Results 241-260 of 31,221 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I suggest next Wednesday's debate centres on the Government's view on the economy as opposed that of the OECD.

Seanad: Abbey Theatre: Statements (26 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for his contribution on this important topic. I am struck by the fact that we are discussing something that is of enormous value to us all. The Minister of State did a great job in acknowledging the wonderful literary and historical heritage of the institution we are discussing. He acknowledged that it was the first...

Seanad: Public Private Partnerships (26 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House and thank him for taking this matter which concerns the current status of the inner city Dublin communities that were affected by the collapse of public private partnership projects. When the process collapsed a number of weeks ago, the issue appropriately generated a significant profile both politically and in the media. In the meantime,...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I join Senator O'Malley in recognising the success of the Oireachtas family day over the weekend. I was lucky enough to be able to attend on Sunday and it was a delight to see so many people who have not been in the Oireachtas before come in, see how it works and have an opportunity to see the wonderful premises in which we are privileged to serve. It was an inaugural event which I hope...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: The OPW is part of the Government which the Progressive Democrats supports and in which it has a Minister who sits at the Cabinet table. While I am disappointed to see such continued waste in Government spending, I am not surprised to see it happen.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I concur with Senator Fitzgerald's request for a debate on the economy. In February 2007 the ISEQ index stood at more than 10,000 points. At lunchtime today it was slightly in excess of 5,000 points. Standard & Poor's, the rating agency on which many of our companies depend, issued six statements in which it changed the ratings Irish banks enjoy. It slightly downgraded the ratings two of...

Seanad: OECD Report on Integrated Public Service Reform: Statements (2 Jul 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: In preparing for today's debate, I came across a very appropriate quote from one of the pioneers of our public service, Mr. T.K. Whitaker, who stated: The day-to-day decisions of government, no less than those of individuals, tend too often to respond to the pressures, the needs, the provocations and the opportunities of the moment. Good management demands the longer view. In this debate and...

Seanad: OECD Report on Integrated Public Service Reform: Statements (2 Jul 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: The value of a report such as this is that it provides hard figures which one can discuss and from which one can make evaluations. In his contribution Senator Hanafin said that the figures indicate we have a fairly lean public service, while Senator O'Malley inferred something quite different in her contribution when she referred to the perceived over-manning and bureaucratic structure in...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I support the calls for a debate on local authority funding. At the end of last week Dublin City Council was told it would need to cut back dramatically on its social housing programme for the coming year. I represent many of those people and frequently deal with people who have been on waiting lists for between five and ten years. Those people have seen the Government galvanise itself to...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: We need to ensure that debate is entertained and conducted in a respectful manner, as Senator Twomey noted, in order that we do not end up in this mess again.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (1 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I concur with what all my colleagues have said. I wish to put forward a brief and practical suggestion. The time of the House tomorrow has been set aside to consider the Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008, which is detailed administrative legislation covering the implementation of a policy that was brought forward in 2005. There is no reason that Bill cannot be taken next week or next month as...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister. I wish to emphasise that Fine Gael will be supporting the Bill because it believes it is in the national interest. I acknowledge the major effort the Minister has been obliged to invest in dealing with this matter in recent and extremely trying days. It is also in the national interest to reflect on how we reached this point. An American central banker once famously...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (1 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: There is much in this amendment which is important and deserves consideration. We have acknowledged at length in this discussion that there has been a casino culture in some banks and we are all dealing with the consequences of that now. The compensation packages that have been created have contributed to that. There are two elements in this amendment which are worthy of discussion and a...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: According to a front page article in one of the national newspapers today, the banks, the subject of considerable debate in the House in the early hours of this morning, are actively considering increasing charges on credit cards, current accounts and other savings and investment accounts held by taxpayers. This morning the Minister for Finance painted a picture of banks as powerless,...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: Those are the words used by the Minister for Finance. These same orphans are telling taxpayers who are prepared to underwrite them at some point in the future that they may need to charge more for the privilege of banking with them. It is vital that we organise regular debates on the organisation and delivery of the banking system, given the radical new regime under which they will work. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I support the request from my colleague, Senator Fitzgerald, for an early debate on the economy and banking matters. It is important that when we are spending a great deal of time here properly casting a verdict on what happened last week, we bear in mind what the financial markets are saying about this plan. I do not want to spend too much time listening to what they are saying, given the...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: There is an air of unreality about any calls for humility in the banking sector. God knows it is needed but there is humility needed on behalf of the Government as well to acknowledge that while we have a plan we will need more plans. If they are not under preparation then what we saw last Monday and last weekend could be a sign of things to come. We put faith in the Government being...

Seanad: Parking Regulations (7 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister. He will be familiar with the subject of this Adjournment matter. It concerns the immense difficulties that can be caused in areas surrounding major sporting venues. I wish to focus on Croke Park, parking around that venue for major match fixtures and the work of residents' associations and others in trying to put forward a solution to this problem. When people who...

Seanad: Parking Regulations (7 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister of State for his response. When the councillors appear unable to deliver a solution, as appears to be the case, it is incumbent on people like me to try to help in some way. This is what this matter is all about. I appreciate the response the Minister of State has given, which contains some helpful information regarding park-and-ride facilities. Perhaps there will be...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2009: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: That is 30 years ago.