Results 461-480 of 4,645 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I second Senator Ó Clochartaigh's amendment regarding Catalonia, and I will tell the House why. I spent a week on a private visit to Barcelona that included the day of the referendum. I witnessed what happened first hand. I am not interested in getting too involved in the internal affairs of Spain or other jurisdictions, but I will share with the House that I witnessed intimidation...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: -----that they stood by and allowed such violence and anti-democratic behaviour to be carried out in the name of a cohesive, good and upstanding union. For that reason, it is important that we support the call for statements in the House next week. We have time in our schedule next Thursday. It would be a good time to have a debate.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I am happy to go along with that.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, is this week in receipt of the report from the expert technical group on the mother and baby issues in Tuam. The story has been covered by all the national media today. The Department has confirmed that the Minister is in receipt of this critical and highly informative report. The report is technical in nature....

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I would like to raise three issues. Teagasc's statement of strategy for the period 2017 to 2020 formed part of a briefing for Oireachtas Members today. The briefing was very informative. It is worth acknowledging the enormous support available, based on science, innovation and research in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and the food sector. What was particularly important about the...

Seanad: Driving Test Waiting Times: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, for coming before the House and giving his time to discuss this very important subject. I will try to use my time constructively. There are a number of statistics that the Minister's statement to the House did not deal with. I spoke with the Road Safety Authority earlier today. Today there are 70,000 waiting for driving tests whether for private...

Seanad: Driving Test Waiting Times: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: May I make a point of order?

Seanad: Driving Test Waiting Times: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I believe we should address the Chair. It is not personal.

Seanad: Situation in Catalonia: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: It is a great hall.

Seanad: Situation in Catalonia: Statements (25 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his statement on recent happenings in Catalonia. I recently spent a week in the region during which time the referendum was to take place. There was not a single day that I did not go down to the Palace of the Generalitat to observe the protests. We must be very clear that what happened is unacceptable. With all due respect, it is...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I was interested to hear what my colleague, Senator Horkan, said about the property tax. I live in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and I still have a Fianna Fáil leaflet on my desk which came in my door. At that stage the party was unequivocal as it did not know what it was talking about in relation to property tax. The leaflet said it was the wrong tax at the wrong time. Members will...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill 2017: Motion (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I am happy to second the motion.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill 2017: Motion (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: Just about.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill 2017: Motion (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State. I am somewhat initially disappointed that we did not succeed in having our only amendment put forward here. It rarely happens. It did happen in this case but the Dáil rejected our amendment, which we must accept. I want to be fair to the Minister of State and thank him for the enormous work that he and his officials have put into this important...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill 2017: Motion (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: There is one question the Minister of State missed. He might clarify my comments on infringement proceedings on 16 November.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill 2017: Motion (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: The Minister of State is very reasonable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank those who have presented this detailed report to us. It is important to note that on page 6 of the report, item 14 details the impact of this proposal on the public and states that there will be "No significant impacts but, if the proposal is agreed and implemented, more information would be available to the public about European political parties, their membership, their political...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: It is important that we acknowledge these initiatives. If this proposal is accepted and comes into effect, it will empower 16 year olds to engage in petitioning under the European citizens' initiative. If it gets through this process, it is proposed that it will come into effect in 2019. This is important given that Ireland, regrettably, does not allow 16 year olds and 17 year olds to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft General Scheme of the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017 (Resumed) (26 Oct 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the two witnesses here today and it was a good move on the part of this committee to engage in pre-legislative scrutiny. It is something we were not initially considering but after some debate it was decided it would happen by the committee. It was the right thing to do. The witnesses have raised a number of interesting and key points but we need to tease them out further. Anybody...