Results 521-540 of 11,433 for speaker:Michael Kitt

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I agree with what Senator Brian Hayes said about the St. Patrick's Day arrangements and perhaps the question of legislation to deal with off-licences and the availability of alcohol. Senator Hayes mentioned freshers week. We could also examine other issues in the licensing trade. It was rag week in Galway last week. I understand it was entertaining and there was a good programme of events,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I condemn the horrific killing on Saturday and I commend the work of the Garda, especially in the area of drug confiscation. I hope that the Garda also acts on the gun culture, which is linked to drugs culture. I welcome the suggested amnesty on guns. With an election due next year, it is important that we compile the register of electors accurately. I have been told by local authority staff...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister to the House and I welcome the Bill. The Minister is correct in talking about the bottlenecks in the economy and his efforts to tackle them. He continued to say that we do not just have financial costs but also cost associated with lost time and opportunities. Although I live in rural Ireland and used to know little about bottlenecks even travelling to Dublin in the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: Many of us in the west have been fighting for the corridor for years. We have pursued the issue since 1982 with the help of Fr. Micheál MacGréil and the former Deputy and Senator, Martin Joe O'Toole. We met the Leader, Senator O'Rourke, when she was Minister and she gave us great support. Successive Ministers gave us the opportunity to leave the line as it was. On many occasions the line...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I heard that Senator Quinn spoke very well in Galway.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Statements. (8 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I compliment him on his contribution. I refer to the speech by the Minister for Finance in November 2004 when two reports of the decentralisation implementation group were published. The recommendations of both reports were accepted by the Government and I very much welcome the decentralisation programme. Every Member supports the programme. It...

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Statements. (8 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: The Senator is on his own.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I support calls for a debate on the health report, and in particular accident and emergency services. Regarding the west of Ireland, University College Hospital in Galway has the very high bed occupancy that Senator Norris raised with reference to a consultant from the city interviewed on the radio. For that hospital, as for all others, this is a very busy time of the year, with winter...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: The Tánaiste and the HSE will act on the situation in Galway, which is just one example of where beds are urgently needed, having been removed from the system many years ago.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this matter and the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy John Browne, for attending. Broadband is very much in the news following the recent publication of a report on its provision by the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. Tuam, County Galway, was...

Seanad: Telecommunications Services. (9 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: Galway County Council has submitted a strong case for a MAN to be rolled out in Tuam. Will the Minister of State give any indication when a decision will be taken on that?

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: Senator Ulick Burke has stolen my thunder because I also want to congratulate the Portumna and Salthill-Knocknacarra teams. Many people are disappointed when they do not get to see the full presentation of trophies in Croke Park on St. Patrick's Day. I support the calls made for a debate on the sugar beet industry. Many years ago, a political decision was made to open a sugar factory in Tuam....

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his fine speech. I also thank Senator O'Meara for speaking at such length. I welcome this Bill, running through which the common theme is reform. Since taking office, the Minister has signalled a number of new areas in which he is interested, one of which is pensions, to which I will return later. In the last budget, the Minister for...

Seanad: Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Bill 2006: Second Stage. (21 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: It was cold for the people who travelled from Galway to Croke Park. The increase is very welcome and I compliment the Minister. The package for care of older persons amounting to €150 million is also very welcome. Home help should be promoted, as should the nursing home subvention which I mentioned, improvements to palliative care and sheltered housing. Housing aid for the elderly,...

Seanad: Voluntary Housing. (21 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue and the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, for coming to the House. I have raised this issue of voluntary housing with the local authority in Galway on a number of occasions and I am familiar with the good work done by the voluntary housing sector. It has played a great role in providing social housing in County Galway and, I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I join with other Senators in condemning the decision by Guinness to transport kegs by road as it is a retrograde step. Given that we are pushing for the western rail corridor and other developments, we should press for further development of the freight service. As Senator O'Toole said, obstacles have been placed in the way of all rail developments. People even had to fight tooth and nail...

Seanad: Cancer Services: Motion. (22 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: With permission, I will share my time with Senator MacSharry.

Seanad: Cancer Services: Motion. (22 Mar 2006)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Minister of State for attending this House and I was interested to hear his contribution on this motion. For seven years, I was a member of the Western Health Board, which campaigned to make BreastCheck available in the west of Ireland. Senator Cox, who chaired the board in its last year, promoted this campaign and organised a petition which received thousands of signatures. The...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Apr 2006)

Michael Kitt: I want to ask the Leader if she could find some time to discuss the school transport issue in view of the tragedy in Clara, and indeed, last year's tragedy in County Meath. As far back as 1999 when I chaired the Joint Committee on Education, many members recommended change in the school transport scheme as regards seat belts and on the issue of three persons occupying two seats, the policy...

Seanad: Irish Language: Motion. (5 Apr 2006)

Michael Kitt: Ba mhaith liom mo chuid ama roinnt leis an Seanadóir White.