and food sector, but there is no debate on it. One initiative the Government took, which I welcomed at the time, was...
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: What did he say?
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: What did he say yesterday?
- Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: If the Senator wishes to indulge in fiction, he could read the amendment to the motion.
- Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: It was said on the floor of the House.
- Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: What about the mismanagement of the past two health budgets by the Minister, Deputy Reilly?
- Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: It was difficult but he made it worse.
- Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Sep 2013)
Darragh O'Brien: He inherited a difficult position but made it worse.