Results 561-580 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: Including ICTU.

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: I will vote for them all in the next election.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: With the permission of the House, I would like to share my time with Senator Quinn, perhaps in somewhat unequal proportions in my favour.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: I congratulate the Fine Gael Party on tabling this timely motion. I was interested in what Senator Dooley had to say. I did not interrupt him because I have never heard anybody spend such a long time saying nothing. I did not want to give him the opportunity to waffle further.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: I thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I hope the Minister will not simply outline another catalogue of delays. It is staggering how long it has taken to make a simple decision about the second terminal at Dublin Airport. Senator Dooley spoke about the process being expeditious, ongoing, consultative and used all sorts of other words to describe it. He failed to point out that the real problem for the...

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: He was a decent man.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: I agree he had great vision, which is my point. He had a great deal more vision on issues like this one than the current Taoiseach or Government.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: In 1987, when this nation was in a far more critical economic state than it is now, Mr. Haughey, whom no doubt Senator Dooley still describes as a decent man,——

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: —— had the vision to establish the IFSC. That decision did not take as long as it has taken to establish a second terminal at Dublin Airport. Mr. Haughey was able to make a decision on the IFSC and get it moving successfully within months, yet the Taoiseach has not been able to make any decision on this rather less important issue over three years. The reasons for this are simple — the...

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: With a certain amount of bias in my favour.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: Businesspeople are not being consulted on this issue and they certainly deserve consultation, as they will put up the capital for the second terminal. Let us look at this from the point of view of the investor. What would an investor in Aer Rianta, now the Dublin Airport Authority, or in Aer Lingus do when considering this problem? A prospective investor considering the privatisation of Aer...

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: Would it be acceptable for Senator Quinn to speak later?

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: Considering these problems, what would a prospective investor in Aer Lingus do knowing the Government was fiddling around with it politically and without knowing whether it would have a chief executive?

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: The Senator has more to say from a seated position than he had when he was standing up.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: The Senator can waffle better from his seat.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: What would an investor do? He would not know what the Government would do. He would see a split Cabinet and all sorts of special deals for the staff. He would be unclear as to whether he would get 49% or 51%. If it were to be 49%, the Minister can forget about it. He will not get anything like the value he expects. At the moment the shares are trading on the grey market at a level giving the...

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: It is because the future of the airline is undecided. While the Minister may laugh, if the Government had made a decision it would still have Willie Walsh, who had to leave for various reasons. If the airline had a chief executive it might attract investors. However, the Government cannot get a chief executive because it cannot make a decision on the future of the airline.

Seanad: State Airports: Motion. (20 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: The future of the airline will remain in doubt as long as the Government refuses to take politics out of the equation. It needs to consider the economics and the value to the country of a decision, which it should make quickly.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Apr 2005)

Shane Ross: I thoroughly agree with what Senator Brian Hayes said. What we were treated to by the Minister, Deputy Cullen, last week was insulting. I do not say it with the same feeling of respect as Senator Hayes. I have no respect whatsoever for Ministers who come to the House and behave the way Deputy Cullen did last week, followed by members of his party who waffled in exactly the same way. There is...