Results 2,421-2,440 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jul 2013)

David Cullinane: Yes. This is in the context of the Protected Disclosures Bill 2013, which has been published. We must have a debate on it and see it progress. We must protect whistleblowers. Consider the stark contrast between the treatment of whistleblowers and others. Here is an individual who has lost everything and is facing jail, but not one of the bankers who brought down the State is facing jail....

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jul 2013)

David Cullinane: That is disgraceful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Recession on Low-Paid Workers: Discussion with Mandate (17 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Go raibh maith agat. I welcome the representatives of Mandate to this meeting and thank them for their presentation. I attended the launch of Mandate's report in the Oireachtas audiovisual room eight or nine months ago and have read it a number of times since. I ask the representatives to outline how the current recession and austerity policies are impacting on the people that Mandate...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: The most pressing issue facing the vast majority of working people and the unemployed in the State is the upcoming budget. It is vital for us to have debates and discussions with as many Ministers as possible in the run-up to the budget. With all the talk about political reform, it is high time that the budget was done in a different way and not presented as a fait accompli as has been the...

Seanad: Report of Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Statements (18 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is good to be here to debate and discuss this report which though short, is heavy in content in terms of the actions and proposals it puts forward. This is what such documents should be like. I commend the authors, the committee on its hearings and all of the experts and individuals who took part in the consultation process and thank them...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: The "What's Left" income survey commissioned by the Irish League of Credit Unions was published today. It shows that almost 500,000 people have no money left at the end of the month after paying essential household bills. The study also shows that people are cutting the amount of money they spend on food simply to pay their utility bills, the mortgage or even just to get through each day....

Seanad: EU Directive on Patients Rights in Cross-Border Health Care: Statements (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister to the House. It is good we are discussing an EU directive. It is good practice and we should do more of it. I welcome the directive and the rules which govern cross-border health care in the EU. Such rules are particularly important when one considers the high level of mobility between countries generally, but obviously it is much more prevalent, and I suppose much...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State and the strong team from the Department. I wish them well at the upcoming Council meeting and commend them, as the previous speaker did, on the work done during the EU presidency. Many important issues will be discussed at the Council meeting, and we have discussed many of them with the Minister and the Department over the past 12 months....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I asked about the drawdown of the loan guarantee and micro-enterprise fund.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Is the Minister satisfied with the figures?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Figures from the Minister's Department show that 241,000 were employed in manufacturing and industry before the Government entered into office. That figure is now 240,900. It has actually seen a small decline in recent years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: May I ask a supplementary question at this point which is relevant to the point the Minister is making?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: It is important we get clarification on the regional aid guidelines. My understanding in terms of the BMW region is that the percentages are broken up into three categories. If one compares the BMW region to the southeast region across all of the three categories the BMW region is 5% better off. Is the Minister saying that it is his view that following the regional aid guidelines review...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: It was not all self-inflicted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Perhaps I should have raised this issue with the Minister, Deputy Bruton, but maybe the Minister of State can address it. There was very little discussion on the section dealing with a more competitive and efficient defence and security sector. I know it is not an area that we focus on to any large extent in this State but many people would be concerned about the potential for an easing up...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: The point I was making related to ethical issues with regard to the arms industry itself. I do not think it is something Europe should be building its economies around. That is the point I was making. Ethical issues should be brought to the fore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I recognise the good work - the cutting-edge research and development - that is being done by the telecommunications, software and systems group. I accept that a great deal of work is taking place across the State, as the Minister of State suggested. How does that sit with the OECD's overall commentary? That is the main point I was making.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: The Irish National Teachers Organisation released figures yesterday which show that one quarter of all primary school students in Waterford - the Leader's county - are in so-called super size classrooms. The union is right to raise this issue. It is organising public meetings across all cities and counties in the State, including in Waterford. The union points to the problems for pupils...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. David Begg (25 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome Mr. Begg to the House. I was one of the Senators who proposed that, as the general secretary of Congress, Mr. Begg should address the Seanad to mark the centenary of the Lock-out. The speech was very good in setting the historical context to allow us to commemorate, remember and pay tribute to working people over the past 100 years and the people involved in the Lock-out for their...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Yesterday the Governor of the Central Bank admitted to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform that he had not listened to the full recordings known as the Anglo tapes. I find this incredible. He acknowledged that he had not seen the full transcripts. He also acknowledged that he had access to the tapes, but that he had no intention of listening to the rest...