Results 281-300 of 996 for speaker:John Gerard Hanafin

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: This is now a standard provision that appears in many other pieces of legislation. It only refers to the director of an institute appearing before the Committee of Public Accounts. A director appears before the Committee of Public Accounts to be accountable for the finances of his or her institute. In that context directors cannot make excuses by saying, for example, that Government policy...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: Perfectly in order.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: From the opposite perspective, it also serves as a protection for the director. In the event of his or her appearing before the committee and being asked by the Chairman or another member as to their view on a policy, then rather than being drawn into a political debate, which is not their role, they have the protection of being able to say they are not allowed to comment. For the head of an...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: As I said in respect of amendment No. 5, such a provision is not necessary and will not be accepted.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: The same principle applies as to amendment No. 6. Nobody is trying to muzzle directors in public fora, such as the media or their own conferences, because they have a major contribution to make to policy. As I said, it also serves as a protection for them, preventing them from being drawn into political debates in a Dáil committee by being asked to comment, either favourably or unfavourably,...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I reiterate that nobody is trying to muzzle chief executive officers or directors of any of these bodies because they have an important role to play in policy making. The place to play that role is not before the Committee of Public Accounts.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Fifth Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I thank Senators for their consideration of the Bill, which has given rise to a considered debate. It is always interesting to hear the range of direct experience — as students, teachers, board members, authority members and so on — that Members of both Houses have had. That experience has fed into the Bill, ensuring it gives the institutes of technology extra status, which not only...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I call for a debate on the Middle East in light of leaked reports from the United States in which the intelligence community suggests the army in Iraq is not succeeding but is having the opposite effect. Those of us who take an interest in history state that one who does not watch history is condemned to repeat it. Having started with extremely laudable aims to rid the world of terrorist...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: In that light, and concluding on this——

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: One issue was raised, which was that The Dubliner magazine should not have printed matters regarding Tiger Woods's wife.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: It is not the image we want to portray and it is not the céad míle fáilte we want to extend to every guest of the country.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Sep 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader to request the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to attend the House for a debate on new technologies. Over the last 20 years, we have seen the blossoming of three new sectors. While the Internet, computers and mobile phone telecommunications have been blessings which have provided employment and opportunity, they have also been abused by people...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Sep 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: It is especially annoying in that it is the only filling station which leads to the western motorway and represents the only chance for a great number of miles to obtain petrol. One is left without the opportunity to shop around on the route despite the fact that there is another filling station in Dublin which sells petrol for €1.02.9. How can there be a divergence of €1.27 per gallon...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I am one of those people, mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition, who gets to speak an hour later. Nonetheless, I have an equal mandate.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I support my colleague, Senator Ó Murchú, in connection with his comments on the breaking of a court order by The Irish Times. If a politician had broken a court order and destroyed evidence, what kind of mayhem would have been created by the media? I recognise that sometimes the media can create its own mayhem, a storm in a thimble, but, regardless, this is a serious issue.

Seanad: Europol (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (4 Oct 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: It gives me great pleasure to be the first to welcome the Tánaiste to the House. I wish him continued success as Tánaiste. There is unanimity in this House on the purpose of and the need for this Bill, which I welcome. The purpose of the Bill covers a number of areas. First, it extends the competence of Europol to money laundering, regardless of the type of offence from which the...

Seanad: Europol (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (4 Oct 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I join in the calls for a debate on Darfur, which is another case of genocide. We thought we would not see it happening again in this generation but we have already seen it in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda. We will see it again in Darfur. One could spend five hours driving across this country but it only takes five hours to fly to Darfur. It is important to bear in mind that the...

Seanad: Ageism Policy: Statements (12 Oct 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I commend my colleague, Senator White, on the publication of a new approach to ageing and ageism. It is a very professional and useful policy document which will continue to assist for many years ahead. There are many people who have reached a senior age and who continue to contribute hugely to society, for example, Nelson Mandela and, in our own country, Garrett FitzGerald, who is...

Seanad: Europol (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Oct 2006)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome of Minister of State and thank him and his officials. This is an important Bill. The reality of money laundering today and the capacity to move funds instantaneously across borders and continents means that we need to keep up to date. We need to ensure that the police authorities throughout Europe possess the necessary facilities and legal framework within which to work,...