Results 3,741-3,760 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to share time with Senator Hannigan.

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Ryan: The Labour Party has already welcomed the publication of the new Road Safety Strategy 2007-2012 and I as the party spokesperson on transport in this House want to emphasise that support further. However, we believe it needs to be backed up with strong enforcement measures if it is to be effective and successful. Critically, that enforcement must be highly visible to the wider community. I...

Seanad: Education Policy: Statements (22 Nov 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome the Minister back to the House. In many ways the Minister for Education and Science and her Department have failed our children; I outlined some of those failures in my previous contribution some weeks ago. The lack of planning regarding the provision of first and second level schools throughout the country, but particularly in the growth areas such as north Dublin, Dublin 15,...

Seanad: Overseas Missions: Statements (29 Nov 2007)

Brendan Ryan: The Labour Party supports the deployment of 400 troops as part of the UN mandated military operation in the Republic of Chad. The triple lock mechanism of approval by the UN, the Government and the Dáil has been completed and this satisfies the approval requirements before Defence Forces can be deployed overseas. Ireland is the second largest contributor of troops and provides the overall...

Seanad: Forestry Issues: Statements (20 Feb 2008)

Brendan Ryan: The latest figures to hand indicate the forestry industry accounts for approximately 0.3% of annual gross domestic product with some 16,000 people employed, either directly or indirectly, in the sector. In excess of 16,000 private plantations have been established, the majority, more than 14,000, established by farmers. In 2005, €57.8 million in forestry premiums were paid out to forest...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I wish to express my extreme concern and anger at how State services deal with my constituents. I am referring to customers of State services, in particular, people on social welfare and on housing lists. These are the most vulnerable people in society who are in poor housing and on low incomes. I am referring to people whose documents are consistently going missing, who are being asked...

Seanad: Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs: Motion (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome the Minister of State. The Labour Party is happy to support this motion and its call on Government to implement fully the National Council for Special Education recommendations for the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. The proposers of the motion have outlined in great detail its background and why it is needed. I do not intend to...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Apr 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to facilitate the consideration of No. 11 on the Order Paper, First Stage of the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2008. Will the Leader allow for this to enable us to proceed to Second Stage? I would appreciate a response from him on this matter.

Seanad: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2008: First Stage (10 Apr 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Consumer Protection Act 2007.

Seanad: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2008: First Stage (10 Apr 2008)

Brendan Ryan: Next Tuesday. Second Stage ordered for Tuesday, 15 April 2008.

Seanad: National Skills Strategy: Statements (22 Apr 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The report from the expert group on future skills needs, entitled Tomorrow's Skills, is an excellent resource based on sound research and will be very useful if acted upon to plan for the delivery of the skills required for our future economic growth. It sets out a sound and well-crafted vision of Ireland in 2020 in which a well-educated and...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Second Stage (23 Apr 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I welcome the Minister to the House. The Labour Party has been calling for this Bill for some time and though long overdue, it is welcome. The Dublin transport authority establishment team produced its report more than a year ago, in November 2006, but the publication of the Bill has been delayed until now. The DTA is a vital agency which should have been established much sooner and the...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Second Stage (23 Apr 2008)

Brendan Ryan: What about Drogheda and County Louth?

Seanad: Order of Business (1 May 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I wish to raise a serious matter evident overnight in St. Ita's Hospital in Portrane. Last night a number of staff covering three units had to continue working their shift to complete a full 24-hour cover round-the-clock work regime. They could not go home because no relief was available to let them home. This outrageous situation has arisen as a result of an ongoing dispute of which many...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Committee Stage (8 May 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 3: In page 12, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: "(c) the borough of Drogheda and". This matter was raised on the occasion of the Minister's last visit to the House. The purpose of the amendment is to extend the remit of the authority to the Drogheda Borough Council area. Clearly the development of an integrated transport system for Dublin is not...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Committee Stage (8 May 2008)

Brendan Ryan: Senator Norris should note that the greater Dublin area, as defined in the Bill, includes counties Kildare, Wicklow and Meath. Expanding it to include the borough of Drogheda would be a logical and sensible step. As a resident of north County Dublin, it is difficult to draw a distinction between my area and Drogheda. I ask the Minister to reconsider the matter before Report Stage. I will...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Committee Stage (8 May 2008)

Brendan Ryan: We will not be supporting this amendment. Obviously we have differences with Fine Gael on policy matters regarding the licensing of buses and so on. It is not appropriate that policy matters as important as this should be dealt with in a Bill which is designed to set up the Dublin transport authority. By all means let us have a debate about deregulation and transport in general but let...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Committee Stage (8 May 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 13: In page 16, subsection (8), line 12, after "GDA" to insert the following: "and in particular shall invite public submissions on the transport strategy". These amendments refer to the need for public consultation on the transport strategy, integrated implementation plan and traffic management plan, respectively. They are designed to ensure that a formal process of...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Committee Stage (8 May 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I am willing to withdraw the amendment on that basis.

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Committee Stage (8 May 2008)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 19: In page 18, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following subsection: "(2) The chief executive of the Authority may attend at meetings of the Authority and speak but shall not be a member of the Authority.". The purpose of this amendment is to ensure appropriate standards of corporate governance are maintained. It is clearly preferable that there would be a...