Results 26,661-26,680 of 26,762 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Housing: Motion (Resumed) (17 Dec 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish to share time, with the permission of the House, with Deputies John Curran, Ciarán Cuffe, Áine Brady and Charlie O'Connor. I find it somewhat ironic that this Private Members' motion is being tabled by the Labour Party, in particular. From my experience of the local authority in Fingal, which encompasses my constituency, Dublin North, over the last five years the Labour Party with...

Housing: Motion (Resumed) (17 Dec 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not the case in Fingal. Deputy Lynch might pass to the leader of the Labour Party that he should, perhaps, exert some control over his councillors so that they actually practise what Labour is preaching here in the Dáil. Several Deputies have referred during the course of the debate to the need to regulate apartment management agents and mediate between agents and apartment owners....

Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: Question 215: To ask the Minister for Defence the progress made in deciding to salvage the [i]Asgard 11[/i]: the outcome to the tender process to salvage the vessel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43171/08]

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: Question 216: To ask the Minister for Defence the procedures to be put in place both within his Department and in the Defence Forces to ensure that the certification difficulties with the helicopters used by Irish troops in Chad cannot recur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43172/08]

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish to share time with Deputies Michael McGrath, Collins, Michael Ahern, Kennedy and White. It is ironic that Labour and Fine Gael support a joint motion since they cannot agree anything on joint economic policy.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: I will give examples of how neither of the parties can agree on economic policy. With all due respect——

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: We had the decency not to interrupt other speakers.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: That is a matter of opinion.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: If the Members are going to shout me down and not listen to other arguments, that is why they are in opposition for so long.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: We mentioned county councils across the country. The council in Deputy Coveney's constituency, controlled by Fine Gael, has already passed the budget and increased rates.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: I met people from the Irish Hotels Federation today and the council has not implemented a freeze.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: Thanks, Deputy Coveney. I am pleased to be given the opportunity after two minutes to speak on the Government amendment to the motion. The SME sector in Ireland is vitally important to the country, its economy and society as a whole. Indigenous businesses in the SME sector employ approximately 880,000 people. It is crucial that the Government continues to support this sector in what is...

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: Whether Deputy Coveney likes it, we have seen employment in Ireland double from 1 million to 2 million in 20 years. Many things contributed to this achievement but one I would like to single out is social partnership. Before the late 1980s, businesses and workers faced continuing uncertainty, strike action was the norm and for employees to receive decent terms and conditions they had to...

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: It is crucially important for the SME sector that it has certainty of pay and conditions. That is why I and my Government colleagues fully support the national pay deal. The announcement by Fine Gael at its national conference that it would scrap the national pay deal that was agreed after careful consideration by Government, employers including SMEs, and unions strikes me as a blatant...

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: The much vaunted potential suitors in Labour have flatly rejected Fine Gael and Deputy Richard Bruton's plan to bin the national pay deal.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: Last weekend, any chances of the much publicised Mullingar accord being dusted off by the Opposition are dead in the water.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: Not only did Fine Gael wish to ban the national pay deal, it proposed that increments due to workers under previous pay deals would not be paid.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: This was another proposal rejected by Labour. No wonder that over the past 20 years, Fine Gael has failed miserably to convince the electorate that it is fit to govern.

Small and Medium Enterprises: Motion (Resumed) (26 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: If Deputy English did not interrupt me so much I would have had more time.

Written Answers — Medicinal Products: Medicinal Products (25 Nov 2008)

Darragh O'Brien: Question 204: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when legislation will be brought to Dáil Éireann to deal with shops selling herbal pills and party pills (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42389/08]