Results 441-460 of 704 for speaker:John Kelly

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Fifth Stage (7 Nov 2013)

John Kelly: What about the Christmas bonus?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council: Discussion with Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (26 Nov 2013)

John Kelly: The document circulated by the Minister states: The Commission published a communication on free movement yesterday which will also be the subject of a presentation to the Council. It clarifies the conditions citizens need to meet to be entitled to free movement to benefit from social assistance and to social security benefits.Will the Minister clarify whether anything has changed in respect...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council: Discussion with Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (26 Nov 2013)

John Kelly: To clarify, the communication does not signify any substantive change in this area?

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: That was good timing, as I also wish to congratulate Fr. Padraig Devine, who I have known for many years. Indeed, he attended Maynooth College with my wife and she has good memories of their time there. As Senator Leyden pointed out, this is an absolutely magnificent achievement for anyone but for an ordinary Padraig Devine from the west of Ireland it is a huge achievement. I really wish...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Cycling Facilities Provision (4 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: I would like to ask the Minister of State with responsibility for sustainable transport, Deputy Alan Kelly, to consider establishing a small group to oversee the delivery of a national network of off-road cycle trails in order to assist with the timely delivery of the national cycling strategy and to create a network of trails to attract some of the cycling tourism business which is so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Electricity Transmission Network: Discussion with EirGrid (4 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: I welcome the EirGrid team. I have been watching the proceedings in my office for the past hour and a half. I have a number of questions to which I want answers. There are also a number of observations I wish to make. Following the submission made by Deputy Michelle Mulherin, I believe the Minister would be agreeable to a cost benefit analysis of all three projects. The Minister has said...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Electricity Transmission Network: Discussion with EirGrid (4 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: What about the flawed consultation process whereby 10,000 letters went missing from around my area? We still have not got an explanation about how that happened.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Electricity Transmission Network: Discussion with EirGrid (4 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: I know all that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Electricity Transmission Network: Discussion with EirGrid (4 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: I wish to put a final supplementary question relating to a response from the project manager for the Grid West project to a constituent of yours, Chairman. He said the project was funded by direct payments from wind developers as well as the bills of the electricity users. Could we get a breakdown of the figures relating to what the wind developers are paying towards this project? Then we...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: For a long time many economists, including Colm McCarthy whom the Government is happy to reference and quote on a regular basis, have referred to the wind energy strategy as economic lunacy, a disaster and not financially viable. The previous Government was warned by the same economists that we were in a property bubble. It did not listen and it cost taxpayers €64 billion. The wind...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: In February 2012 I introduced the Wind Turbines Bill in the House and it was passed with flying colours. Eight months ago, as a result of the legislation, the Department decided, with the help of the Minister, to review the wind energy guidelines. Hundreds of submissions were made to it, mostly about the setback distance of wind turbines from family homes. The Department addressed the...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: I support my colleague, Senator Whelan's, request for a debate on the review of the wind energy guidelines. The date for further submissions is 21 February, so I suggest that the debate take place in early February. This will be another bubble if it is not dealt with, as we have said repeatedly in the House. I advise people who have an interest in this subject to look at the documentary...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: Like previous speakers, I congratulate Mr. Eddie Downey on his fabulous achievement. I was delighted by the stance he took during his election campaign to the effect that he is opposed to both wind turbines and pylons. This proves that the majority of farmers do not support the various projects which are proposed and which will lead to the landscape being destroyed.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: I support the call made earlier in the week by Senator Cullinane for a debate on poverty. When one comes to work each morning, one is struck by the number of people begging and each evening one is confronted by many individuals seeking money. In addition, every morning one can see many people lying in doorways. I have raised this matter in the Chamber on previous occasions. It is...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: -----but apparently they are not receiving them. When one takes everything I have just stated into account, it becomes clear that there is a need for a debate on this matter. The facts must be placed on the record and if it requires bringing the Minister for Social Protection before the House to explain the position to the people, so be it. The various parts of the social welfare system...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: He was referring to pylons rather than wind farms.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: I want to respond to Senator Ó Clochartaigh's concerns about rural broadband. Eircom is investing €400 million in delivering fibre-optic broadband to 1.2 million homes. It recently announced that it is extending that to 1.4 million homes - an extra 200,000 homes. It will be extended to 562 communities around the country. An extra 22 communities in my county of Roscommon are...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

John Kelly: The Senator should have a look at the website.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jan 2014)

John Kelly: I welcome the announcement made yesterday by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, on the turf cutting issue. Because of the great work the Minister has done, the number of planned designated natural heritage area, NHA, bogs havs been reduced from 3,000 to 500. In other words, 2,500 bogs have been de-designated. In my native county of Roscommon 435 plots...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (16 Jan 2014)

John Kelly: I did not indicate a wish to speak, but I have a question for the Minister. Is it true that the valuation Bill does not apply to existing buildings retrospectively? If so, my one concern is that new multinationals will view the Bill as an obstacle to moving into rural towns because they will be subjected to a different rate from that paid by multinationals that are already located in towns.