Results 321-340 of 405 for speaker:John Ellis

Seanad: Water and Roads Infrastructure: Motion (3 Feb 2010)

John Ellis: Fine Gael proposes to take this responsibility into a national organisation. The local authorities have done a tremendous job of looking after water provision throughout the country. In doing so are we going to create another quango? I believe we have enough of them at the moment, as I am sure everyone in the country would agree. Let the local authorities continue to be responsible for...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

John Ellis: We all heard the debate over recent weeks on the creation of jobs. Will the Leader arrange a debate on recent statements by the new US envoy, Mr. Kelly, with regard to promoting Northern Ireland only, rather than promoting the island as a whole. The Border areas should be as well treated as Northern Ireland in this case. I appeal for a debate on the progress of this. This morning, we all...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

John Ellis: From the Senator's own side.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Mar 2010)

John Ellis: I listened to most of the Members this morning and everyone seems to be going around with two planks on their shoulders, which is not a great way of approaching matters. I notice that nobody came in here to praise the Government for the proposals that came out yesterday via the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the IDA on the potential for job creation here. Everybody seems...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2010)

John Ellis: I agree with Senator O'Toole's remarks and was going to raise the subject. We are turning politics into a profession seen as being in the worst category. We are viewed as people sponging off the State without giving a return. We are trying to attract people to politics but if they are told that coming in at 30 they will not get a pension until they are 65, nobody will participate. We will...

Seanad: Smarter Travel Initiative: Motion (28 Apr 2010)

John Ellis: I move: "That Seanad Éireann welcomes the progress being made on the Government's Smarter Travel Initiative.". I also welcome the Minister of State to the House on this, his first occasion. I wish him well. I have no doubt his talents will be well used in the Department and that what he proposes will no doubt be in the best interests of future generations rather than the present one.

Seanad: Smarter Travel Initiative: Motion (28 Apr 2010)

John Ellis: We have had a reasonable debate on smart transport. I noticed, however, that it was almost totally focused on Dublin without reference to some of the major road developments that are taking place around the country. On behalf of the Government side, I recommend this motion to the House and I ask Members to accept it.

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Apr 2010)

John Ellis: I concur with Senator Wilson in his comments on Quinn Insurance. The Financial Regulator is removing the lifeblood from the company. His actions have not been in the interests of Quinn Insurance and its employees. When we met the administrators recently, they made it clear that their hands were tied by the regulator's failure to allow the company to write business it had been writing...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Apr 2010)

John Ellis: Quinn Insurance has taken business from some of the major global insurance companies and allowed people to continue in business. The knock-on effect of developments in the company will not only be the loss of 800 jobs. Companies which were unable to obtain competitive quotes from companies other than Quinn Insurance will be next in line. The number of jobs lost as a result will not be 800...

Seanad: Confidence in the Taoiseach: Motion (16 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: On a point of order——

Seanad: Confidence in the Taoiseach: Motion (16 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: For a Member to accuse somebody of a crime, crime is totally different——

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (17 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: I congratulate the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Ó Cuív, for his actions in allowing miners who have serious health problems to be treated under the occupational injuries fund. I do not doubt that the families of those involved will appreciate that something has at last been done to deal with the matter. Will the Leader consider arranging a debate on transport infrastructure...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: Senator Donohue can go now.

Seanad: Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: Like Senator Donohoe and the Minister, I welcome the Bill because as, we all know, there have been tragedies at sea. One wonders how many of them could have been avoided had there been proper regulations in place. Tragedies at sea occur regularly. I wish to mention one or two issues. Access for disabled passengers is to be welcomed, as every Senator present has come across cases where...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (22 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: I ask to be associated with the vote of sympathy to Sheila and the rest of the Callanan family on the death of Peter Callanan. Peter occupied the office across the corridor from mine. As we all know, he had the windows of his office sealed shut either to keep out the cold or to keep in the smoke. He was a perfect gentleman although he would not put a tooth in it when he told us whether he...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: The Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill is due to be returned to the House for debate in the near future. I understand the version of the Bill that will be returned will be radically different from that which was originally passed by the Seanad. Prior to its being returned to the House, would it be possible to obtain clarification from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and...

Seanad: Environmental Protection: Motion (23 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: I welcome the opportunity to make a short contribution on the motion before the House. We all have environmental issues at various levels. I would like to highlight a few that are possibly not the direct responsibility of the Minister, but the responsibility of agencies that are responsible to him. We have all heard the debate in recent months on one-off houses and the treatment units that...

Seanad: Environmental Protection: Motion (23 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: We all know it happens in certain areas, but there are alternatives. The Environmental Protection Agency could set standards and allow people to deal with the matter themselves. The public does not want raw sewage in rivers because it knows the river may be one from which water is extracted for a local supply two miles downstream. It is all out of line. We have too many regulations from...

Seanad: Environmental Protection: Motion (23 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: The Leas-Chathaoirleach is about to silence me.

Seanad: Environmental Protection: Motion (23 Jun 2010)

John Ellis: We all have a duty to protect the environment and to hand it on to the next generation in a better state than we found it. If we do not continue to be constructive, rather than being destructive, in many cases we will not do so.