Results 1,981-2,000 of 4,178 for speaker:Paul Gavan

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (18 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: The Minister of State is very welcome. As he might expect, I want to focus on Limerick. He will be aware of the massive problems with flooding in the city and county as well as in Newport in Tipperary. Three years ago the then Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, arrived in our village of Castleconnell and declared that millions of euro would be spent on badly needed flood...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I raise the issue of nursing homes and call for a debate on the topic of how we organise our elder care. Members will have seen the very disturbing story last week about a nursing home in Kerry where the HSE had to intervene. Twenty three out of 24 patients in the nursing home had Covid and, regrettably, there were six deaths. This latest tragedy, which was described as a situation of...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: Before I begin to deal with this Bill, I must take this opportunity to congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on Cavan's magnificent achievement at the weekend.

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I know that the Minister of State is a major sports fan and he will be cognisant of the three major sporting achievements this weekend, namely, Cavan's magnificent victory in Ulster, Tipperary's historic win in Munster and, of course, Tottenham Hotspur, the original London Irish club, moving to the top of the Premiership. It was a fantastic weekend. In terms of this Bill, it is fair to say...

Seanad: Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, is very welcome. It is nice to be able to support a Bill that he brings to the House. We will support this legislation. The Bill will wind down the Credit Union Restructuring Board, ReBo. When the board was established many feared that the credit unions would be the next to collapse on foot of the banking crisis at the time. While many difficult...

Seanad: Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: Sinn Féin supports this Bill. The financial year end for credit unions is the end of September, with annual general meetings, AGMs, subsequently occurring between October and January, as required under the Credit Union Act 1997. As a result of the current public health measures, it would not be possible to proceed with physical AGMs and special general meetings. In addition, the...

Seanad: Inquiry into the Murder of Mr. Patrick Finucane: Motion (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I acknowledge our colleague, John Finucane, and all of the Finucane family for their courage and resilience. It is good to see the Minister and he is very welcome here. So much has been written and spoken about this issue. In terms of reflecting what we know, we know Pat Finucane was a fine lawyer. We know he successfully challenged the British Government at the European Court of Human...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I must start by expressing my genuine disappointment at the Minister of State's statement because he does not say anything in it. He tells us what was in the Duffy Cahill report and that he is reviewing things - a nice long list - and we are no further along and are no wiser about what he is actually going to do in the teeth of a crisis. He said something very strange a few minutes ago. He...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I take up that last point because the Minister of State's colleague, Ms Coogan, did use the phrase - and I want to be careful to ensure I get it right - "I will not say generous because that is not appropriate but we make quite extensive payments in certain circumstances". Now I must tell the Minister of State, having spoken to Debenhams workers in Limerick, who have in some cases given 30...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: The Minister of State is missing the point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: No, he is. I have given him a whole litany of cases.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: Of course. The Minister of State should go ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: The point is I have given the Minister of State a whole series of cases. What Duffy Cahill said was they were not being specific to any case but it was quite clear that their proposals would have relevance across a number of the cases I have cited. It would potentially have had relevance to Debenhams. The fact of the matter is that the EU Court of Appeal has found this State has failed to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: That is not what I am talking about.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: That is not what I referred to. If the Minister of State is going to answer the question he should answer the question I asked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Implementation of Duffy Cahill Report: Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (25 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: When will the Minister of State do that?

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (26 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. For decades this country placed children behind bars, the vast majority for reasons of poverty and class. Father Flanagan of the boy's town schools in the United States visited the Irish industrial schools in 1946 and described them as a national disgrace. That led to a public debate in the Dáil and national media exposure. Their...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (26 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I thank the Minister of State for the response. I am somewhat concerned. I have had prior dealings with Caranua through the education committee in the last Parliament. I am aware its dealings were far from satisfactory on a number of occasions. I would be concerned at the Minister of State's reference to "a small number" of cases because I certainly do not think 86 is a small number of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: I wish to begin, a Chathaoirligh, by paying tribute to Diego Maradona, who passed away yesterday. For my generation, he was without doubt the greatest footballer we have ever seen. There was so much to the man. He was not just a wonderful footballer who scored the best goal ever seen in football against England in 1986. This was not because it was against England but because of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Nov 2020)

Paul Gavan: And George Best, absolutely. The second issue I raise is altogether different. A very serious report by the Tax Justice Network, which has not received much attention since it was published last week, has shown that Ireland is one of the biggest tax havens in the world, costing other countries, including some of the poorest countries in the world, almost $16 billion, that is, €13.5...