Results 281-300 of 11,812 for speaker:Denis O'Donovan

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: It is but it is putting it in such a way that it disables Bantry Bay Harbour Commissioners.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: It is very clear in that it states "the Bantry Bay Harbour Commissioners are dissolved". A Minister, but perhaps not the Minister of State present, may say in three or five years, "To hell with Bantry, we will just sign off." The new section continues as follows: (b) The Minister may by order appoint a day as the transfer day for the purposes of this section in respect of Tralee and Fenit...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: ——would the Port of Cork Company state Bantry Port is in debt in the order of €10 million and Whiddy is closed and that it is inclined to enter a partnership or engage in a merger? I believe not. This is plain and stated in black and white. I do not believe there will be any avenue of opportunity or hope in this regard once the Bill is passed. Proposed subsection 87A(4) states: (4)...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: It gives me great encouragement to see my colleagues offer me moral support and sustenance. I will read a letter from the Irish Ports Association and then I will return to the Bill. The letter was written to the Secretary General of the Department of Transport. I am not sure of the date but I think the letter is quite recent as it is appropriate to the Bill. The letter concerns the...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I am reading a very important article, which I want to complete. It is a report from The Sunday Times that refers to another Minister. It refers to our national oil reserves which are very important to the country. In the event of an emergency or a war we would need to have a minimum of 90 days' supply. The only place for holding that supply is Whiddy which emphasises the importance of...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: No, this is new information as it was only published in The Sunday Times last week.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: It was brought to my attention that it was published on 1 February 2009. I will not have time today but I must get that report which is referred to and which is quite voluminous and put it on the record of the House because I do not want someone to say to me that I sold out Bantry's potential for the future economy of the region, and it would also affect south Kerry.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: It is now 3.45 p.m.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: No, I am mindful that I promised my colleagues that they could come in——

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I have just two or three paragraphs to put on the record of the House and then I will give way.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I too wish to be fair. I refer to section 18(9)(a): "As soon as practicable after the transfer day, the relevant port company shall prepare, in such form as may be approved by the Minister, all proper and usual accounts of money received or expended by the relevant harbour commissioners in the accounting year, or the part of an accounting year, of those commissioners ending immediately before...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: As the Acting Chairman pointed out, other Members want to contribute so I will give way to Senator O'Sullivan. I will, however, be referring to this report, the cornerstone of the legislation, when I resume.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I have listened to the Minister of State, but he is missing my concern. I do not wish to go around in circles, but Government policy is highlighted in the major report or high level review of commercial State ports. I have been saying ad nauseam that the report — I will read into the record the next day the parts of the report that concern Bantry and my amendments — takes no account of...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (resumed) (11 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: Subsequently, in the watch of a Government of which I was a member, there was a sale of the facilities on Whiddy Island. Over the past 30 or 40 years, irrespective of what Government was in power, the needs have remained the same. The island needs a decent pier that is accessible at low tide. The Minister of State has historical connections with Whiddy Island. Some years ago an elderly...

Seanad: Report on Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann: Statements (25 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome the debate on this issue. Although I would probably be more at home speaking about ferries travelling to and from Bear Island, I am tasked with speaking on this matter.

Seanad: Report on Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann: Statements (25 Feb 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I acknowledge that the Government has spent considerable sums of money on the development of Bus Éireann's bus services. Like my colleague, Senator Donohoe, I lived in London for four or five years many years ago and I was a student in Dublin a long time ago. When I am in the capital every week I notice the quality of the bus fleet and hundreds of new buses are now operating on various...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Mar 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I seek a debate on the seafood industry. This issue is an old hobby horse of mine and I was prompted to raise it again by a statement made by the chief executive of Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Jason Whooley, at a conference in Galway last week. At a time when jobs are being lost, there is considerable potential along our coastline for the promotion of the seafood industry. In my neck of the...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I concur with Senator Buttimer that a six-year term is lengthy. Our experience of the ombudsman system, while relatively recent, has been a major success. As a practising lawyer and paid up member of the Law Society, I believe the establishment of a legal services ombudsman must be broadly welcomed as an extremely positive development. The role will be one of overseer and the ombudsman...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: Senator Norris raises an interesting point. With regard to the Judiciary, the equivalent of a bar council, which was mooted some years ago, should have been set up. I do not want to cross swords with my learned colleague but having regard to the independence of the Judiciary as recognised in our Constitution, this ombudsman should probably cover only solicitors and barristers. However, I...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: ——qualified under the Law Society's rules and regulations or those of the Bar Council. A person may present himself as an attorney at law, which is a phrase set aside to cover solicitors in a more American type of jargon. It has happened in this country. An effort to pursue the company involved, which was not some Mickey Mouse operation, failed because the gentleman in question relied...