Results 21-40 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme: Statements (Resumed) (16 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I appreciate that. As the spokesperson for Fine Gael on disability and inequality, I wish to make one quick point. I have spoken in the House about the necessity to have a national debate on issues concerning elderly people. We should consider establishing a commission on the status of older people that would incorporate the 20 year strategy suggested by Senator Burke and other speakers....

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I am sure the Leader and other Senators share my sense of outrage at the details of abuse in a residential care unit revealed on "Prime Time" last Thursday and my frustration at the absence of a system of inspections for such institutions. It is outrageous in this day and age. The institutions and the high walls may have gone but the residential care homes that are dotted throughout the...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I wish to raise a matter with the Leader that was raised in the House last week, which he may discuss with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. I refer to the disgraceful overcharging that took place in this city for hotel bedrooms last weekend. As we are aware, the Take That concert was on in Dublin at which 80,000 were in attendance. Practically every hotel bedroom in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: It appears that the hotel industry is incapable of regulating itself. Given that, the Minister must consider introducing some form of regulation because that is the type of behaviour that destroys our reputation internationally. It was prevalent during the years of the Celtic tiger. It is absolute greed and should be dealt with. The Irish Hotels Federation has done nothing about this. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: Well said.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I echo the sentiments of Senator Gilroy and others on communicating messages from this House. There has been much debate on the reform and abolition of the House. While we are here, we have a responsibility to communicate what we are doing to the people as best we possibly can. We have a very good communications unit in the House and further resources should be diverted thereto to enable...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: He has brought in a new team to drive banking policy in the Department. I commend him on this. I ask the Leader to raise with the CPP the concept of inviting to the House the chairmen and chief executives of the State-owned banks to explain themselves so that they will be accountable to the people for the billions of euro in taxpayers' money their banks have received over recent years.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: Will the Leader ascertain what the IMF makes of the fact that the chief executive of the ESB is on €15,000 a week, that the chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority is on €11,000 a week and the chief executive of An Post is on €10,000 a week and it goes on. I join colleagues in commending the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, for saving the taxpayer an...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (28 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I welcome and concur with others who referred to the breath of fresh air that is the Minister of State. The fact that he came to the House on short notice to deal with this issue is very welcome. I welcome that children with special needs will be exempt from any changes. There has been enough talk in recent times about children with special needs, the difficulties they face, the cutbacks in...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I am delighted to hear Senator Cullinane's good news. I congratulate him on that. I welcome today's announcement that the social welfare internship programme is to be rolled out. I look forward to hearing the details of it. I am disappointed with two elements of it. First, as has already been mentioned this morning, one has to be unemployed for three months before one can avail of the...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I share the sentiments expressed by Senator Thomas Byrne regarding the Irish language. The Official Languages Act is useful, although I do not agree with all of its elements, particularly when local authorities have to translate county development plans at a cost of €40,000 and €50,000 and not one person reads them. However, in the case of legislation, what is happening regrettable....

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: The Minister committed to publishing a second explanatory memorandum, which would be helpful. I encourage him to ensure it will contain as much detail as possible and cover the important changes made. I also suggest the Irish version be published simultaneously. The Department of Finance was not fit for purpose. Light regulation and supervision led us down this path. That the entire...

Seanad: Whistleblower Legislation: Motion (29 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I join colleagues in commending Senator Rónán Mullen for bringing forward this very important Private Members' motion. We lag way behind, unjustifiably so, in bringing forward whistleblower legislation. As was pointed out, such legislation has been in place in the United Kingdom since 1998. When one considers some of the scandals that have happened in this country in recent decades,...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I commend the Minister. I do not know him but I have always admired his competency. He has proven it today and with the measures that were taken in the first 100 days in Government, such as a reduction in the Taoiseach's salary to €200,000. He was right to acknowledge what the Secretaries General of Departments did because when good things are done, they are not often recognised. I spoke...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: Good God.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: The Minister appears to be future-proofing himself against any landmines that might be uncovered. We know that most likely there will not be any, but if there were to be a change of Administration and there were two new Ministers in the future who possibly end up giving directions and interfering in each other's work, the provision ensures there will be a final adjudicator. While I might be...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I wish the Deputy Leader well on her first day taking the Order of Business. I know that she will certainly give us replies that will be most welcome. Every day on the Order of Business since this Seanad first met there has been commentary on political reform, whether it be on the abolition of this House or a reduction in the number of Deputies. The programme for Government commits to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2011)

Martin Conway: I cannot understand why it will take 18 months to do so. Is it that the funding will not be provided in 2011 and that we will have to wait until 2012 for it? Perhaps the Deputy Leader might ascertain from the Minister of State the exact timeframe and why there will be such a delay in proceeding with the inspectorate? I must agree with what Senator Darragh O'Brien and other speakers said...