Results 10,521-10,540 of 24,339 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: It is important to note the Action Plan for Jobs because more people are now back at work. The biggest area of job creation in this country was outside Dublin in the past year. Approximately 1,300 jobs per week have been created. As much as 70% of the jobs created last year were located outside Dublin. That proves the recovery is beginning to happen beyond Dublin, which is a fact that we...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The Order of Business is No. 1, Heritage Bill 2016 - Committee Stage (resumed), to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to be adjourned not later than 5 p.m. if not previously concluded. To clarify it for the House, this is not a guillotine but rather that we will conclude our deliberations for the day at 5 p.m.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The Senator is a gentleman.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the 15 Senators who contributed to the Order of Business. Senator Ardagh mentioned the help-to-buy grant. The figures available last week show that 2,161 applications have been made and 307 have been approved to proceed to finality. As the Senator quite rightly said, the scheme is about assisting first-time buyers to put together a deposit and encouraging the construction of new...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: It might have been my iPad and I apologise if it was. It is important that when we debate mental health, we put on record that a lot of work is being done and there is investment. We need to do more because mental health services were the Cinderella of the health service for years. There has been investment and we have a Minister of State committed to the service. Senator Gavan raised the...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The question Senator Norris posed about property tax is with what would it be replaced. It goes back to the old question we all have on how to fund the provision of services and the provision of facilities for people. I join with Senator Kieran O’Donnell in extending sympathy to the deceased man’s family after that tragic motorway accident. He is right to highlight the issue...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The Order of Business is No. 1, Domestic Violence Bill 2017, Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. with the time allocated to group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes; and No. 2, Private Members' business, motion No. 17, to be taken at 3.30 p.m. with the time allocated to the debate not to exceed...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Sinn Féin is only finished canvassing in the North.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Can I join with the Cathaoirleach in welcoming the delegation led by Dr. Abdullah Al Qubaisi. I hope that they have a very pleasant, beneficial and informative visit to the Houses of the Oireachtas. I thank the 23 Members who have contributed to the Order of Business. If I can reply to Senator Daly about Orkambi. This morning I spoke with representatives from Vertex. I fully agree with...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: -----and which will give the members of the deaf community support, resources and whatever else the Bill intends to achieve. I met members of the deaf community in Cork with Senator Lombard on Monday, as I have done regularly. I hope we can work out a legislative process whereby the Bill can be enacted, perhaps not by 29 March but certainly soon after. It is important to put that on...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I wish sometimes that the Senator would stop being like the teenager who knows everything and give some of us who, perhaps, may not agree with his ideology a chance. We do not want to see a bus strike, a cut in funding to Bus Éireann or a reduction in the bus service across many parts of the country.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: If the Senator heard my remarks yesterday regarding the communication from Bus Éireann to the workers, he would understand from where I am coming.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Let us have a real debate about the type of public transport we want and how we can have a public system that benefits everybody. As the Taoiseach stated and I mentioned yesterday, Bus Éireann is losing €50,000 per day on the Expressway service. That cannot be sustained no matter where one is from. The Senators have raised challenges regarding infrastructure deficits across the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I am going to come back to that. I will do it now as we had that discussion yesterday. I made reference to the fact that we hope to have the debate on the report in the House. We are trying to get a slot for it. We heard a number of contributions on the matter yesterday during the Order of Business. As I said yesterday, it is fine to have a tribunal established, but what we need is...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Thank you. I was not aware of that. I was at the same IBEC briefing as Senator McDowell and I fully agree with him. There needs to be a utilisation of the public private partnership model. There is also a need to look at how we can use the European Investment Bank in terms of being able to draw down funding. We need to invest in infrastructure. I am sure the Cathaoirleach was listening...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator Conway-Walsh does it every day, so she is all right.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I wish to clarify the point for Senator Conway-Walsh. I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House. There is no problem.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I simply wish to help the Senator. We might not get him in to the House next week but I would be happy to try to get him in to the House. I am very accommodating and reasonable, as the Senator is aware.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: However, I will not take ultimatums from people like that.