Results 381-400 of 996 for speaker:John Gerard Hanafin

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I support calls for Seanad reform, an issue on which Senators have often spoken. While many of the reform proposals are reasonable, implementing some of them is not a realistic option. For example, proposals to have 50% of Senators elected and 50% appointed or to hold Seanad elections on the same day as the general election are unrealistic. It is difficult to meet my constituents between...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: Will the Leader ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to attend the House for a debate on the benefits of neutrality? Changes relating to NATO have been mentioned and President Sarkozy wants France to rejoin the organisation's military command. Much of Europe is going in one direction. Ireland plays a valuable role as a neutral and independent state and it would be timely to have a debate...

Seanad: Pension Provision: Motion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister to the House. A debate on pensions is a perennial occurrence because we must all give thought to our pensions. History records pensions as deferred consumption or deferred pay. Even the Pharaohs of Egypt relied on Joseph to remind them that there would be seven good years followed by seven bad years. The Pharaoh took Joseph's advice and provided for the seven bad...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I join in the calls for integrated ticketing on our transport system. It is possible to travel on different services provided by different train providers in the UK. If one arrives in London by train, one can go on the underground system all on the one ticket. As it stands, we have Dublin Bus, suburban rail, DART and Luas and we will shortly have the metro. Integrated ticketing is...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: Will the Leader write to the Health Service Executive about the proposals for the centres of excellence? Over many years we have directed the public towards their own regions, whether in terms of health, education or economic development. People have become used to that. A glaring example is Sligo which should be one of the centres of excellence. The people of that region deserve it....

Seanad: Postal Services: Motion (21 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I have no doubt if the management of the transport of 12 million names and addresses were left to An Post, the article would arrive on time and to the correct recipient. While we are sorry our neighbour is experiencing difficulties with its postal service, we take pride in our own. The Government is committed to a nationwide postal system that ensures all customers, both business and...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader to take this opportunity to congratulate the Department of Health and Children. Once again, Ireland is the safest place in the world for a woman to have a child. It is wonderful that Ireland continues to have the world's lowest infant mortality rate and that we lead the world in caring for the mother and the child. At a time of bad news about the health service, it is good...

Seanad: Report on Seanad Reform: Motion (28 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I share the views of many of the previous speakers with regard to the value of the Seanad. In many cases, the role played by the Seanad is not fully recognised. Between the 1980s and the present, the Seanad addressed issues such as the pro-life and anti-divorce campaigns and stem cell research in a coherent manner, to the benefit of the overall debates. The most practical proposal is to...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: To illuminate a previous point made in connection with CURA, the Positive Options leaflet includes details about CURA but CURA does not hand out this leaflet. If a lady who wishes to have an abortion comes to CURA, it refers her to a doctor and not to an abortion referral agency. That is the current situation, as I confirmed this morning, and I do not see any change in that. A call was made...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I call on the Leader to provide time at the earliest opportunity to discuss the excellent news that Ireland is among the top seven for gross national product in the OECD report. This highlights the excellent way the economy has been managed. We are anticipating growth of more than 3% in the economy at a time when most other economies in Europe are anticipating significantly less. It is a...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome that we pray every morning in the Chamber before conducting our business. It allows us to renew our efforts to do our best and invoke God to assist us in our efforts. I note societies that turned their back on God — fascist and communist — and relied solely on Man's logic, rose and fell quickly. The Shannon Airport issue was raised earlier. It is incorrect to make any...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: The Shannon-Heathrow route cannot be blamed for everything.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: It is blamed for everything, even down to the recent storm off the west coast.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the calls for a debate on drugs and alcohol use which would be worthwhile. Sniffer dogs are used in prisons to combat drugs being brought into them. Since sniffer dogs were introduced in Wheatfield prison, there has been a 60% decrease in people visiting. There has to be a direct correlation in this. That same sniffer dog had to leave Limerick prison because there was a price on...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: The dog may not be aware of the price but the point is that positive action does work. There is also the issue of alcohol abuse.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: Will the Leader note the opening hours of off-licences? It is wrong that many open at 9 a.m. and one can purchase a pallet of drink from them. When positive action is taken it works and more of it should be done.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2008: Statements (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: The budget was a question of priorities and it matches our expectations. We wanted the Minister for Finance to look after the less well-off. It is a time of economic change in the world in which we have little say. It is a time of uncertainties in the finance and equity markets. The Minister for Finance took the right course. It was a prudent budget but one which looked after the most...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2008: Statements (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I am pleased with the increase in the social welfare payments. Dependants, who were in an anomalous situation, have received a significant and welcome increase of €27 which, when combined with the increase of €14 in the contributory pension, makes an increase of €41 a week or more than €2,000 a year. Respite grants have increased. Supporting older people is one hallmark of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: It is a hallmark of democracy to give human rights to those who may not have given them to others. We should stand up for their human rights because it is important for people to have fair trials. People who have been given a nameplate are not always innocent. In many cases they are, but even when they have done something very wrong we must stand up for their human rights. I support the...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the accession states to the European Union at the earliest opportunity. I welcome the results of the recent election and the clear transition of power in Russia where President Putin will shortly hand over the reigns to a new president.