Results 4,121-4,140 of 9,159 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is the Minister saying that Report Stage is a number of weeks away but she will have an opportunity to examine the lessons that emerge from the review and potentially table additional amendments on Report Stage?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Will the Minister provide us with a copy of the findings of the review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The committee is now sitting in public session in its capacity as the Joint Sub-committee on Petitions. This petition is entitled equality and fairness regarding the raising of the State pension age to 66 and beyond. The petitioner was Mr. Henry Gaynor and it is petition No. 33 of 2013. Mr. Fergus Whelan, industrial officer in the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, is with us today. We are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank Mr. Whelan. I call Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I call Deputy McEntee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I call Senator Ó Clochartaigh.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I wish to make one point before I let in Deputy Kirk. It is clear that what Mr. Whelan wants is for the pension of €230 to be available at the age 65 years, and, therefore, that the people concerned would not have to avail of the jobseeker's benefit. Does he think the arrangement as it stands devalues the jobseeker's system? I declare an interest. Many years ago I worked for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The conundrum is there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is it Mr. Whelan's view that the objective was to abolish the transition pension? Is the next step to remove it entirely?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is Deputy Mulherin offering?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: (Resumed) Discussion (11 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I think Mr. Whelan. We value his contribution to our deliberations, which are ongoing. At some stage we will make recommendations on this petition.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Effects of Gangland Crime: Discussion (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The committee was carrying out work separate from this recently and it was pointed out that there had been a noticeable increase in drug use and so on as the economy appeared to be on the upturn. Ms Metcalfe's evidence was powerful in this regard; it is almost as if she is starting again on the same challenge. Have any of the witnesses reflected on the failure of the war on drugs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Effects of Gangland Crime: Discussion (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Around $100 billion is spent per year spent on fighting the war on drugs. It is estimated that the illicit drug trade is worth about $450 billion a year, all in the hands of criminals. Of course, that is what drives drugs gangs; that is what drives criminal gangs. This debate must be interlinked with policy on drugs. It is mostly disadvantaged inner city areas that are affected. I am a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Effects of Gangland Crime: Discussion (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Mr. O'Driscoll's comment that just because a decision is made to decriminalise a particular type of drug does not mean the criminal drugs gangs will not continue with their enterprise is very important. Cigarette smuggling was referenced in this regard. Retail Excellence Ireland appeared before the committee recently on a different matter. That agency stated that it would be willing to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Use of Irish Airspace and Landing Facilities: (Resumed) Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am sorry to interrupt the Minister but I have just been advised by the broadcast section that someone has a mobile telephone close to a microphone and it is causing interference. Could everyone check their telephones to make sure they are fully turned off? It is important that we do not interfere with broadcasting. I apologise for interrupting the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Use of Irish Airspace and Landing Facilities: (Resumed) Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We will take those questions first and the Senator can come back in later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Use of Irish Airspace and Landing Facilities: (Resumed) Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I do not want to have four or five questions put to the Minister. We will get a response first to the three questions asked. The Senator asked the Minister's view on neutrality-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Use of Irish Airspace and Landing Facilities: (Resumed) Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Before I call on Senator O'Keeffe, I have one or two questions. It is estimated that 2.3 million US soldiers came through Shannon Airport, the overwhelming majority of them so doing with exemptions or licences from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Throughout that period, they were travelling on civilian or chartered aircraft and all 2.3 million of them would have had sidearms...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Use of Irish Airspace and Landing Facilities: (Resumed) Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That brings me to my next question. I am as strong an advocate as anybody about the importance of the relationship between Ireland and the United States. We have umbilical ties extending back hundreds of years, as well as strong trade relations. Obviously, large numbers of Irish people are based in the United States and Irish companies employ 100,000 people in the United States, while...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Use of Irish Airspace and Landing Facilities: (Resumed) Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (18 Feb 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The difficulty is that as the Minister has acknowledged, he is a member of the Cabinet, which has collective responsibility. The Minister's Department has sanctioned the overwhelming majority of licences that have allowed troops to pass through Shannon. I must ask the Minister for his opinion on the matter in his capacity as a member of the Cabinet. It is not just a matter for him but also...