Results 721-740 of 1,229 for speaker:Denis Landy

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: You have been guessing figures all your lives as a party.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: There are times the Senator surpasses himself. I wish to raise the issue of moneylenders and the concern I and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul have about the lack of restriction on moneylenders in this country. Moneylenders are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and are provided with licences. The number of licences is increasing but it is no coincidence that the number of loans...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: I welcome the Government decision yesterday to retain in State ownership the harvesting rights of Coillte. This is a good decision and it proves that the Government makes decisions on the basis of merit and on the basis of views expressed by others. The Government also confirmed that there will be no fire sale of any State assets. The predators across the globe who were looking at Coillte...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: Like Senator Mary Ann O'Brien, I wish to raise the issue of commercial rates. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, but some of the pudding has been eaten. The local authorities in County Tipperary are being amalgamated and it has been predetermined that the commercial rate will be between 2% and 11% higher than that charged by town councils and that it will apply across the county....

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: I would like the Leader to ask the Minister to come to the House to address this issue because small businesses are struggling to keep their doors open. In my own town, Carrick-on-Suir, we make an effort every week to bring more business into the town-----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: -----and if rates increase, that will sound the death knell for small businesses.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (18 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: I listened with interest to Senator Thomas Byrne, who alluded to the fact that the necessary measures for this matter are proposed in the Haddington Road agreement. They are already in the Croke Park Agreement and are dealt with in another forum. The Minister has adequately explained why there is no need to include these measures. Some 10,000 people have redeployed within the public sector...

Seanad: Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: Will the Minister of State comment on the discretion to be afforded to elected local authority members in regard to the HAP scheme?

Seanad: Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: Will the Minister of State take into account what I said regarding the variation in property and rental values in different locations?

Seanad: Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I commend her and the Government on the stimulus package being put in place to provide improvements to local authority housing stock. Up to €50 million will be made available under this package and this is most welcome. I respect what the previous speaker said but this money will enable much of the work he mentioned to be carried out on...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (12 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: I too welcome the Minister to the House. As he said, the legislation presented is required. It is common sense legislation that removes the barriers to redeployment and mobility within the public service and addresses issues that arise in terms of changing staff and the changed environment in which staff are employed. The Act amends the 2004 legislation and takes into account the...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: It is estimated that there are approximately 700 voluntary housing bodies in the country, of which 282 are registered with the Irish Council for Social Housing. Last September, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, introduced a voluntary code of regulation for the sector, but the uptake has been poor. Regulation is required to ensure those involved carry out their functions properly...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jun 2013)

Denis Landy: The voluntary code has been in place for almost nine months. It is not working. Will the Leader ask the Minister of State to review the voluntary code and, if necessary, introduce legislation requiring all approved housing bodies to register? In this way, they could be assessed and overseen by a regulatory body and we could ensure tenants receive proper services, for example, repairs,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Home Help Service Provision (29 May 2013)

Denis Landy: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking this matter. Senators John Kelly and Denis O'Donovan have outlined the position which was clearly stated in previous discussions by our colleague, Senator John Whelan. There are 535,000 people in Ireland over 65 years of age, which represents an increase of 12% since the 2006 census. The CSO has showed that between now and 2036,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Horse Racing Industry Development (28 May 2013)

Denis Landy: I welcome the Minister to the House. I wish to acknowledge the importance of Irish-Chinese trade, which is currently worth €8 billion per annum. I compliment the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who led a trade delegation to China of 127 representatives of the agri-food and equine industries. China has a population of 1.3 billion and we have successfully established a...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Horse Racing Industry Development (28 May 2013)

Denis Landy: I welcome the response from the Minister and am glad that some progress is being made. However, I would ask the Minister, in the context of his responsibility for LEADER funding, to be open to the suggestion that some of this can be done at a local level. A massive opportunity exists and we must examine the feasibility of direct trade with China for the sport horse sector. I ask the...

Seanad: Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 May 2013)

Denis Landy: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I do not want to go over the ground that has been covered and, therefore, I will deal with only a few issues. I welcome the legislation. It makes a good deal of sense. I come from rural Ireland like the Minister of State and travel lesser roads to get on to good roads. I travel many bad roads to get on to the motorways. Funding is needed to...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

Denis Landy: I am calling on the Leader to request the Minister to come into the House to discuss this issue as a matter of urgency. We are getting one view of what is happening in replies to parliamentary questions but what is happening on the ground is a different matter. Hours are not being reinstated and people are suffering. We were told money was being put into the budget for the purpose of...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

Denis Landy: I want to speak this morning about the situation in regard to home help services in this country. The most recent census indicates that there are 535,393 people over the age of 65 in this country, which is 12% of our population. The recent CSO figures predict that an extra 15,000 people will be in need of home help and home care services before 2026. The national positive ageing strategy...

Seanad: Decade of Centenaries Programme of Commemorations: Statements (22 May 2013)

Denis Landy: If the Acting Chairman would blow the whistle I can go.