Results 281-300 of 3,550 for speaker:Dominic Hannigan

Seanad: Support Services Grants. (6 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I join other Senators in deploring the recent murder in Limerick. It demonstrates that when we can only achieve a conviction in one out of every six murder cases, the current approach does not work. While I would not go as far as some other Senators have suggested, I wonder whether it is time to introduce a witness protection Bill and to put a witness protection scheme on a statutory...

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (11 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister to the House. I am glad to speak on the rural development programme and its role in shaping the Ireland of the future. It is vital that we think about the future because for too long rural development in Ireland has been left behind and has been the poor relation of Government policy. As the economic boom turns to bust, rural Ireland is staring at a decade of...

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (11 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: It exists. If the Minister wants to know the impact it is having, he should read some of the submissions from individuals and groups put forward when this programme was being put together.

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (11 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Let me give the Minister one example. The Summerhill active retirement group submitted a document that depicts what life is like, in terms of poverty, in rural Ireland. The group's submission highlighted the case of an 87 year old woman who came to the group for assistance. She is a widow with poor eyesight who suffers from chronic ill health. Her home was in such poor repair that she had...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I join my colleague, Senator Alex White, in calling on the Government to look again at the whole issue of post office closures. There was an excellent debate in the House yesterday with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, on the rural development programme. I made a point in that debate that in the past eight years we have seen the closure of 500...

Seanad: Criminal Assets Bureau Annual Report 2007: Statements (12 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I wish to share six of my ten minutes with Senator David Norris.

Seanad: Criminal Assets Bureau Annual Report 2007: Statements (12 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister to the House and the annual report of the CAB, which was published earlier this week. It shows another successful year for the CAB in 2007 and it is vital this success continues. Many Senators referred to the recent deplorable and tragic events in Limerick. Senator Bacik mentioned that perhaps it was time to look again at the potential of putting on a statutory...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I listened to Mr. Brian Goggin of the Bank of Ireland on the radio this morning announcing half-year profits for the bank of €650 million. He stated the profit will be retained as opposed to being distributed as dividends. It is clear the bank needs to do this to ensure it can recapitalise. However, recapitalisation should not be done at the expense of small businesses. At present,...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Given that Irish grocery prices are 25% higher than those in the United Kingdom, I was glad to see the announcement this morning that one major retailer intends to invest €350 million in the establishment of 35 new stores in this country. I hope a discount retailer will help to drive down prices for Irish shoppers. I was glad to see the price of oil has dropped to its lowest level in two...

Seanad: Radon Protection Measures: Statements (13 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the fact that we have taken time to debate this very important issue. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, estimates that more than 100,000 houses have unacceptably high levels of radon but the general public and the media do not seem to be aware of the dangers. Last year the institute warned that some radon gas pockets...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I join other Members in expressing concern about the state of our financial institutions. We heard today that shares in two major banks, Bank of Ireland and Anglo Irish Bank, are now valued at less than €1. The latter's current valuation of €600 million is only slightly higher than that of Paddy Power. Is it time for the Government to consider taking a stake in some of the banks to...

Seanad: Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (18 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: On behalf of the Labour Party I extend my sympathies to Ann, their children and Seamus's colleagues in Fianna Fáil. Seamus's death was very untimely at the young age of 60 years. Séamus was young when former Taoiseach Jack Lynch appointed him general secretary. He led the modernisation of the party in the 1970s. He would have enjoyed the recent presidential election in the United States...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Senators referred to the difficulties faced by small businesses at present. In this climate it is vital we ensure our small businesses are not being ripped off. I want to give two examples where I believe excessive profiteering is taking place by suppliers to small business. The first is in regard to company travel. Businesses must use airlines to go abroad to do business. We know the...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I also want to draw attention to the latest annual report of An Bord Pleanála. As a result of the downturn in the economy, there are now 15% fewer cases going to An Bord Pleanála but staff numbers have increased by 26% and the number of external consultants used has risen by 20. It is clear the board needs to look again at its resource requirements. I am not suggesting that redundancies...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I support my colleagues in their call for a definition of homelessness to be inserted in the Bill. I also wish to give notice that I intend to table amendments on Report Stage on obliging housing authorities to prepare housing action plans.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: The Labour Party supports this Bill. Our amendments are tabled with the intention of improving the thrust of the legislation. I compliment Senator Doherty on providing a definition of homelessness and the Labour Party will support its inclusion. Clarity is required and we have seen from the exchange between Senators Doherty and Norris that there are issues relating to mobile homes and...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I was slightly disappointed with the Minister of State's response. I heard what he said about mobile homes and it was something I intended to discuss. I know Senator Norris was hoping for some intellectual contribution from one of his Trinity colleagues, but I do not have their grey matter.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: As regards mobile homes, I suggest that it is an opt-in. It is not a compulsory definition, which may annoy or upset people if they take it as a slur. If an individual or group thinks that because they are living in a mobile home they are homeless, let them opt in to the clause. It is not beyond the wit of the Minister of State's advisers to come up with a wording that would achieve the...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I want to speak on amendment No. 12 in section 15, which deals with the content of housing services plans. The amendment proposes that in page 13, subsection (2)(a)(i), line 23, after "supports" to insert, "including but not limited to, tenancy services, supported housing, tenancy sustainment, tenancy support and settlement, advice, advocacy and mediation services." The rationale is that...