Results 4,481-4,500 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Irish Water: Motion (13 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: It is fair for the Government Senators to point out to Fianna Fáil that it supported water charges initially. It is a fair political charge because it is the reality and it was part of the four year EU-IMF troika plan to which Fianna Fáil signed up. It is politics and we are going to have an election campaign. The facts of the position taken by all the parties should be put...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: I am glad that Senator Moran believes that something "really needs to be done" on the housing issue, because those of us on this side of the House have been raising it for the past five years, not just the past five weeks.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: The Senator might have done so, but her party has done precious little to deal with the housing situation.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: But I am politicising this. The housing crisis, with people sleeping in cars and people in emergency accommodation, did not happen by accident. It happened because of Government policy and neglect. It happened because the State has not built social housing. We have surrendered social housing to the private sector. This was done by the previous Government under Part V of the Planning and...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: Some of us work in our constituencies and have dealt with people throughout the five years.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: We knew exactly the depth of this problem and the tragedy that it presented for many working families. I am calling for a debate. Will the Leader arrange for the Minister with responsibility for housing to attend the Seanad? If that does not happen, seeing as how we only have a few weeks left, we will have it-----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: Not today. I am making a reasonable request of the Leader that he try to arrange for a debate as soon as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Zero-Hour Contracts: Discussion (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: If that is possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Zero-Hour Contracts: Discussion (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: I thank the Chairman and members of the committee. I welcome the Minister of State to the committee. It is positive that we are shining a spotlight on this issue. It is fair to say many of us have been raising these issues for many years. In fact we had Mandate, Unite, SIPTU and other trade unions appear before the committee on these issues on several occasions in recent years. As the...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: I welcome the fact that industrial action undertaken by over 100 construction workers in Waterford over the past number of days has come to an end and agreement has been reached between the main contractor on the site and the workers. Over 200 workers were working on the site. The issues that led to the strike will not go away. There is widespread anger in the construction sector that a...

Seanad: Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (26 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has spoken on this issue a couple of times so I am familiar with a lot of the background work on the matter. In fact, my party raised some concerns about this scheme when it was first established. We warned that it was not going to achieve its targets and, unfortunately, it has...

Nomination of Taoiseach (10 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: I commend the Ceann Comhairle on his election and wish him well over the next number of weeks, months or years. This is an important day for everybody in this House who has been elected. It is particularly important and special for all those who have been elected for the first time, myself included. What we have seen over the past hour or so is a piece of political theatre. There are many...

Nomination of Taoiseach (10 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: The Ceann Comhairle said he would treat people equally. The Tánaiste made a very partisan speech, as did many people, and she attacked my party and its record and singled out my party, so we should have an opportunity to respond. It is about electing a Taoiseach and a Government at some point, but the parties that failed need to take responsibility for their failures. There is no...

Nomination of Taoiseach (10 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: We will take responsibility, but what we will not do is take the policies of Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, implement them and end up with more people in poverty, on hospital trolleys or in emergency accommodation, which is what will happen. We have tabled four motions - on health care, water charges, NAMA and Moore Street - that we want discussed. I have heard reform mentioned by almost...

Business of Dáil (22 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: A Cheann Comhairle, I accept your ruling but the reality is that if we come back in April and the Taoiseach has not amended Standing Orders, then we are going to have the same debate.

Business of Dáil (22 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: We are going to have the same debate again when we come back in April. As Deputy Doherty said, the only two items on the agenda will be the possibility of electing a taoiseach and amendments to Standing Orders. With respect, we have no wish to come back again in a couple of weeks' time. We want to sit and do our job. We have no wish to come back again and have the same exchanges about...

Business of Dáil (22 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: I am putting a question, with respect, to An Taoiseach. Will he consider the issues which have been expressed by many Members? This is not show-boating, as someone said. These are genuine and sincere issues that we want to debate as soon as possible. Unless the Taoiseach gives us clarification, we do not know what issues we will or will not be discussing when we come back in two weeks'...

Housing and Homelessness: Statements (22 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: It was quite incredible to sit here and listen to some of the contributions from the Government, including the caretaker Minister and, in particular, the Taoiseach, during the past couple of hours. The Taoiseach said, quite rightly, that there are many people, including families, living in fear. They fear not having money to pay for the mortgage or rent and they fear losing their homes and...

Housing and Homelessness: Statements (22 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: Hear, hear.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Pensions Insolvency Payments Scheme (22 Mar 2016)

David Cullinane: 57. To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the appeals process under way for former Waterford Crystal workers whose service was given under contract and who have made a claim under the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4900/16]