Results 2,501-2,520 of 5,046 for speaker:Paschal Mooney

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: Did the Leader indicate whether he was acceding to the request from all sides of the House for the Minister for Justice and Equality or the Minister for Health to come to the House to make a statement on the allegations of illegality in family planning clinics?

Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I did a quick count of this extraordinarily long Government amendment to the motion. In all my time in this House, I do not believe I have seen a longer amendment. It comes to almost 900 words. With all due respect to the Minister, who is very busy, she might as well have sent it on its own. I will be interested to hear what she has to add to what is...

Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: On the basis of these figures from FLAC it seems it is not quite true, but we all spin figures to suit ourselves and the case put before us. The system lacks transparency - there is no question about it - and that is a core part of the proposed motion. The appeals office does not publish its previous decisions even in an anonymised format, which can leave the appellant at a disadvantage, not...

Seanad: Social Welfare Appeals System: Motion (7 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: The problem arises from the decisions of the deciding officers. We should reduce it.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I had not intended raising this matter again because it has been widely aired yesterday but as Senator Bacik saw fit to introduce the issue of the illegal practices carried out by family planning clinics it is important to reiterate that all the contributions made yesterday have not gone away. It is important that either the Minister for Justice and Equality or the Minister for Health should...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I was not aware that Senator Lorraine Higgins was going to raise the issue of Garda vetting. As chairman of the Leitrim County Childcare Committee, I endorse everything she has said. Some months ago the relevant Minister announced that he had reduced the period of delay to six weeks. I am sad to relate to the House that it has now gone back up to three months.

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: My main question is child care related and also about public expenditure. In the past few days two elements of child care have come to my attention at board level. The first will be familiar to Senators. It is the one year free pre-school child care scheme for children under four years. The Government proposes to introduce a limit insisting on a minimum of eight eligible children in a...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: The Minister sits at the Cabinet table. How can he endorse the proposal? It is another blow to rural Ireland. In County Leitrim six of the 30 service providers will lose out. My second point concerns another area of public expenditure. In the same area special needs children who receive a subvention for attending child care facilities will have their funding cut-off at 15 years. The...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: How can he justify hitting the vulnerable? Will he ensure that when the budget is debated next month at the Cabinet table, he will act, on the basis that he has always attempted to act, by seeking fairness and equity, particularly for those who are disadvantaged?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Transport Policy: Discussion with EU Commissioner for Transport (8 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I echo everything that has been said in welcoming the Commissioner. As he quite correctly noted, Ireland and Estonia share common interests and common priorities within the wider European Union context. I have two questions, the first of which pertains to a matter I raised at this joint committee some weeks ago and about which I wonder whether the Commissioner is aware. There are proposals...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I welcome the comments made, particularly by Members on the other side of the House, on the bungling incompetence by Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI. Senator Whelan's contribution was particularly good and I agree with him. Many Senators could not wait to get out the door to criticise local authorities and VECs on what they deemed to be the incompetent handling of student grants...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: The question I am putting to the Leader is that the Minister for Finance or the Minister of State should come to this House to provide some clarity, in light of the investigation that is going on at Parliament level and the discussions that are under way in Europe to try to get our European partners to reduce our unsustainable bank debt, as to exactly what is the reaction of the Government to...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: Were I asked the question as to whether I should take the money from those in receipt of home help or who are disabled-----

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: ----- or should I take another couple of bob from multinationals, I know what the answer would be.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: The Leader should have been on television.

Seanad: The Economy: Statements (13 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I welcome the Minister of State. As my party colleagues have said, we have given the Government parties a fair wind. The public has a positive attitude towards the Government?s efforts in trying to get us back to where we were. While I do not think we will ever get back to that position, we can at least get to a point where we will have reduced our deficit and met all the economic targets...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (14 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I have a point of order. It is entirely in the Cathaoirleach's gift as to what contributions are made here but I confess that I am extremely uneasy about the contributions so far relating to a family which is deeply in anguish and distress and a case which has not been given any great clarity other than through newspaper reports. I ask colleagues to use some sensitivity and use good judgment.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (14 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I feel very uneasy about this. It also gives an opportunity perhaps to go beyond the boundaries of this specific case.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (14 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I ask the Leader to indicate whether the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport will come to the House soon, particularly in light of newspaper reports indicating CIE is in a severe financial crisis. I raised the issue to establish the policy of the Department. The Minister announced he would provide ¤36 million, which he subsequently withdrew. The annual report of CIE is due in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Road Network: Discussion with National Roads Authority (14 Nov 2012)

Paschal Mooney: I welcome the witnesses. I come from County Leitrim, along with Senator Comiskey and Deputy Colreavy. Over the past 20 years-----