Results 261-280 of 2,725 for speaker:Noel Coonan

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Jun 2005)

Noel Coonan: I support Senator Henry's call for the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House to debate health issues and, in particular, MRSA. Several Members met with a group of cystic fibrosis sufferers in Buswells Hotel yesterday and we were appalled to hear that people with this condition are likely to die in Irish hospitals, particularly in Dublin, because of the presence of MRSA and...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Coonan: I share the concerns of other speakers on the proposal for a three man ombudsman commission but I am not going to rehash what has been said already. Senator Tuffy caused me to consider what would happen if there was a vote among the three people. Does it mean that if two of the three disagree agree with the chairperson that would be, in effect, a vote of no confidence? Would the chairperson...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Coonan: What about the wrong done to the individual garda?

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report Stage (Resumed). (29 Jun 2005)

Noel Coonan: There are still senior members of the Garda management there.

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (1 Jul 2005)

Noel Coonan: I welcome the amendments. During the debate in the House, Senator Quinn, myself and others expressed concern about this issue. The Minister promised she would come back to the House with amendments and she has done so. She referred to the requirement for a court order for an authorised officer to enter "any premises". Does that include farms?

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (1 Jul 2005)

Noel Coonan: I too thank the Minister for introducing this amendment which improves the Bill. Will she clarify whether an "extract" of the certificate means a copy of the certificate?

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (1 Jul 2005)

Noel Coonan: I too thank the Minister and the officials of her Department. This Bill has been a long time coming but as a result of much discussion and effort on all sides in this House it has been dramatically improved. I also welcome the Minister back "from Russia with love". Does the Minister have good news for the farming community in regard to the overshoot on the beef premium? Has she made any...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (1 Jul 2005)

Noel Coonan: I thank the Chair for that. There is something else I could say to him but I will refrain from saying it. I would be interested to hear the Minister's comments on that aspect of her visit to Russia. I thank all those involved in preparing the Bill, especially for the amount of discussion conducted with the various representatives of the veterinary profession such as the Veterinary Council....

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: I support the call made by Senators O'Toole and John Paul Phelan for a debate on quality food production, particularly in respect of the meat sector. We need a level playing pitch. Both Senators mentioned the food industry and butchers but we should bear primary producers, namely, farmers, in mind. Farmers are being strangled by bureaucracy and there is no point in us producing quality food...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: I wish to ask the Leader and the Minister how many more tragedies we must witness and how many more lives must be lost before someone on that side of the House is prepared to take responsibility and ask who is running the health service. What is happening in this country and how long more will it be allowed to continue? I could recount another tragic incident but I will not do so today; I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: I put it to the Leader that someone should take responsibility for what is happening in the country, which is a scandal.

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: I accept the acknowledgement from my friends on the right that I am the new leader of the Independent grouping.

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: I support the call by Senator Bradford for a debate on decentralisation. I would like to oblige Senator Mansergh in confirming that decentralisation is going ahead as announced. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: Partial decentralisation, a limited version, is going ahead. I support the call for a debate on decentralisation because in this House, some months ago, during the passage of the Garda Síochána Bill, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform said he was not in favour of decentralising the Garda inspectorate to Roscrea, in north Tipperary, as promised. A high profile announcement was...

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Tá fáilte romhat go dtí an Teach. These two issues are likely to have a serious impact on Irish citizens, both producers and consumers. Recent newspaper headlines have stated that 10,000 are to die in a flu epidemic and 50,000 will perish in a pandemic. It is known that bird flu, avian flu, can have catastrophic consequences but those figures...

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: I think the Chair is safe. Avian flu can have catastrophic consequences, especially when combined with human flu. We must be careful in our approach to this problem. I welcome some of the announcements made by the Minister of State in that regard. The Minister of State must address the public fear surrounding the availability of the antibiotic needed to treat an epidemic, or indeed, a...

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: We must have proper traceability and animal health measures in place.

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: Give us an instance of negativity.

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: On a point of order, I was not negative, nor did I talk down Irish agriculture. I ask the Senator to prove his point and not waffle, which is endemic in his party.

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Noel Coonan: The Minister for Foreign Affairs welcomed Mr. Mandelson's remarks and the emphasis on——