Results 3,301-3,320 of 6,055 for speaker:Frank Feighan

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I feel very proud when I see a statue of Henry Grattan when I go to Westminster, as do other Irish politicians. There is a major Irish caucus in Westminster and it is very proud of the statute. He was a patriot and opposed the Act of Union in 1800. He was of Grattan's Parliament. If one starts removing statues that are a part of our history, which we may not like, it is the wrong way to go.

Seanad: Foreign Affairs: Statements (6 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thought I had eight minutes.

Seanad: Foreign Affairs: Statements (6 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I will pare down my speech.

Seanad: Foreign Affairs: Statements (6 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: These are very challenging times due to Brexit and as we all know too well the nature of the relationship between the EU and the UK post Brexit remains unclear. It will be subject to potentially complex and protracted negotiations. I commend the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, who is present, and the foreign...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: Next Wednesday.

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I said before that I agree with the broad thrust of the Bill. I imagine no one in the House would disagree. It is aimed to protect vulnerable young people. Senator Freeman's amendment is most welcome, as is Senator Kelleher's amendment relating to any child admitted to an adult inpatient unit. It provides that such a child would be treated by staff who have appropriate training in...

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank Ms Murray for sharing her experiences with us. I pay tribute to Senator John Dolan and Mr. Kieran Delaney, a staff member in the Houses of the Oireachtas, for highlighting the things we, as politicians, take for granted or are not aware of but should be. I thank Ms Murray and Mr. Moran for being here. I enjoy using public transport wherever I go, which sometimes is a challenge,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank Mr. Moran for his address. Once again, it highlights the difficulties he faces. I am a bit perplexed that Irish Rail has carried out so much work on all the railway stations and platforms and now finds that Mr. Moran has obviously seen a glitch in its planning of the detail of the platforms such that it cannot seem to fit his requirements. Mr. Moran can elaborate on that in a few...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: Today we heard of some particularly harrowing personal experiences, as Senator O'Mahony outlined. I understand these are being taken seriously but it is embarrassing to find those personal stories have be relayed on so many occasions. Reading the report indicates much has been done but there are remaining issues. I welcome that there will be no public transport company department without a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I asked about the statement on the front of the newspaper yesterday stating that €460 million will be required and that, in the worst-case scenario, railway lines could close. Does the Minister have any comment on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank Ms Thomson and Mr. Begg for a very wide ranging presentation. Many of the questions I wish to ask have already been asked and I will not go over them. They stated they met the Ministers for Justice and Equality and Foreign Affairs and Trade together and that it was a very useful meeting. It is obvious the Irish Government is committed to building reconciliation in the North and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: Has he met the forum?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: The witnesses have said that victims' voices are used to add legitimacy to divergent political opinions and we must be very careful not to use this course to politicise and polarise victims.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: Political parties should highlight these, but sometimes it becomes victim politics and political campaigns. Sometimes both sides have competing victimhood and it goes down a cul-de-sac. This is what political party sometimes do. In politics in the South, we can be accused of this, going back 60 or 70 years, on issues that were not as deep or should not have been as deep. Sometimes when...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: The news coming from Belfast is very depressing. It does not look like a deal will be done to reopen Stormont. It is quite obvious that a deal on an Irish language Act is effectively impossible. I suggest that we now have to look at other aspects of the matter. I remember moments in Irish history, such as the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the signing of the Good Friday Agreement,...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: Nationalist MPs from Sinn Féin and the SDLP have done so. I think that sends out another signal. Third, there really should be an aspect of the Republic of Ireland looking at associations with the Commonwealth of Nations. This would send out a signal that we mean business. If we want to have an all-Ireland soccer team, we should be able to compromise in these situations. Fourth, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I support what my colleague, Senator Hopkins, said about a house. The family concerned did a huge amount of work with the local authorities to save the house from being flooded but it is now in no-man's land, for want of a better word. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, or the Minister should come in here to outline what will be done. The Minister is working hard around the country but...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2018)

Frank Feighan: I join with Senator Black in reflecting on a very important visit to Belfast over the past two days with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. There are huge difficulties regarding legacy issues and we visited the Wave Trauma Centre and Relatives for Justice in that regard. It was absolutely wonderful to visit Coláiste Feirste, an Irish-language...