Results 201-220 of 1,677 for speaker:Ned O'Sullivan

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I thought the Senator had national aspirations.

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and compliment him on the ongoing work he is doing in his brief. Lifelong education is the success story of modern Irish education. The VEC system is also a success story and has been since its foundation in the 1930s. I never taught in a VEC school. I taught for 20 years, ten of them at secondary level. I taught in a comprehensive school...

Seanad: Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (17 Nov 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I did not really know Kieran until I arrived here three years ago. I liked him and I looked up to him and respected him a great deal. He died around the same time that the Taoiseach was about to open the new bypass in Rathdowney, which is on my way home to Kerry. In the last conversation I had with Kieran I asked him the time of the opening and he said he would ring me the following...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: This is an important, special and outstanding debate and I compliment speakers on all sides of the House on the sober tone of their contributions. There is a national crisis and I always believe Irish politicians on all sides will always put the national interest first when it comes to the crunch. I have always respected the opinions of the Opposition parties, even though I might not...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: Last week an eminent commentator expressed admiration for the workforce in that they had stayed calm and shown reasonableness at a difficult time. This relates to our union leaders. One can compare this with what is happening in trade unions across the world. In a particular instance people are going bananas that they will not be able to draw down their pension until they are 63 years old.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: We must all be in this together. Everyone has a part to play and is playing his or her part.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Second Stage (24 Nov 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I concur with everything Senator Leyden said. The concerns of the union have been well articulated on both sides of the House. The figure about which I am most concerned is the one which indicates liberalisation in Germany led to the loss of 21,000 full-time and 12,000 part-time jobs. Something similar happened in Holland. We are now in an environment where jobs are critical if we are...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Second Stage (24 Nov 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I support the comments of the Government spokesman, Senator Brady, on the issue, as well as those of Senator O'Toole. It is eminently sensible for the Minister to include an overarching authority in the legislation. Independent regulation is one thing but accountable regulation is another. I do not want to labour the point as the two spokespersons have expressed it adequately but the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I concur with the statements of the Government spokesman, Senator Brady, and the other speakers on this issue. As the issue has been raised, it is essential the Minister would include the trade unions. Had it not been spotted and raised, it might have been a different matter, but it would be quite offensive at this stage if trade unions were not at least given the same status in the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I do not want to labour the point, as it has been well made. There is imprecision in the language used, which is worrying. Without being pedantic, Senator Hanafin put his finger on it in what he said about the word "geographic". In that context, "meteorological" would be a more appropriate word to use. This provision needs to be reconsidered and redrafted, especially as regards the...

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after ''Seanad Éireann'' and substitute the following: ''notes: the lengthy and detailed consideration of the Ombudsman's special report on the lost at sea scheme by the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; the views of the joint committee, as set out in paragraph 5 of the committee's report; and notes and accepts: the decision...

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I am coming to that report. I have studied it very closely. The Ombudsman is a very important and respected official in this State. However, as I stated before, that does not make her infallible. The Ombudsman can be wrong and I believe that, in this report, she is badly wrong. I am entitled to say that. She was badly wrong in the report she issued recently on the health issue. Anybody...

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I did not interfere with or interrupt Senator Regan and I demand the same respect.

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: The joint committee studied this matter in great detail and witnesses of the highest integrity and calibre were invited to appear before it. The committee decided, by majority, to reject the report. Now we are saying it is politicised. It takes two to tango in politics. If all the Fine Gael members vote one way and all the Fianna Fáil members vote the other, is it because Fianna Fáil or...

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: Considering that we are talking about politics, it has been reported in the media that the Ombudsman may have a political future after she leaves office. I am stating a fact. Perhaps the Ombudsman will want to clarify that position now-----

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: That is the third time the Senator interrupted me. All these difficulties will be exacerbated if there is a political dimension to them, or a suspected political dimension. The same applied to Mr. George Lee when he was targeting the Government for months in advance of his becoming a Fine Gael candidate, which the dogs on the street knew would occur. When he became a candidate, he had his...

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: It would help this debate and be of service to her office.

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: It would be of service to the body politic.

Seanad: Lost at Sea Scheme: Motion (1 Dec 2010)

Ned O'Sullivan: I never mentioned Fine Gael.