Results 3,601-3,620 of 4,295 for speaker:Catherine Noone

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: There is a concluding Minister. I laid that out at the outset.

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I thank the Minister for his opening statement and in particular, for his brevity. I now invite the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran to make his presentation.

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I thank the Minister of State and invite the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to address the House.

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I thank the Minister, Deputy Ross, and I invite the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Madigan, to make her presentation to the House. I apologise for putting her on the clock. She has approximately five minutes.

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: Notwithstanding anything in today's Order of Business, I propose that the annual national transition statements conclude no later than 6.30 p.m.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: The Order of Business is No. 1, Finance Bill 2018 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to be adjourned not later than 3.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 2, Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2018 - Second Stage, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1 and to be adjourned not later than 3.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with contributions of...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I ask the Senator to repeat what she just said.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I thank the Senators who raised matters on the Order of Business. I also congratulate my colleague and pal, Senator Feighan, and Elaine with whom I am very friendly. I am delighted for them. It is lovely to have positive news and it is a lovely time of year for such an event. We all wish them well. Senator Horkan raised the Threshold report published this morning. It highlights the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: Yes, it is an immediate issue that affects people. I doubt we will have the opportunity to have that debate before Christmas, but I will suggest it. At the leaders' meeting the other day, the agenda was intensely busy. I will not promise anything but I will suggest that we could have even a short debate on the issue before Christmas. Senator Humphreys also raised climate action, which I...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: For the benefit of one's circadian rhythms, one should be in bed before then and get up early.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: Yes, it is my strong view that for one's health it is better to go to bed and get up early.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I also agree with the point that was raised about the television licence. We need to consider radically how we approach the licence and its structure. The system is such that lads and ladies call around to people's houses to see whether they have a television or whether they are present before pursuing them through the courts over their television licence. There are much easier ways to...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I am a solicitor by trade and could earn much more money outside of this House if my focus was not where it is. We might all look back and regret it, but we must be here because we have a desire for public service. We do not expect to make a great deal of money but a certain degree of fairness is required and the Senator is right in many of his comments.It is a discussion that is probably...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: One gets over it. Senator Kieran O'Donnell raised the issue of climate change also and suggested a public consultation. That would be a practical suggestion but for the fact that we have a climate change committee. It is something we could consider as an action following on from that. Some Senators are members of that committee. It may not be an appropriate time for a public consultation...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: Yes. I was speaking to a councillor from Tipperary yesterday whose colleague has come off social media completely because he has been so harassed and harangued on social media. We have all experienced it. Unfortunately, it is just a regrettable part of the job now. There is a wider discussion to be had about how we have chosen to interact as a society, in particular online, and what has...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I will come back in briefly in order to be helpful. The only assurance I have for January is that the Minister for Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, is available. As the lead Minister, it might make sense for him to come to the House rather than have a number of Ministers present. I am just talking off the top of my head.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: Rather than have Ministers waiting for one another, we could allow each of them to come on a weekly or fortnightly basis to interact with us for seven weeks. Perhaps it is novel to have all the Ministers here but I felt it was a forum did not make a lot of sense.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I believe it would make sense to have the Minister for Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, come to the House in January and then to follow up with a different Minister every week or second week on the sectoral issues, as suggested by Senator Humphreys.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: Could I suggest that when the Leader is back next week, a meeting of the party leaders could discuss a proposal that would work? A schedule would be required for a workable proposal. I do not think anyone in here is trying to have a bad debate on climate change. It was not anyone's intention. We tried something. It did not work. We can try a different approach. I think the leaders...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2018)

Catherine Noone: I am sorry.