Results 181-200 of 268 for long speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2014 [Seanad]: Second Stage (27 Jan 2016)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...previous speaker, I support the Bill. I would like to ensure a few matters are covered. We all know, from all different walks of life and business, people must have insurance and indemnities. Long ago, when we were young and able to play football, if we got an injury such as a busted eye we could go to the local doctors and they sewed us up quickly. Nowadays, with insurance and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Mar 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...times. I worry about Ms Murphy's call for tractors to be banned. It is fine if people want to ban them but what should be done with 75 year old people who drive their cars at 30 mph and cause long tailbacks? This would drive a person mad at times but does Ms Murphy want to ban them from driving as well? Such people are allowed to drive their cars on motorways.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jun 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...terms of licences? We have a major problem across rural parts of Ireland. Years ago, when Telecom Éireann or the Department of Posts and Telegraphs workers came around an area, people let them put poles along their ditches, fields or whatever. I refer to GAA clubs, people who might be widening a road or somebody building a house. The first problem they face is to get someone from...

Flood Prevention Measures: Motion [Private Members] (13 Dec 2016)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...of the CFRAM report. I spoke about this publicly before. I believe it is disgraceful that the Silver Stream was left out of the report on Athleague. That should not be tolerated. There is a long way to go. Let us not cod people that tonight, in six months or in a year everything will be solved. It will not. We need different measures in different places. There are places that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme and GLAS: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...around such serious problems in designated areas? I have received representations from farmers with enclosed areas in Mayo. They tell me that they are being prevented because the heather is too long. There is a problem in Sligo and, indeed, in parts of Mayo and Galway. The officials spoke of land needing fencing or farmers ensuring that they are able to outline their parcels, and about...

Heritage Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is a long time coming to our turn on it. I welcome much of what is contained in the Bill. It is a pity that it is just a pilot scheme. It should be introduced for a longer term, but in fairness to the Minister, she has made an effort in introducing the pilot scheme. I do not think it is a good idea to personally attack a Minister. I...

Child Homelessness: Statements (28 Jun 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...me about it. There are certain provisions for disabled access, which I agree with, but not every place in an old building will be suitable in that way. Although we spoke about this in the Dáil a long time ago, not one council can sort this out without planning, which goes against the intention. Unless we start working on this, we will not solve the problem. The Project Ireland...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...Mote Park, right beside Roscommon town. There is a group there, the Mote Park Conservation Group, which would have worked with Coillte down through the years. The group is not opposed to spruce, as long as it is done in a proper way. There is also the red squirrel. The group would have noticed over the last number of years that Galway was handling it - Mr. Carlin might be familiar with...

Environmental Protection Agency Water Quality Report 2022: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...the section where there is a problem. In fairness, Irish Water is doing an upgrade. However, it is sad that this little stretch of 100 yards is damaging the reputation of the rest of the river, which is miles long. It is there in any report that the river is one of the most pristine in Ireland. We have trouble with some rivers and there is no point in saying that we have not and we...

Domestic Water Charges: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (25 May 2016)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...down the road until next year because such schemes are running at a loss. Schemes are run on a voluntary basis around the country. I remember going to the well for water with a milk can. We have come a long way since then, but it was the local people who put the infrastructure in place with the help of Government funding in order to provide a water supply in rural areas. We must...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: .... We need everybody working on this issue. The county councils must be doing a bit, even though they are struggling to get staff. We also need PPPs, which I do not have a problem with, as long as the prices are kept in line. The Land Development Agency will also need to be involved. It is going to be crucial for the simple reason that we must ensure that we keep a close watch on...

Corporate Tax Policy: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (7 Oct 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...- we have seen it in Limerick and other counties - it is like a bomb hitting an area. The devastation it causes is unbelievable for families, the Government and the entire area and it takes so long to replace those jobs. We need to keep concentrating on Irish companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to ensure we create as much sustainable employment as possible. The...

Summer Economic Statement 2018: Statements (20 Jun 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...help a lot if the EU were a bit more lenient towards us. This country needs to restructure its debt. We have debt of approximately €204 billion and we need to restructure it at lower rates on a long-term basis. I would structure it on a different scenario to the way it is done at present because it would give us space and money that we could use. There is no denying there are...

Financial Challenges Facing RTÉ and its Revised Strategy 2020-2024: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...TG4 a lot because its coverage, especially on Sundays, of the GAA, rugby and the different fabrics of Irish life is extremely good. Often I would flick over from RTÉ 1 and stay watching TG4 a lot longer. That is a tribute to the channel which is run on a small budget. Other television stations do not receive a subsidy and must cut their cloth to measure. They cannot be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of the Beef Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Apr 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...is outrageous and scandalous. The representatives said that there are 34 or 35 factories in this country, and they talked about employment, but I can guarantee, one can pull a dog's tail for as long as one likes, but sooner or later he or she will to bite, and farmers are ready to bite now. It is going to go one of two ways. Those farmers are going to get out if they are not treated...

Household Utility Bills Support: Motion [Private Members] (3 Feb 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...for the rest of the year, with the way the Green Party is pulling the tails of the other parties, we are going to be living in a country where people will be looking out a half door but they might not live too long because they will be perished or they might not have electricity. We are putting this country at risk at the moment and we must call for that to stop. Everyone believes in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Energy Policy: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (3 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...be put out of commission. I understand the Canadians are getting out of it. What is the plan for the future there? How much of our own gas are we getting at present? Is it 60% or 70%? For how long is this forecast to last? We have to be honest and straight with people. We cannot jump away from fossil fuels for many years to come. Such a move does not happen overnight. We have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data and Genomics Programme: Discussion (16 Jun 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...will come back when the animals are killed as the quality of the cow will not be good. An issue that we will need to consider in the next three or four years is the general configuration of the animal. Not so long ago the heifers that a farmer brought to the mart could either be put in calf or killed for meat. Now we are going down a road whereby the heifers will be classified and...

National Broadband Procurement Process: Statements (7 Feb 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: For too long broadband has been promised by all sides of the Dáil. We must work together to ensure it is delivered. There are obstacles. We must hope Enet stays in the game because we had two other engines on the plane and they fell off. I am very wary of Eir, and I do not deny that. I was even more alarmed when I saw who is buying Eir. I have read up a little on developments in...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...and go to England? If we are doing this, we need to do it right. It should be full duck or no dinner. We either do it right or forget about it all together. We have been talking about doing this for so long now. I listened to a programme this morning on quarantine and if we do not do it right within the hotels, we will have an even bigger problem. I heard Professor Luke O'Neill...