Results 461-480 of 1,253 for speaker:John Crown

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I hate to sound like a broken record because I raised this issue yesterday, but additional information has come to my attention which urgently needs to be brought to the Minister's attention. An approved licensed drug, Ipilimumab, is the first to benefit substantial numbers of patients with a relatively uncommon cancer, malignant melanoma. It is, sadly, one which Ireland has a uniquely...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (19 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. When many of the minor health care reforms such as this, which are coming through the system in preparation hopefully for the big bang of the move to a fully insurance-based system, come up I find myself selectively approving of them through gritted teeth because they increasingly resemble a series of Band-Aids put over the gaping wound...

Seanad: Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (19 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I second this Bill. I concur completely with Senator Quinn's closing sentiment that this is a non-contentious Bill. It is a no-brainer. In years to come people will understand that the need to have defibrillators in places where large numbers of the public congregate or where particular risk activities occur is as acceptable as having a fire exit or a rule against smoking. I have been a...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I draw the Leader's attention to two related health issues, which I ask that he bring to the attention of the Minister for Health, and to another issue which needs to be discussed. I will start with the third matter. I was unable to contribute to the debate on the HSE report into the Savita Halappanavar tragedy. In this regard, I would like to repeat a point I made a number of months ago....

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2013)

John Crown: Perhaps things can get crazier, but I do not know how. I ask that the Minister ensure that assessments, which I believe are unnecessary - anybody with a computer can download these assessments which are available internationally - conducted on behalf of the State are used only by the State and are not put into the public domain where they can be used by others to deny treatments. Will the...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I will preface my request for an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Finance come to the House today and outline not only the timing but the terms of reference of the clearly much-needed banking inquiry, by reminding colleagues of one or two facts. Recently we spoke about drugs for malignant melanoma and we estimated treating every patient in the country would cost...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I have called for a debate today. I compliment good Leitrim man Paul Williams for unearthing the story. Why did it take five years?

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)

John Crown: If everybody knew these tapes exist why did it take five years? We heard statements from senior Government officials stating they did not even know the tapes existed. We need an inquiry. The reason for my typical quixotic tilting at windmills attempt to have a debate on the subject today is not because I am fixated on the punishment. People may have to be offered degrees of immunity from...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)

John Crown: -----if we have an inquiry, whether we can subpoena Mr. Trichet and the members of the European Central Bank? Can we get the equivalent of a freedom of information request to the ECB to get all of their documents because we need to know what they knew about the true state of the Irish banks and whether they brought pressure to bear on our Minister and Government at the time to undertake a...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)

John Crown: Yes.

Seanad: Request to move Adjournment of Seanad under Standing Order 30 (25 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I ask for an urgent debate on the topical issue of the need for a bank inquiry, its terms of reference and timelines.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2013)

John Crown: It has just been announced that 2,000 people are waiting for hospice services due to an appalling lack of hospice beds and I must say that puts everything else we will say today into perspective. I would like two issues of conflict of interest addressed. One is a specific query for the Leader to address to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, because...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2013)

John Crown: Yes. I am asking for debates on the new insurance forum and on the Magdalen laundries in light of the statements I just made.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Jun 2013)

John Crown: It is nonsense.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I welcome the Taoiseach to the House. In the three minutes at my disposal I am sorry if I give a Micheál O'Hehir impersonation. I ran for the Seanad two years ago on the promise to my constituents-----

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Jun 2013)

John Crown: Yes.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (26 Jun 2013)

John Crown: -----that I would work to either reform or abolish the currently undemocratic Seanad, which I specifically said was an affront to democracy as it is currently constituted. It is an affront because it was designed to be an affront. It was designed to sacrifice popular democracy on the altar of vocationalism. The vocationalism had a sound theoretical background although I would not have...

Seanad: Register of Lobbyists Legislation: Motion (26 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I am pleased this motion has been introduced. It does not require amendment and deserves our support. I am not sure if it was inspired by events several weeks ago when it was reported that a high level delegation from the tobacco industry secured what was an unbelievable level of access to the Taoiseach and Ministers for Justice and Equality and Finance to advance the industry's commercial...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jun 2013)

John Crown: At the risk of making the Chamber sound like a broken record, I mention issues relating to the banks and attempted to get the Order of Business amended. I am somewhat troubled by the fact that there are two wholly separate things that need to be investigated in the banks. There may or may not have been malfeasance and illegality on the part of bankers and the justice system should...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jun 2013)

John Crown: I would also like to recommend that any of those folks who state they cannot get access to the Taoiseach to make very important points to him might consider getting jobs in the tobacco industry.