Results 221-240 of 988 for speaker:John McGahon

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: We have been good not to interrupt one another. I have asked others not to do it and I would appreciate if Senator Craughwell could show the same courtesy.

Seanad: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: I speak in support of my colleague, Senator Cummins, and do not intend to use up any more time. In a very calm and respectful manner, I suggest Senator Keogan misinterpreted what Senator Cummins said. I want to offer her, through the Chair, the opportunity to retract and withdraw that comment now.

Seanad: Report of Independent Review Group Jadotville: Statements (15 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: The Minister has delivered on his commitment and I thank him for that. Several months ago when he stated that the report would be initiated, he gave a clear and definitive timeframe in respect of when he would come back to the House and he has fulfilled that commitment today. I thank him for that. I also thank him and his officials for the engagement they have afforded me and every other...

Seanad: Report of Independent Review Group Jadotville: Statements (15 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Report of Independent Review Group Jadotville: Statements (15 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Motion (16 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: I will be brief as I do not want to take time from colleagues who want to come in after me.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Motion (16 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: I will be brief in order to let other Senators come in after me. It is amazing to look at the trajectory of climate action politics over the last ten or 20 years. Ten to 20 years ago, this type of stuff was on the fringe of political debate and it is now mainstream. This is exactly why politicians of all political parties campaign, namely, to get into government, to introduce the ideas...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: The Next Generation of Political Representatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

John McGahon: I apologise for leaving the meeting. My pharmacy phoned me with a date for my vaccination. It was an important call to take. I thank Mr. Carlin, Ms Groogan, Mr. de Faoite and, in particular, Mr. Hughes for taking part in the meeting. It is a meeting I suggested a couple of months ago. I refer to the comments of Ms Begley. I turned 30 a couple of months ago and I am still telling...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Future of Ireland: Discussion (11 May 2021)

John McGahon: I will be brief. It was great to hear Reverend Karen say there is still a good proportion of people involved in unionism in Ireland who are open to dialogue. That brings me to back to the point made in recent weeks that there are three minorities as such in Northern Ireland, the nationalist minority, the unionist minority and the soft unionist minority in the middle made up of both sides of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Transport Policy (21 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I thank the Minister of State for attending the House. One of the reasons I bring up the concept of high-speed rail is that I have been a rail user for the past seven or eight years, commuting from Dundalk to Dublin. We have various issues with the rail infrastructure in this country. It is good to see a renewed focus from the Government in the programme for Government and in recent...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Transport Policy (21 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: That is a really excellent response from the Minister of State. I thank him for taking that to the House today. I will point out two things. We want to move towards an hourly service. That is exactly what we want to do and that is why it is so important that we have the review on inter-regional rail as well. For the Minister of State's constituency in north Dublin, the issue with the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I raise the concept of county development plans and how I feel the Planning Regulator and the views he passes down to council executives and councils are divergent from the Government's ambitious housing targets and the number of houses we want to build each year. They are not going hand in hand or helping each other. I will give two examples, one relating to urban centres and the other to...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I will be brief as I will also wrap up the debate. My question has two parts. What is the biggest issue or threat facing the European Union today? What is the biggest issue facing constituents in the midlands and north west?

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. It is a privilege for me to be able to respond on behalf of the House to Mr. Colm Markey and Ms Maria Walsh. This is the Seanad at its best. This is exactly what the Seanad should be used for, and this is what we should try to do more often in the future, especially to counter the challenge that this House is not fit for purpose. This is exactly what...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I have raised my topic of discussion previously in the House. I refer to the concept of introducing flexible three-day TaxSaver tickets for commuters. I first raised this matter in June of last year. More than 12 months have passed. We have returned to full capacity on public transport and workers across the country have returned to their offices and yet we still do not have this type of...

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020: Second Stage (28 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I wish to touch on a couple of points in my brief contribution. The main point on which I wish to focus most of my remarks is the concept of the national peer support framework that is overseen by a new safety regulator for aviation workers. It is vitally important for three specific reasons. The first is that peer support will enhance flight safety when people have an opportunity to speak...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I raise the issue of an article that appeared in The Irish Times last week about the proposed increase of vehicle registration tax, VRT, on electric vehicles. My issue around this is twofold. We have ambitious plans about electric vehicles in this country. We want to have 1 million electric vehicles on our roads by 2030. At the same time, there are reports from the Department of Finance...

Seanad: Housing For All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland: Statements (29 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: I would like to make a couple of legitimate points on housing based on my experience of what is happening in Dundalk, County Louth. On one hand we have all these ambitions plans to hit all these targets of housing that we need to build every year, which is great, while on the other hand we have a Planning Regulator who is giving advice to local authorities and council executives saying they...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Sep 2021)

John McGahon: Is that agreed? Agreed.