Results 24,881-24,900 of 26,550 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: That is fine.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: Aontaím leis an tSeanadóir Ó Clochartaigh. We have discussed this on many occasions. This is an anti-competitive tax. The Minister mentioned that the Government made a commitment on income tax. It is the Government's choice to decide whether it wants to increase income tax for higher earners or introduce a disproportionate tax such as this one. In recent months in this Chamber and in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: They are not around anymore.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: It still is.

Seanad: Tourism Amenities (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and thank him for coming to the House to take this matter. I did not think in the last Dáil that I would be in the Seanad speaking to him about a model railway but I will explain why it is very important. Fortunately, Malahide has seen substantial investment in Malahide Demesne and Malahide Castle over the past number of years. In January 2009,...

Seanad: Tourism Amenities (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: For the clarification of the Minister of State, his reply states that Dublin Tourism received unsolicited submissions from a number of interested parties to house the railway. Last week the organisation stated it had had a public competition to this end which was not correct. I contradicted it at the time and am glad to see Dublin Tourism has changed the statement. Its efforts to find a...

Seanad: Tourism Amenities (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry. I am getting mixed up. Mayo in particular - or anywhere else. This is too important. We only have until the end of April. This would be a great news story. I thank the Minister of State for attending and giving his time. I would appreciate it if he would bring the points I raised back to the Minister, Deputy Varadkar.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: While the debate became a little heated towards the end. Senator O'Neill said enough in the short time in which he spoke.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: The irony was not lost on me that the Fine Gael group's summation was given by a former member of the Progressive Democrats. I will not take lectures from former members of the Progressive Democrats on economic management.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government had committed to producing a report card on ministerial performance and the performance of various Departments. The Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny, good publicist that he is, made this firm commitment on "The Late Late Show". I acknowledge that some progress has undoubtedly been made by the Government and that there are difficult economic times. This year is not as difficult as the...

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: People will wake up tomorrow morning wondering whether a registered letter will come in the letter box and whether they will have a house in a month's time. Some 30,000 people are going through the courts at present in this regard. Let the Government side not forget that its Members in the Seanad voted down Senator MacSharry's Bill, the Family Home Bill 2011, which would have given-----

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: -----protection to homeowners badly in need of it, whether the Government side likes it or not. In this Chamber, we do our best at many times to work together in the national interest and there are times when we divide in this regard. However, the record shows the Government told the public it would protect education but did not do so. The Minister for Education and Skills announced a...

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: Today I am not going to talk about the new politics that new Fine Gael and the Labour Party were to introduce or the Government's statement that it would not appoint friends and cronies, including in judicial appointments, nor will I talk about the breaking of salary caps for their special advisers. I agreed with Senator Whelan this morning that it is an outrage that the chief executive of...

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: -----in which it has been managed by the Government has been poor. The Government's report card overall should state "Must do better" and perhaps it should be awarded a D+.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: It was not; that is a lie.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: No, it was not.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: Did we do it?

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a question of procedure and I thank the Leader for his reply. However, the Bills Office rang five minutes ago and told us that it would only accept amendments until 6 p.m. This is not the way for the House to do business.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: Perfect. I thank the Leader.

Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: That Seanad Éireann: criticises the Government for reversing its position on a number of election pledges and for failing to implement a significant number of commitments contained in the Programme for Government; calls on the Government to: immediately implement measures to help those struggling with mortgage arrears as promised in the Programme for Government; follow through on...