Results 241-260 of 20,758 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Alan Kelly: The news about Anglo Irish Bank is not only deeply disturbing but is unbelievable. People have not questioned the role of Irish Life & Permanent. Why did it behave in this manner? We have heard the phrase "cosy arrangements" before but if there was ever an example of it, this is it. We know there will be investigations into this matter. However, the Labour Party has advocated that a High...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Alan Kelly: I asked the Leader a specific question on hospital consultant contracts.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Feb 2009)

Alan Kelly: If our former colleague, Conor Cruise O'Brien, were still alive, he would justly say we are entering a second GUBU era. The current banking crisis is rolling on and on. People in banking circles are constantly telling us lies, in effect. It has to end now, in the interests of this House, the Oireachtas as a whole and the Government. If that does not happen, we might as well close the...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Feb 2009)

Alan Kelly: I am coming to that. A number of questions arise and they have been stated already. This Government must come out and state what it knew, when it knew it and how it was dealing with this issue. Were any members of the Cabinet aware of the €300 million that was being put into the bank? When were they aware of it and under what circumstances? If we do not have that information the public...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Feb 2009)

Alan Kelly: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (25 Feb 2009)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the action taken by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in the past 24 hours, which is essential from a symbolic perspective. While one must await developments, the people must see action. Although they now are seeing it, they need to see more such action from the Government to indicate how the investigation into the banks will be advanced and to create the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2009)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the Government's announcement yesterday about its plans. However, I would prefer if it used real language, rather than spin, and told it like it is. For a long time, most of us have been saying there was a need for another budget, and now the Government is saying it will do this but is not calling it a budget. It brought in levies and did not call them taxes. People will not buy...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2009)

Alan Kelly: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Kelly: I compliment Senator O'Toole and his colleagues on tabling this motion, which I will support. As my colleague, Senator Hannigan, said, let us just get on with it. This House needs to be reformed. We have been talking about it for long enough and it is something the Green Party proposed a long time ago. I look forward to that happening and will wholeheartedly support it. There was a...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Kelly: On many occasions, that does not happen. Perhaps I am breaking with tradition but I compliment the Green Party which has the best track record in terms of the relevant Minister attending. I do not know, but perhaps it is the novelty of sitting in that seat. I thank the Minister, Deputy Gormley, for that.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Kelly: If the House is to be relevant and if we want the press to cover debates, the scenario where Ministers are sent into the House, fall half asleep and do not listen to us is crazy and cannot be allowed to continue.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Alan Kelly: Senator Daly would do better to look at the policies that got us to this stage rather than trying——

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Alan Kelly: ——to deflect attention from the fact the Government has performed so poorly.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Alan Kelly: My colleague, Senator Alex White, referred to the fact that on budget day we want to hear from the Government some initiatives on job creation. Has the Government some initiatives to deal with the issue of what we will do with our graduates, which is becoming a significant problem. There simply are not placements or job opportunities for many of them. Their options are limited. I would...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Alan Kelly: We were promised a new accident and emergency wing in Limerick hospital. I drove by the hospital yesterday and I did not see it spring up. We were promised a new strategy on ambulances. Five times I have asked the Health Service Executive for its proposal on ambulances in the mid-west and it has not been able to inform me.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Alan Kelly: It is a disgrace what it is doing to these regional hospitals and there will be many more under attack after Nenagh and Ennis. It is the people of rural Ireland who are being let down by the Government once more.

Rail Interconnector (20 Apr 2011)

Alan Kelly: It is clear that traffic congestion has reduced as a result of the economic downturn but a number of pinch points remain, especially during peak periods. I will ask the National Transport Authority, which is responsible for traffic management in the greater Dublin area, to provide an update to the Deputy on traffic management activities and proposals for Dublin. As regards transport policy...

Rail Interconnector (20 Apr 2011)

Alan Kelly: To be straight with the Deputy, of course it is a good idea. As a concept it really works and in theory there would be huge support for it. Given the financial reality, however, we must look at prioritisation. I agree there is a restriction on return for these lines because of the lack of interconnectivity and I hope we will get there at some stage in the future. Having said that, there...

Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 49 and 59 together. The Deloitte report on the cost and efficiency of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann identified significant scope for the redesign and more efficient operation of the Dublin Bus network to provide a more attractive service for existing and potential users. The redesign would achieve more frequent, streamlined and reliable services. Following...

Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputy for his passionate reply.