Results 2,041-2,060 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Corrib Gas Field: Statements. (6 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: With regard to a matter raised by Senator Finucane, Coillte appears to believe that it is a private company and is entitled to withhold information on the basis of the legal position of a private company. Coillte is a publicly owned body, but there is well-documented evidence of it not answering queries because it states that it is a private company. The Minister of State may not be able to...

Seanad: Northern Ireland Issues: Statements. (6 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Northern Ireland Issues: Statements. (6 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: Politics can sometimes be very silly. I wish unequivocally to compliment the Taoiseach, without any qualification. Years ago when some people asked me what was the most important quality voluntary organisations needed in lobbying I said "stamina". They asked what were the second and third qualities to which I again responded "stamina". I compliment the Taoiseach on his stamina in dealing with...

Seanad: Northern Ireland Issues: Statements. (6 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: I know that they are only plastic, but because of what happened in this State and country over 30 years, I never bought a toy gun for any of my children, owing to the repulsive overtones to which we had all had to adjust. I find the idea of children marching, even with plastic guns, along O'Connell Street, repulsive and incompatible with the newly averred commitment to peace and democracy. I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: That is a contradiction in terms.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: It is probably a commentary on the length of time that Senator O'Toole and I have been here that I was going to raise this delightful idea from our Canadian colleagues regarding people being Senators for life until they reach the age of 75. Perhaps the OECD would try to persuade them to continue until they reach 85 years of age. Senator Brian Hayes raised the issue of the horrible accidents...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: That will be the day.

Seanad: The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act: Motion. (11 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: Even though there are only about six Members in the Chamber, this debate is quite astonishing, in the most positive sense. Seanad Éireann is replicating what was done in Dáil Éireann. The initiative in both Houses arose because one of the most influential members of the US Senate told us that it would be of assistance to himself and Senator Kennedy in achieving something. This is not a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: Perhaps the Minister for Health and Children or the Minister for Finance should clarify to the House elements of the high level group that will oversee the appointment of IT consultants. Is it intended to appoint consultants to vet other consultants or are we now claiming that the expertise to deal with these matters already exists in the public service? If that is the case, why did we employ...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: Has Senator Norris decided to continue?

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: I second the proposal made by Senator Brian Hayes for an amendment to the Order of Business. I ask the Leader for a debate on inequality in Ireland. The two issues that exercised Irish society for the past week both concerned the abuse of the poor by the powerful and the neglect of the impoverished by those in a position to do something about their plight. If somebody in a private hospital...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: If the people coming before the Residential Institutions Redress Board were not the least articulate and most wounded members of society, somebody would have taken the time to ensure they were not being misled about their fees. It is a bit rich for the board to now say that the Law Society should have sternly warned its members. The board should have courageously advised the victims that all...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: Is there a Fianna Fáil assault on the Progressive Democrats going on here?

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: All we have been hearing about is Progressive Democrat Ministers and their sins. There are 14 other Ministers, some of whom are passionate pro-marketeers——

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: He approves of inequality.

Seanad: Home Help Service: Motion. (19 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: I cannot but wonder at the extraordinary instinct of the Government, which rushes in to amend a motion calling on the Minister to regulate the contract of employment of home helps and recognising the need to regulate their working hours. I thought that we all shared those sentiments. The motion also suggests providing home helps with adequate training. Who would want people to carry out all...

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: I join with my colleagues in expressing horror at the kidnap of Rory Carroll. I do not want to say more, other than that I hope the situation is safely resolved. It is a terrifying time for him and is family. In terms of how we will deal with the reports of child sex abuse, particularly abuse within the Roman Catholic Church, let us not be sidetracked by issues of celibacy. Child abuse is an...

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: I rarely say that I will not use the full time available to me. Even when I do so, I rarely keep my promise but on this occasion I may not need the full 15 minutes. One wonders on occasion if anybody is listening. In his contribution the Minister of State dealt well with the incidence of the H5N1 virus as far as it represented a threat to the health of the bird population and, presumably,...

Seanad: Acute Hospital Services: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: I hate occasions such as this. These are not circumstances in which it is appropriate to beat the Government over the head. A man died and there is a need for a certain amount of restraint. I know that if anyone in Government could wave a magic wand, this type of incident would not happen. Therefore, if I use strong language, it is not because I believe people care less than I do about this...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Oct 2005)

Brendan Ryan: In the late 1980s and a number of times since then, I quoted in this House what I heard a senior Garda officer in Cork say about child abuse. He said that the Garda Síochána knows that the vast majority of abuse is perpetrated by homosexuals. He was not speaking in a private capacity. He also said that "we had to be careful because a huge part of the campaign was being run by people who are...