Results 6,761-6,780 of 24,326 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Through the Chair, let me be quite clear about this. I am happy to have the Minister come before the House. Regarding Senator Ardagh's amendment, the difficulty I have is that the Minister is currently attending the meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and will be in the Dáil later this afternoon. As a result, I cannot give her a commitment to have him before the House this...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: -----but I can talk to her after the Order of Business if she likes and give her a commitment to have the Minister before the House at the earliest possible opportunity. I thank the Senator. As stated yesterday, we are all disappointed by and find it unacceptable to see the overruns relating to the national children's hospital. I did not hear Senator Ardagh or any of the other members of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: We heard the Senator going on ad nauseam-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: We heard Senator Nash as well. Senator Ó Ríordáin should give us a break.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Give us a break.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Give us a break. We are-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: No one is hiding. The Minister has been before the committee. The Minister for Finance has been before the committee. This does not stop people from questioning him. He has been before the Committee of Public Accounts as well. I answered yesterday's questions about the children's hospital and I make the point again now that when it is built, there will be Members of this House at the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: And I will repeat it today.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: The Members opposite have been given an alternative to what was to be done. Some of them want to stop the hospital project completely, more of them want to go off and build a new one and the remainder are talking nonsense. If it was a runaway train, we would not be here today at all. The train would be continuing out the gap. That is another ill-informed comment. What we have now is a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I will have the Minister come before the House. Senators Boyhan and Swanick raised the issue of today's NAGP protest and the issues raised by the doctors. It is important we have progress made on the contracts for GPs. The delay is inordinate. Progress needs to happen rapidly. I fully concur that there is now an obligation on the HSE to drive this new contract on. Senator Nash referred...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: That is the Senator's prerogative. Senators Murnane O'Connor and Butler raised different matters concerning Revenue. Both matters would perhaps be better suited to the Commencement. The Senators would get more expeditious replies. Senator Mulherin raised the very important issue of supports for women in vulnerable positions travelling from Dublin to the western seaboard. I will ask the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I appreciate that. To be fair to Senator Ó Ríordáin, this is an important issue. It is a matter of protecting people in communities. It is about ensuring that the operations of An Garda Síochána within the community - I will not name names - are carried out properly, that a thorough analysis of them is carried out and that there is a debate between public...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I am just trying to be helpful.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: If I said "black", the Senator would say "white" at this stage.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: As part of our role as public representatives, we have an obligation to raise matters pertaining to local communities with officialdom. There is a shield emerging, and it has emerged through its creation by the party opposite, around health in particular such that the Minister is not responsible for the HSE and that in the case of An Garda Síochána, it is an operational matter. It...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Yes, I endeavour to do so. To be fair, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, is probably one of the few Ministers who is open to talking about issues and engaging on them. As a general rule, however, we need the opportunity to question officialdom on issues that affect the communities we represent. I agree with the Senator on that.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Senators Swanick and Conway-Walsh referred to Spinraza. The HSE is carrying out an assessment. I appreciate the difficulty and the sensitivity surrounding this matter. I do not have the answer they are seeking, but it is a matter of extreme importance and one that needs to be resolved more quickly. To respond to Senator Humphreys, we had the Minister was here to discuss housing. Again,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I will work with the Senator on a date for the debate.

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important legislation. On this side of the House, despite some of the narrative, there has been extreme activity to try to progress the Bill, as Senator Bacik and other Members know. The Minister of State deserves credit for reaching out. All of us in government support working parents and recognise the motivation of this Bill. We need consensus...

Seanad: Hallmarking (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Feb 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I compliment the Minister and her officials. This is very important legislation, not least because, as the Minister rightly said, it is about ensuring that people get what they pay for and that it is genuine. We have seen a growth in television programmes such as "Antiques Roadshow", and then we had the whole cash for sale issue. I commend the Minister. I said here a number of weeks ago...