Results 301-320 of 5,294 for speaker:Michael McCarthy

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Powers and Functions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: The Minister would do it in 30 minutes now.

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I do not agree with his statement that the Government has a proud record on housing. In the ten years the parties in Government have been in office, the position regarding housing has gone out of control. The number of people, particularly young people, who cannot afford to buy a house at today's prices and whose financial position does not enable...

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: It does.

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: A consequence of this measure will be that some people will be living on the streets. If a person renting a unit at a fairly high rent, given that everything seems to cost a high price today, loses his or her job and disposable income, which would have allowed that person to remain in that unit, and on applying for rent supplement is not granted it, he or she will have to leave that unit....

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: The full extent of the impact of that decision will be known in due course. When one notes the record set by the Government, one would not expect anything different.

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: We are dealing with arch conservatism and one would not expect anything less. Some 12 months later the Government cut back on the rent allowance scheme. That defies belief.

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: If the Members on the Government side were on this side of the Chamber and we were on their side and guilty of the same heinous crime, we would have to nearly wear ear muffs because the roars from them would be so loud. (Interruptions).

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I am sure Deputy Ormonde will get an opportunity to convey her point. Some 16,000 home buyers were awaiting payment of that grant prior to its abolition. I understand additional inspectors are being appointed. That matter should be proactively followed up to ensure there is an appropriate conclusion for those who were lucky in the interim period.

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: There is still hope for those concerned and I hope the payment of their grants will be made speedily.

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Absolutely, even if they are in that particular category. I am not being ageist, but in terms of the age profile of such applicants, they are significantly higher than the normal applicant. There were such a high number of male applicants that the local authority designated a scheme of ten houses to people in that category, and also to single females. That was universally welcomed in the...

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I take the point made by the Minister of State. In some cases I would have taken a different view from the one I take now. I do not know if this matter is something that could be pursued in terms of a national or departmental policy. I would welcome a fairer system or one that strives to be fair.

Seanad: Report on Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion. - Local Authority Funding: Motion. (10 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: In recent times we have seen that the consumer very often has to pick up the tab. The increased charges are a retrograde step. This major increase will stretch budgets that are already tight and will result in some people being unable to buy their own houses. One could fill the House with housing reports, but there is a pattern in them which shows that building material costs and construction...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I agree with the points made yesterday about the reaction to the Barron report on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. We should not rush to judgment but it is imperative that both the British and Irish Governments take the lead in terms of where we go next. What is the next step? We owe this not only to the victims, but to their families and the survivors who suffered such grievous loss on that...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: The Senator should name and shame.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: It took him long enough.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment was involved too.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Dec 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Will we have to tell the Standards in Public Office Commission?

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Second Stage. (27 Jan 2004)

Michael McCarthy: All to do with Waterford.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2003: Second Stage. (27 Jan 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I join previous speakers in welcoming the Minister and his officials. There are salient points in the Bill and some aspects of it are good. As a society, we probably have adopted the same attitude to our treatment of water as we have to the treatment of waste, namely, that it is not something that needs to be given priority. We have become careless about it. The majority of the regulations...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Jan 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I refer to No. 2 on the Order Paper and express the thanks of the Labour Party group to the Leader for arranging this debate. Senator O'Meara, in particular, has been seeking such a debate for some time. It is timely and appropriate that we acknowledge the Leader's endeavours in this regard. I concur with the remarks of the leader of the Fine Gael group. Yesterday's developments in the matter...