Results 541-560 of 23,551 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: The Minister reminds me of St. Paul riding his horse into Damascus, except she has not yet fallen off her horse or been politically converted. Why is she being confrontational on an issue on which there was scope for agreement and compromise? She and her Government colleagues have instilled fear in ordinary people. I use the Northgate pharmacy in Cork city, a simple operation run by a...

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: After 1 March.

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: They did not get much help from Senators on that side of the House.

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: The Senator has a misguided opinion. He needs help.

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: And the most expensive.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, to the House. While I mean nothing against the Minister of State, who is a nice gentleman, we have yet to have the Minister for Education and Science in the Chamber for an Adjournment debate. It is unfair on a Minister of State from a different Department to answer on the Adjournment. I thank the Cathaoirleach——

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I understand that. However, it is disingenuous of the Minister not to come to the House and to have had no Minister of State from her Department present for any Adjournment debate matter I have raised on education. This is a serious matter I am raising on behalf of the people of Passage West. I want to read into the record of the House an e-mail I received from a student of the school,...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, for the reply. I accept it is not his Department nor his brief. In fairness to him, he has the unenviable job of giving the reply in the House, but it does not tell us when, where or how the school will be progressed. I urge the Minister of State to impress on the Department of Education and Science that we need information urgently. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Yesterday I raised the issue of men's health and mental health and I revisit it again today in light of the case in which Judge David Anderson criticised the Health Service Executive. It is time we had a major debate on the functioning of the HSE. Yesterday, Judge Anderson criticised the dysfunctional HSE after it failed to have a representative at his court. We were promised action with A...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: They cannot take the heat on the opposite side.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Who closed them? It was your Minister.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: What about Judge Mahon?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Who created the HSE?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Bill. The budgetary provisions are also welcome but it is important we put them in context. In many ways the Minister is in a great position in that he has had a tremendous innings in Government with ten years of prosperity. The Government has rightly invested in social welfare. In doing that, however, we have...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Curim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Sargent. I compliment my Fine Gael Party colleague, Senator Coffey, on his fine speech on this motion. To enlighten Senator Boyle, the reason there is no amendment is that it is Fine Gael Party policy to support the electoral commission. If we are serious about reform of the political system let us not have a fudge, as we had from the Minister...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I was amused to discover that I had spent more than some people and I agree with Senator Boyle on that issue. Cheque book politics is alive and well in Irish politics. Let us get rid of it. I suggest the electoral commission be brought into being now before the local elections. Let us have accountability and let us clean up politics. Some 99.9% of the people I know in local and national...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: My party introduced a ban on corporate donations in 2002 and the Irish people said it did not matter. It does matter on one level. I happen to believe there should be public funding of political parties. Let us get rid of private donations. Let us have public accountability.

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Let us have it and see how it works. Barak Obama today is suffering from having a cap on his spending in America. He was taking funding and he has been caught. Let us have accountability. If the Green Party wants to leave its imprint on the Government this is the one area where it can do it. Despite my rows with Senator Boyle——

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: ——I believe him to be a person of impeccable credentials and I know he is sincere in regard to his political work. If he wants to leave an imprint on the Government this can be his legacy and I will support him 100% in that regard. I want to see democracy funded, with people participating in it. I also want to see Irish politics clean. The way to do it is to bring the electoral...