Results 3,781-3,800 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: They are paid 52% more than their counterparts.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: What happened with the medical card review?

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach agus go n-éirí leis sna laethanta amach romhainn.

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: This is important legislation that the Minister of State has brought to the House and I wish to make a number of observations on it. As the Minister of State pointed out, there are two aspects to the Bill. I will start with the second one he mentioned, which is to enable us to ratify the 2005 amendment to the International Atomic Energy Agency Convention on the physical protection of...

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: -----that we were very strong on this issue for the past 40 years? As the Minister of State outlined, we were one of the countries that championed this area of precaution. Could he comment also on nuclear waste and how it is affected by the ratification of the conventions? A debate has ensued for many decades on the disposal of nuclear waste, much of which is discharged at sea. The...

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: That is correct. The Minister of State remembers the incident as well. I listened to the interview at the time. It illustrated the point that we often feel secure on the basis of being in a state of blissful ignorance rather than by virtue of any great precautionary measures that are in place to protect us. I would welcome a comment in that regard. The programme for Government, and in...

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: It was there since 2005.

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: It is an official issue. That is why I raised it. I do not expect a Minister to be examining it but officials employed in Departments to be taking these initiatives.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: There has been a significant move in the international community toward Iran with people looking to it to play a constructive role in the Middle East, a development which I welcome. It is important Iran focuses on human rights issues. There is a disparity of culture but we must respect the ambassador’s culture. However, there are some fundamentals in human rights that are universal....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: As of last year, the MKO was also removed from the US list of terrorist groups.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: I asked about freedom of religion and the fact that not only is apostasy a crime, but that people who change religion are subject to capital punishment. That is a significant breach and it should not be regarded as a cultural issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: May I ask a brief question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: The ambassador has said that apostasy is a crime punishable by death under Sharia law. Can he cite where in the Koran that is set out?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: I have three questions. The ambassador mentioned that we share many common international policies, including the importance of the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. When I visited the UN last year, Iran voted against the arms trade treaty. This relates to small arms, which have caused a great deal of devastation, particularly in his region but also in parts of Africa. Ireland...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Situation: Ambassador of Iran to Ireland (9 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: What about Azerbaijan?

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:"2. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shall, from the date of enactment of this Act, be known as the Environmental & Radiological Protection Agency (ERPA).".We covered some of this ground yesterday on Second Stage. This is a very simple amendment. We seek the incorporation of the very...

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd for his comments. Indeed, I wish him well, as Senator Landy has done, in the days ahead. I served with the Minister of State in this House when he was in opposition and my party was in government a decade or more ago. I also accept the bona fides of the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock. I am sure the Ministers of State believe what they say...

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: -----and so may the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock.

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: However, the permanent government goes on and, as the Minister of State correctly states, the EPA goes on, and I do not feel quite as comfortable with their assurances. There are deficiencies. It is not only the EPA, and I do not want to pick on it, because there are major problems right across the public service. There is a dearth of quality management. In fact, there are commentators,...

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2014)

Jim Walsh: I thought that was the message but the Minister of State did not say it.