Results 421-440 of 7,765 for speaker:Maurice Cummins

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: I join my colleague, Senator Ulick Burke, in calling for the Minister for Transport to attend the House to explain the massive overruns in the costs of projects under the auspices of the National Roads Authority, which is employing hundreds of consultants. How can it get it so wrong, with €9 billion in overruns? It is absolutely disgraceful. We need value for money, as has been stated by...

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: Is the Senator saying that she is only concerned with her own area? The Senator is inviting comment there.

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: The Senator said that people do not have to travel outside her area for cancer care.

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: I acknowledge that extra resources have been pumped into the health service. There is no question about that. However, the results cannot be seen on the ground. What we see are layers of extra administration and bureaucracy as a result of the spending. One cannot see the results. Those patients who access the A& E services in the Dublin hospitals cannot see them. Often they must spend days,...

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: I will certainly-——

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: ——address the Chair, if I am not interrupted.

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: There is no question that there is excessive overcrowding in A& E departments. It results in patients, and indeed staff, being left in totally unacceptable and unsafe environments. A major cause of the crisis is the lack of beds and closed wards, as mentioned by several other speakers. We have had nothing but promises from the Government. The Minister presides over reports and strategies but...

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: The Government side got its answer in Waterford city in the local elections where one Fianna Fáil member was elected out of 15 and the Progressive Democrats were wiped out. Fianna Fáil lost three seats in Waterford county. They also lost seats in south Kilkenny and Wexford, yet the Minister is not prepared to listen to the people. He spoke about representatives making cases for people and...

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: It is true and I can name people who have died. The Minister showed the same contempt to the House yesterday when he did not attend it to address an Adjournment matter. Nor did any of his Department's Ministers of State. A Minister of State attended who knew nothing about it. That illustrates the contempt the Minister for Health and Children and the Government have shown to the people of...

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: We could name more than one or two issues.

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: Which winter?

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: It is still closing them.

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: Did the Minister give the Senator a cheque?

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: Has anything been signed?

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: What did Hanly say?

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: The Senator should say that to Senator Feeney.

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: Senator Feeney said it was the best thing since the sliced pan.

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Maurice Cummins: Senator Leyden is the only person listening.

Seanad: National Monuments (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (1 Jul 2004)

Maurice Cummins: I wish to share time with Senator Henry.

Seanad: National Monuments (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (1 Jul 2004)

Maurice Cummins: The Bill has a number of immediately objectionable features. The lack of consultation surrounding the Bill is reprehensible, if not sinister. It is not confined to Carrickmines or even limited to what might be called crisis management in the construction of roads. It is a knee-jerk reaction to the Carrickmines debacle and a profound and radical change to the provisions of the existing...