Results 2,321-2,340 of 7,604 for speaker:James Bannon

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: The Deputy is the Minister and there has been bad scientific information.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: Senator Callanan is accusing farmers of undermining the environment. I am surprised at him.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: That is spin.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: Farmers need help, not spin.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: That is generalising.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: Neither is the Senator.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: We are dealing with people's livelihoods.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: The Senator is insinuating that farmers——

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: The Government has never been that way.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: I wish to give one minute of my time to Senator Ulick Burke.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: We call for practical and workable nitrates regulations to be introduced. My motion deals with the issue that the Minister has failed to meet and negotiate with the farming organisations. The legislation introduced by the Minister is damaging and will not improvewater quality, which is the objective of the directive.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: The Minister has let us down. The farming organisations have informed me that he has not engaged in meaningful consultation with them. He was told that in Ballymahon in my county last week. He now blames farmers for the fact that the regulations are not being introduced earlier.

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: The Minister is playing funny tactics. Farmers across the country demand that this be resolved in a logical and scientific way as a matter of urgency. It is important to remember that this Government is trying to introduce by the back door a draconian new licensing system for farms and farmers. This is a diversion from the Government's promise following decoupling that it would give farmers...

Seanad: Nitrates Directive: Motion. (1 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: This will cost the Minister many votes in rural Ireland. At last week's World Economic Forum in Switzerland, which the Minister attended, it was reported that water quality in Ireland is one of the best in Europe. It achieved 100% and was deemed equal with Sweden and Switzerland. The Minister continues to deny that fact.

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: I second my colleague's amendment to the Order of Business. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism into the House to debate the Government's regional tourism plan because revenue and occupancy rates declined for many bed and breakfast accommodation and hotel owners throughout the country in the past 12 months. A hotel owner told me she had an 84% occupancy rate in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: The problem with the register of electors is the insufficient level of staff in local authorities. I spoke with local authority officers who are responsible for the register of electors and they have claimed there is a significant shortage of staff to deal properly with the register. This issue must be addressed. It is a staffing problem in most local authorities.

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: There is a debate about that going on in the constituency too.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: I thank the Minister for coming before Seanad Éireann and I am glad that we are finally in a position to debate the contents of this important Bill. I welcome the fact that the Minister has amended the Bill to provide for strategic gas pipelines. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that Ireland is a First World economy with a Third World infrastructure. There is an undeniable feeling...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: —— along with the lack of child care provision, all of which affects Senator O'Rourke's constituency as well as mine.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)

James Bannon: For Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats it is all about the present. It is all about very significant increases in spending, about the economy as a goal in itself and about living in the moment. The result has been a very significant increase in personal wealth, which is a good thing, but a massive waste in everything from the health services to education. After all the years of...