Results 201-220 of 3,550 for speaker:Dominic Hannigan

Seanad: Charter of Fundamental Rights: Statements (4 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, to the House. The Labour Party is grateful to the Leader of the House for allowing a debate on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which is a key aspect of the reform treaty. It is a simple and eloquent document containing just seven titles and 54 articles. These detail an inventory of fundamental rights granted to every citizen of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I join Senator de Búrca in welcoming the report Dóchas published earlier. The organisation appeared before the Sub-Committee on Overseas Development last week. Its work is excellent and it is another sign that if we contribute more to overseas development, we will achieve results and we will help to ensure aid reaches the right places. I agree with Senator Mary White's comments on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: They could not get it right.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: What are the Leader's intentions on the Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (EirGrid) Bill scheduled for tomorrow? Does he intend to proceed with that in the morning bearing in mind that he has moved the Broadcasting Bill to tomorrow? I agree with Senator de Búrca regarding the publication of the local election boundary provisions. I, too, believe three-seat constituencies are not the way...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I can tell him now it was a "No". In my part of the country, Meath East, we had a "Yes" vote.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Who did nothing.

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I congratulate the Minister of State on his new appointment. I thank the Progressive Democrats for tabling this motion. It is good to have a debate on the new national drugs strategy and I am pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to it. Many people were disappointed with the previous strategy. There has been a failure to implement many of its recommendations. It is for that...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: With the ongoing fallout from last week's vote, it is clear there is a crisis in the country. We all wish the Taoiseach well in his deliberations abroad in the next few days. Such deliberations are taking place at a time when we need them most because people are very concerned about consumer confidence and about the way the economy is going. This is not only due to potential job losses and...

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (19 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I thank Senator Bacik for sharing her time with me. I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan. It is ten years since the legislation was first enacted. We can all remember where we were when the horrors of that day in Omagh unfolded. It was particularly horrible because at that time we were very hopeful that the situation in the North could be resolved. People were...

Seanad: Economic Partnership Agreements (19 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for giving his time to discuss this issue. Economic partnership agreements are the trade agreements put in place between the European Union and the 76 developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific which are jointly known as the ACP countries. One in eight of the world's population lives in these countries, yet...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the publication of the general scheme of the civil partnership Bill. While it does not go as far as many would like, we should recognise it as a major step forward and I look forward to debating the Bill in the House. I pay tribute especially to the Green Party for its help in ensuring this Bill sees the light of day.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: It is clear the Green Party does have a modicum of influence on the Government and I would like to see it use that influence on the very important matter of broadband. As my colleague, Senator Alan Kelly, has said, it is essential we have broadband if we are to dig our way out of this economic crisis. There are two developments we must see. The Minister for Communications, Energy and...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I am pleased the Minister for Transport is meeting his Northern counterpart today to discuss the mutual recognition of driving bans imposed in the North and the South. It is good to hear that they are close to agreement on the matter. I would like to highlight the related issue of the mutual recognition of penalty points. I understand that the two Ministers are some way apart on that...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: The imminent publication of the national broadband strategy is eagerly awaited. We need universal broadband access if we are to shield ourselves from the storm outside. We also need to invest in education. I was disappointed to read this morning that our schools have just one computer for every ten children. It was worse to read about the age of the computers in question. Some 20% of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: That is incorrect. Senator Kelly said the opposite.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: It is not an election.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: On a point of order——

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Will the Leader confirm the Seanad will not be moving this year?

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: So we are safe physically for the next year. It will not fall down on us.