Results 421-440 of 3,550 for speaker:Dominic Hannigan

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (29 Jan 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister to the House. In the context of our current difficulties it strikes me as rather an academic exercise to be discussing this Bill. I concur with Deputies in the other House and also Members of this House who questioned the usefulness of spending further time on a Bill that is more or less out of date before it is even enacted. However, I commend the useful work...

Seanad: Industrial Development Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, paragraph (a), line 11, to delete "inserted" and substitute "as substituted". I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Billy Kelleher, to the House. These are drafting amendments and I propose to discuss amendments Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, and amendments Nos. 7 and 8 together. The following points arise....

Seanad: Industrial Development Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I thank the Minister of State for his comments and accept the advice he has received. While I reserve my position, I will not press these amendments.

Seanad: Industrial Development Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, paragraph (f), line 26, to delete "the substitution of" and substitute "substituting". This drafting amendment has been tabled for two reasons. First, the Labour Party hoped to ensure consistency with the previous paragraphs (a) to (e). Second, page 73 of the drafting manual clearly prefers "substituting".

Seanad: Industrial Development Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I accept the Minister of State's hands are somewhat tied on this issue and that he has received this advice. Consequently, I will not press the amendment.

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank Senators Bacik, Norris and O'Toole for proposing this motion. In times of crisis such as that we are currently experiencing, it is easy to retreat into narrow and confined self-interest. During such times, priorities change quickly, previously held beliefs are diluted and core principles are often relegated to fringe concerns. We all...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I commend certain people in the media and the community on exposing the Government's cynical, calculated and disgraceful campaign. Many Senators spoke about international human rights issues in Tibet, Burma and elsewhere. I ask the Minister of State to try to put some pressure on the EU to deal with the situation in north-east Sri Lanka. Approximately 250,000 people have been sealed into an...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: It was written by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture. According to it, our prisons are unsafe for both inmates and employers. They are overcrowded, have poor hygiene and a culture of violence. Coupled with that, the closure of hospitals that served people with a mental illness throughout the country has resulted in an increase in mentally ill people being placed in jail, a totally...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I am sure Members will join me in congratulating the makers of the Irish films "Hunger" and "Garage" on winning Evening Standard awards in London. It is a testament to the good work done by the Irish Film Board. At the moment, there is a level of disquiet among many members of the Irish film industry. I must declare my own interest here as I am involved in a television production company....

Seanad: Child Poverty: Motion (11 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I move: That Seanad Éireann acknowledges: that over 76,000 children are living in poverty in Ireland; the fact that 1 in 5 children are living in households where the income is so low that they are at risk of poverty; that the Towards 2016 agreement includes a commitment to work towards the elimination of child poverty; Seanad Éireann therefore calls on the Government to: develop a clear...

Seanad: Child Poverty: Motion (11 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies McGuinness, Seán Power, Devins and Noel Ahern who attended this debate. At one stage I thought all the junior Ministers would attend. As welcome as they all are, we had hoped the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Barry Andrews, would be able to attend. It is a pity he was not here, but we are glad to see the...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: The details announced last night about the recapitalisation of the banks go some way to resolving the issue, especially with regard to first-time buyers and small business. However, it is not just enough to ensure banks have capital available to help small business. We need to ensure people have confidence to take out loans and I do not think the measures go far enough in this regard. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: That is not the case. It is his competence that is being questioned, not his honesty. The Senator should be clear on that.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I have lost 2,000 votes.

Seanad: Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Statements (12 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: Senator Boyle mentioned new people, new cultures and new ways of acting. This is exactly what we want but are not getting from this Bill and announcement. In my brief contribution I will discuss how I think we should have been dealing with the banks. Regarding the current board, other Senators mentioned that the reality is that those who got us into this mess will stay in this mess....

Seanad: Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Statements (12 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I would like him to clarify that. We are disappointed that there was not a complete clean out of the boards so that we would, in effect, start again. That would have been important to show the people that we do mean business when we talk about changing the current culture of the banks. Confidence would have been helped also if the Minister had gone further on the moratorium on house...

Seanad: Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Statements (12 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: From the Minister of State's speech. He stated: The two recapitalised banks will not commence court proceedings for repossession of a principal private residence until after 12 months of arrears appearing, where the customer continues to co-operate reasonably and honestly with the bank. It is not at all clear what "reasonably" means or how one defines "honestly". Who will define these...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I join other Senators in expressing my concern about the continued lack of transparency in Anglo Irish Bank. We heard at the weekend that it offered loans to ten individuals to enable them to buy shares and, in effect, prop up the bank at non-recourse terms. In cyberspace, people are asking whether Members of these Houses have outstanding loans with the bank. The problem is that the...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I ask that the Leader impress upon the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how important it is that she makes the statement — there has been no statement to date from the Minister in regard to the closure of SR Technics — that these must be retained in the next 30 days while the negotiations continue with the parent company.

Seanad: Company Closures (17 Feb 2009)

Dominic Hannigan: I thank Senator Ryan for allowing me to speak briefly on this issue. This is a matter that affects people and families not alone in Dublin but throughout the north east, including Louth, Meath and Kildare. Some 1,200 jobs have been lost which, as anyone can imagine, is devastating for the families concerned. This company is leaving our shores, a company that has received world recognition...