Results 2,981-3,000 of 3,444 for speaker:Shane Cassells

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mining Industry (14 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: I do not need to tell the Minister of State about the bombshell that went off last night in Navan following the temporary closure, as has been described, of Tara Mines, and the impact on the town and region. Some 650 people are employed in Tara Mines and 3,000 jobs depend on an income from it. The general manager, Gunnar Nystrom, speaking on "Morning Ireland" earlier, explained why the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mining Industry (14 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: The Minister of State touched on something when he said that the price needs to increase, costs need to be reduced and that this will lead to the cessation of this temporary lay off. The management needs to be honest with the employees as to what the nature of this temporary lay off is. The Government needs to press them on extracting an answer. This is not unprecedented. We were here...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Mining Industry (14 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: The Minister of State has a role in this. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, needs to sign the drilling licence.

Seanad: Gradam an Uachtaráin Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: I welcome the Minister of State. I commend all the Senators who have worked on the Bill, including Senator Keogan, and commend them on honouring the late Senator Quinn and re-introducing his proposals to the Chamber for debate. It is an interesting week in which to have a debate about an honours system, given some of the debates elsewhere.

Seanad: Gradam an Uachtaráin Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: From my 24 years in politics at both local and national levels, I believe Senator Craughwell is correct that we do already have a system in place to honour people at local level. One of the first things I did as a counsellor 24 years ago, in 1999, was make Pierce Brosnan the first freeman of Navan. Then we made Seán Boylan the first freeman of Meath, so he could graze his sheep on the...

Seanad: Gradam an Uachtaráin Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

Seanad: Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023: Second Stage (20 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: I thank Senator Kyne. I note the guests of Senator Micheál Carrigy from the active retirement group in Newtownforbes in County Longford, who are in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. They are very welcome and I hope they enjoy their day in Leinster House and in Seanad Éireann. I also acknowledge the presence of Deputy Paul McAuliffe in the Visitors Gallery along with his guests,...

Seanad: Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023: Second Stage (20 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: I thank the Cathaoirleach very much and I thank him also for his welcome to Ms Mia Galligan and Ms Mya Doocey who are witnesses today, as the Cathaoirleach has said, at the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media. These are two transition year students and it is highly commendable that they are here today as witnesses for a full Oireachtas committee. The received a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: I agree with the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming the ambassador to the Seanad. The Cathaoirleach, the Leader and I had the pleasure of a very good engagement a while ago with the OSCE in Luxembourg. We met the Prime Minister, Mr. Bettel. We worked collaboratively with the Parliament there. The ambassador is very welcome and I thank her...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: First of all, on governance, how did Mr. Lynch allow one man and his agent become bigger than RTÉ? One man was refusing to take a pay cut in the real sense and, to appease him, RTÉ ran off to find someone who would pay him and then pretend to everyone that he was taking a pay cut while secretly making it up to him channelling money from a sponsorship deal. As a result, this man...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: On that, because the statement says Mr. Lynch was aware of elements of the deal, regardless of what Mr. Lynch knew, the bottom line is that he and others knew there was a deal and he knew in reality that Mr. Tubridy was being compensated for the pay cut he was not taking. It may have been legal, but does Mr. Lynch not think that at the time that was against the spirit of things? When...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: In respect of that deal, because we have seen other payments in respect of the hosting of these public events, was Mr. Lynch aware of this as well in terms of the full aspects of it?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: Was nobody aware of that other than the director general, DG?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: Given that we do not have Ms Dee Forbes before us, and we do not know whether we ever will, and the statement from RTÉ yesterday stated that the construct of the deal, as Ms O'Leary has said, was with her, can we have a scenario where documents pertaining to this deal will be published so that the public can have full transparency in respect of it?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: Why were the payments to Mr. Tubridy anonymised as consultancy fees in the barter account and is that a breach of accountancy rules?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: Let us get down to the influence of third-party agents in RTÉ and the construction of deals, the influence of one man who seems to have had more power than anyone else at the negotiating table - "the real DG", as he was nicknamed. On 19 December 2019, we have for the first time the references to the facilitation of this tripartite deal - Santa comes six days early for the boys. Why was...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: Okay, but my question is in terms of the influence of third-party agents within RTÉ. I saw the journalists who were assembled yesterday on the steps of Montrose. I refer to the reporters and researchers who spoke about freelancers who would not be even on a fraction of the top-up money this man was on. I am talking about the influence of agents who can negotiate deals in a tiny Irish...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: Is there a monopoly there with Mr. Kelly, in terms of negotiating deals involving taxpayers' money and in terms of the impact of this within RTÉ?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Shane Cassells: The RTÉ statement yesterday is obviously based on a trail of documents and emails over the past few months that were discoverable, but can Mr. Lynch guarantee he was never part of a conversation, a verbal exchange, or a chat in the corridor with Ms Forbes or others regarding this side deal that allowed Ryan Tubridy's sponsorship deal be underwritten by RTÉ?