Results 461-480 of 1,338 for speaker:Kathleen O'Meara

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I wish to share my time with Senator Ulick Burke.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank Senator Wilson for the geography lesson. It is indicative of how decentralisation is viewed. It has become highly politicised, which is a pity because it is an important issue.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I welcome decentralisation in principle and it is an excellent idea. The Minister of State referred to Nenagh. I am the first to acknowledge that the decentralisation of some sections of the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Agriculture and Food there has done nothing but good for the town. I look forward to the further decentralisation of different Departments to both Roscrea and...

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am sure other Senators will be familiar with the phenomenon where a person is happy to take a position in Nenagh but when promotion comes up, they must move to Portlaoise, Limerick or commute to Dublin. How will this work in practice because I am not sure it has been thought through? It reflects the highly politicised nature of the programme. It certainly looks likes jobs for the boys and...

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: There was no consultation with the people involved.

Seanad: Revenue Commissioners: Motion. (18 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I second the motion. I wish to pick up on a point Senator McDowell made regarding the efficiency of the Revenue. Nobody could argue with the fact that the Revenue Commissioners have become far more efficient in their role in collecting taxes due to the Exchequer and the State from the myriad sources from which they need to be collected. One must commend them on that. However, the efficient...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I agree with the point made by Senator Brian Hayes.

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: On the amendment that was passed in this House——

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am simply stating that I agree with the point made by Senator Brian Hayes. The meeting of the big three, for want of a better phrase, raises an important issue for us, particularly as we hold the Presidency of the European Union. Was the Taoiseach briefed or consulted as the current President? In that regard, there is a major issue for us as a small state within the European Union,...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am happy to support the motion on the dormant accounts fund and refer to the manner in which the Government is turning it into a political slush fund. I listened to the Minister of State's speech and want to pick up on two elements. He justified the Government's decision to fundamentally alter the terms of the fund and completely change the nature of the board and how the funds are...

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I am talking about public perception.

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: The Minister referred to this in a roundabout way at the end of his speech. He referred to the fear that politicians exercising decision-making powers might get thanks for spending money properly and wisely. He said that some people have placed an emphasis on an independent board and that it would make better decisions than those elected by the people. The Minister of State continued, "The...

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: This kind of action only leads more people to believe that politicians are only concerned about making decisions for their friends and for themselves. I am appalled at the extent of this. In recent meetings with people that I had never met before, they automatically assumed I was a particular kind of person once they heard I was a politician. Until recently, I did not believe this was...

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: It is true. A growing number of people think this and one will find this around the issue of electronic voting. The Government is not trusted to bring in the proposed system. The Government had better face up to this because it is true. The changes proposed to the dormant accounts fund only adds to this perception. The extraordinary thing is that the Government has so insulated itself from...

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: The day will come when the Government has to listen. Trust is at the heart of this. It is not surprising as the Government lied to get elected and totally undermined the trust the electorate may have had in it. The Government is not trusted with decision-making with the result that the whole political system is so damaged and undermined that I wonder if it will ever recover. I appeal to the...

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: This should be done with value for money in mind and with a sense of public service——

Seanad: Dormant Accounts: Motion. (25 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: This money does not belong to the Government.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I ask the Leader to request that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government come before the House to explain the reason he is spending more than €4.5 million on a public relations campaign on electronic voting when only €160,000 was spent recently on the registration of voters. In a survey carried out by the Central Statistics Office following the previous election,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Feb 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I ask the Leader to request that the Minister come to the House to explain why so much money was spent on a PR campaign on electronic voting when so little is being spent on the important issue of registering voters. The Minister's priorities are wrong. I also ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the important issue of AIDS and the massive impact of the epidemic on Africa. Although the...