Results 21-40 of 447 for speaker:Brendan Kenneally

Seanad: Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (5 Mar 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I very much welcome this Bill and congratulate the Minister on taking an action which will copperfasten the availability of major public events to the general television viewing public. We are all only too well aware of the circumstances which necessitated the Bill, namely, the loss of international soccer matches to the general public. Worse still is the fact that those matches were...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (5 Mar 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: —whereas RTE only offered €1.5 million over four years. That €6 million is a huge deficit for the FAI.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (11 Mar 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I thank the Minister for coming before the House on Second Stage and also today to complete the Bill. Everyone agrees with the thrust of what is proposed, which is reflected in the fact that so few amendments were tabled. I also thank Senator Finucane for his co-operation in allowing us to complete the Bill today in order that it can be sent to the Lower House.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: As an accountant, I stand here with some trepidation. I heard Senator Quinn's views and Senator Ross will be glad to hear that I will not refer to the aforementioned document in my contribution.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: It is a possibility. We are all too well aware that the old bugbear, inflation, is a problem once more. It affects our competitiveness and has had an adverse effect on our "fundamentals", that much loved term from some years ago. While a number of factors are involved, indirect taxation is a major concern. Having reduced the general rate of VAT to 20%, the Minister raised it to its previous...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: Listening to Senator McCarthy, one would find it difficult to fathom how our party won four times as many seats as his in the last general election.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: The people are not fools and they know on which side their bread is buttered. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, and congratulate her on the excellent job she has been doing since taking up office last year. Without any reflection on her predecessors, she is like a breath of fresh air in a Department which gives little scope for inventiveness or initiative. She has clearly indicated...

Seanad: Local Government (No. 2) Bill 2003: Second and Subsequent Stages. (3 Apr 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: Senator Bannon is nothing if not consistent. He has to have a go at everything, even a small technical amendment such as this. I compliment the Minister on introducing it in such a short period of time. If we had some other Minister for the Environment and Local Government who was not from the area, I wonder whether it would have been introduced so promptly. We know how important it is for...

Seanad: Electricity Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (9 Apr 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I am glad of the opportunity to speak on this measure. The Electricity Regulation Act 1999 was the first step in the process of liberalisation of the electricity sector in this country. It is intended this process should continue and any discussion in this area is welcome. As someone who introduced a Private Members' Bill in Dáil Éireann, during my time as a Member of that House, I realise...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (16 Apr 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I welcome the opportunity to make a brief comment on this Bill. Ministers are sometimes accused of not being totally au fait with the subject matter of legislation they are introducing. That certainly cannot be said in this instance. The Minister of State dealing with the Bill has a great deal of expertise in the area concerned. As an accountant, I have looked at the situation from both...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (16 Apr 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: If it was just over the county boundary, I would have no problem with it. However, my point is that it should not be located in Dublin. We must get away from that practice. I welcome the provision in section 34 to correct a previous anomaly whereby a shareholder could be an auditor. I was not aware of this. Even if a person has only a small holding, there would still be a conflict of interest...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (16 Apr 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I, too, commend the Minister on the changes which have been made in the Dáil, which have improved the quality of the legislation. On amendment No. 1, it was nonsensical that the qualifying broadcaster could wait until the very last day to go to the court about a particular designated event. The Minister has extended the period during which they may apply to the court from 28 days to 56 days...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (16 Apr 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I thank the Minister of State and his officials for their courtesy and attention to the passage of this legislation through the House and all the Members who contributed. We had a lot of discussion on Second, Committee and Report Stages. I followed the debate in the other House also. From the outset, all sides were broadly in agreement with the legislation put before us and the various...

Seanad: Cancer Treatment Services: Statements (Resumed). (16 Apr 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution to this important debate. It will come as no great surprise to the Minister that my main focus will be on radiotherapy. As mentioned by other speakers, I realise we cannot have all the services everywhere. Last year we talked about putting a heart and lung transplant unit into one of the hospitals in Dublin. However it was decided not to...

Seanad: Adjournment Debate. - Radiotherapy Services. (18 Jun 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I thank Senator Walsh for sharing time. Our both speaking on this issue shows that there is some solidarity in the south-east region because this is perhaps the most important issue with which people – not only those in Waterford but the entire population of the south-east – are concerned. It is not often that people in the south-east come together to put forward a view on an issue on...

Seanad: Order of Business. (24 Jun 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: Would it be possible to arrange a debate in the House on fisheries? Perhaps the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources would come into the House for such a debate. He has been here on a number of occasions but it has always been in relation to communications matters. There is an urgent need for a debate on fisheries. A decision was taken in recent days on the doubling of...

Seanad: Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2002 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (24 Jun 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I, too, welcome the Minister of State. This is indicative of the way in which we do our work in the Dáil and Seanad. Discussing items in both Houses means that changes can be made in either House. These issues receive a very good hearing and, by and large, we end up with very good legislation. I would be surprised if either of the Opposition spokespersons had difficulty with this...

Seanad: Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2002 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (24 Jun 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Council Regulation on Procedures for amending the Sirene Manual: Referral to Joint Committee. - Health Service Reform: Statements (Resumed). (25 Jun 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: In common with just about every other Member of this House, I welcome the debate on the health service against the background of the Brennan and Prospectus reports. Health is never far from the mind of a public representative and it is the one subject which comes up time and again when we speak to our constituents. This debate is timely, and perhaps even overdue, but I congratulate the...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill 2002 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (1 Jul 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I welcome these amendments. Members of both Houses have worked together through the various Stages to try to make the Bill as comprehensive as possible. I am especially pleased that section 15 has been amended to provide that a representative of the local community will be included on the board of the agency. I referred to this on Second Stage, having gone to see what was happening on the...