Results 4,981-5,000 of 5,208 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: North-South Interconnector: Motion (1 Mar 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister to the House. There is plenty of food for thought in his response. It is a detailed response, and I thank him for that. There are a number of issues raised that we must think about and be cognisant of. I do not think that there is any disagreement about the North-South interconnector. We all need that. There is no point in rehearsing all the things that we agree...

Seanad: North-South Interconnector: Motion (1 Mar 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I agree.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State. I am conscious that we are discussing the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Bill 2016. I take the opportunity to share some of my concerns. I recently met representatives of the Irish Postmasters Union, IPU. We can talk at great length of our own experiences and our own views of post offices, but we must recognise that they are a...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I will do it in due course.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I formally second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by my colleague, Senator Billy Lawless. The annual report of Amnesty International which was published yesterday and widely covered in the media last night and this morning raises questions for and criticisms of Ireland, notably on housing rights, discrimination against Travellers and the Roma community, national security and...

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: First Stage (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I second the proposal.

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State's report and thank him for it. I would have expected a little bit more on the actual delivery and focus on the progress that was made by the committee on the Irish abroad. I acknowledge that Sinn Féin moved a motion here last week, on 16 February, calling on the Minister with responsibility for the diaspora to update the House on the implementation of...

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: We have time.

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: Out of respect to the Minister of State, it would be right and appropriate to hear what he has to say.

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: Absolutely.

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (23 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: They are there.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I think everyone knows that National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire is meant to be the national centre of excellence for rehabilitation. A Senator from across the floor spoke about it last week and I have raised it on numerous occasions since I entered the Seanad. One concern is that the new hospital that has been planned for years is simply not happening. There are issues...

Seanad: Developments in Organic Sector and Greyhound Industry: Statements (22 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I warmly welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Andrew Doyle, here. I am conscious that he has particular responsibilities for food, forestry and horticulture within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I thank him for his comprehensive statement on this sector. It is to be welcomed. It is comprehensive and covers a lot of the areas in which I would have an interest. Looking...

Seanad: Minimum Custodial Periods upon Conviction for Murder Bill 2017: Second Stage (22 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State. I particularly welcome the people in the Gallery and thank them for coming here and for giving their time because it is a very important part of the process. I value their attendance, as do my colleagues. I would particularly like to acknowledge the enormous amount of work my colleague, Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell, put into this Bill, as did the seconder...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: On Senator Catherine Ardagh's comments on Rebuilding Ireland, I am a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, at a meeting of which this morning we were given comprehensive statistics for a range of measures in the context of that document. In fairness, the Minister has set targets and timelines, which is brave in the context of any programme, but I...

Seanad: Recent Education Announcements: Statements (21 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for facilitating the statements on education. I took the time to look at the Action Plan for Education, particularly at the key issues for 2017. I said earlier in respect of another Minister that it is a brave thing for a Minister to set out targets, deadlines and deliveries per quarter. That is really refreshing in terms of Rebuilding...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Bord Bia Strategy (15 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Andrew Doyle. My focus is on getting an update. We know from A Programme for a Partnership Government that there are clear objectives to take on board the Bord Bia strategy for the period 2016 to 2018, Making a World of a Difference. I salute Bord Bia for its marketing and also its commitment to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Bord Bia Strategy (15 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. The Bord Bia quality mark is very powerful. Auditing needs to be constant. In that context, I note that Bord Bia is to increase the number of audits. It is particularly welcome that the results will be published and placed in the public domain. It is about ensuring confidence in a really strong product and there will be knock-on...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I want to refer to a headline that was published in The Irish Timeslast Friday that reads: "State sent €4m in funding for migrants back to EU." The European Commission confirmed that over half the funding provided for a series of projects was returned. That is a sorry state of affairs. The general programme on solidarity and management of migration flows consists of four instruments...

Seanad: Transport and Tourism: Statements (15 Feb 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister to the House. I wish to concentrate on issues around transport. I realise it is only part of the overall brief and responsibility of the Minister. I note the Minister's emphasis on the Road Safety Authority. The Minister will recall that the last time he was in the House I asked for some detail or clarification relating to vacancies for directors on the RSA board....