Results 101-120 of 349 for speaker:Tom Morrissey

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Under Sustaining Progress and affordable housing, the Government has a laudable objective of providing 10,000 new houses.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: My attention was drawn to an advertisement in the daily newspapers last week calling for a land development opportunity in Dublin. This was advertised by the group recently established by the Government to provide some of these houses under Sustaining Progress. It asked for lands that were zoned but also not zoned, which drew my attention. It asked for owners of unzoned lands to come forward...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Yes.

Seanad: Railway Safety Bill 2001: Second Stage. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and, more important, the legislation. We should thank the interim commission which has been dealing with the issue for a number of years. I would like to raise a few aspects in this regard, which I am pleased the Minister of State raised in his speech. This relates to the type of model we hope to mirror. My concern was that much of the legislation...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I did not have an opportunity to participate in yesterday's Order of Business and raise the issue of transport. I would like to add my support to the debate which will take place in the next few weeks. The Government has set out its aspirations in regard to what it——

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: ——requires of a modern economy over the next ten years. It is important the various operators are brought in to discuss how they will sequence the developments with which they have been charged. The sequencing and timing will be important. If the various operators are not brought into the discussions, we may well have replication of transport modes in the same territory. For example, the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: As regards the Atlantic corridor, it is most important to put a timeframe on the completion of the Athenry to Ennis section to ensure the future viability of Shannon.

Seanad: Social and Affordable Housing. (2 Nov 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Noel Ahern, for coming to this House to address this matter on the Adjournment. With regard to provisions for social and affordable housing, it is time to consider the progress made on the delivery and implementation of housing units under Part V. The original Part V provisions introduced...

Seanad: Rail Services. (20 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I tabled this matter because last week on the Order of Business I stated that as a member of a Government party, I was no longer prepared to stand over what is happening on rail services to and from Dublin. I will relate a short story to indicate my annoyance. This morning I had to decide whether to catch an overcrowded train provided by the State three minutes from my doorstep in Castleknock...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Two nights ago, this House had a debate on the Clare Street initiative by the Department of Transport. This was welcome because it at least gave Members some indication as to the Department's intentions in respect of transport and gridlock issues. This morning, I travelled to Pearse station from Castleknock on the 8.20 a.m. suburban train. I can safely state that nowhere else in the western...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I ask the Acting Leader to try to arrange a meeting with the Minister for Transport with regard to the status of the five year strategic plan submitted by Irish Rail 12 months ago. After 12 months, why is there no indication of when our railways will receive proper investment? When will we seriously address the issue of gridlock? The situation is appalling. I, a Member of this side of the...

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (12 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I thank my former constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, for coming to the House this evening. I am grateful that this matter is being discussed on the Adjournment. As my query is quite simple, I will be brief. The Government is to be commended on its efforts to continue to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in Irish schools. I understand that maximum class size...

Seanad: Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (12 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I decided that it was a lost cause.

Seanad: Clare Street Traffic Management Initiative: Statements. (11 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: There is little in this initiative with which anybody could disagree. However, I will go further and state that since I became a public representative in the early 1990s I understood the Dublin Transportation Office, DTO, existed and we had to bow and genuflect to it. Nothing would happen in Dublin or the region without having the nod and wink and agreement of the DTO and that is how I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: It was reported yesterday on a Dublin local radio station that the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Callely, had a think-in with many people ——

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: He had a think-in with all of the experts that have given us gridlock in Dublin in recent years. I was surprised by one of the items reported, that consideration was being given to removing some widened footpaths and mini-roundabouts that have been put into many housing estates in Dublin, at a cost of millions of euro. Such facilities were intended to force motorists out of Dublin, which is...

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I agree with my colleague, Senator O'Toole, that we need a debate on Irish Ferries. I raised the issue on the Adjournment of the House last night, and while I appreciate the response from the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, we would all benefit from a wide-ranging discussion on where we are going with Irish Ferries.

Seanad: Employment Rights. (5 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: I appreciate the opportunity to raise one of the most important issues facing our economy which also challenges our sense of social justice. This is about protecting workers, Irish and foreign, and about protecting families, our economy and our sense of social fairness. I refer to the current crisis at Irish Ferries. I can hardly overstate my concern and that of the Progressive Democrats at...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: Next April, the Dublin Port tunnel will hopefully be opened. This tunnel has cost much money, but the number of cars using it will possibly be severely limited because of excessive proposed toll costs. More important, the tunnel will not take all the trucks coming to and going from this country. For the benefit of using the tunnel, the haulage industry will pay some €20 million to National...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Oct 2005)

Tom Morrissey: ——on the N2, there is a sign "low bridge ahead". The low bridge is 4.9 m in height. Will there be a sign "low tunnel ahead" leading into the tunnel because the tunnel is 4.65 m?