Results 581-600 of 9,160 for speaker:Thomas Pringle

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Burger Content Investigations: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: When will the contracts lost by the Silvercrest be won back?

Promissory Notes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate this evening on the Private Members' motion tabled by the Technical Group on the promissory notes. It is interesting that Members are debating this issue tonight while rumours are flying everywhere on Twitter, on news headlines and so on about the deal that supposedly is being done in respect of the promissory notes. Members are being...

Promissory Notes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: What about his time, Acting Chairman?

Promissory Notes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: This debate is to be guillotined at 9 p.m.

Promissory Notes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: It's all on the journal-----

Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: We learned more from twitter and the Internet tonight about what is happening with regard to this promissory note deal, or rather, proposed deal, than the Government Deputies told us in their contributions to the debate on this legislation. That is the level to which democracy has sunk on this Government's watch. What are the interests of the State which have to be protected? The Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (6 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: To ask the Minister for Health if there are any plans to improve services for sufferers of inflammatory bowel disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6174/13]

Order of Business (7 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: Hear, hear.

Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: I am glad of the opportunity to contribute to this debate but I do not welcome the Bill. The legislation provides for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis.

Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: Thank you. While I must admit that the idea of setting up a single utility company to manage water services across the country does have some merit, I worked in water services myself in the real world before being elected to the House and I have seen some of the problems that have arisen. They were created through the mismanagement of such services. Within the 34 local authorities, there...

Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: That time went very quickly.

Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: I believe the objective is to privatise water and water charging. Such privatisation is outlined by PricewaterhouseCoopers in its report to the Government on how to establish Irish Water and I believe it is worth reading this into the record.

Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I did not think the time had gone so quickly. PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests:once Irish Water is well established as a self-funding utility, the Government and Regulators may wish to assess international experience of the introduction of competition in water and sewerage services to identify whether Ireland could benefit from competitive markets in the...

Water Services Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: Other European Union countries have protected their water industry and in Belgium, for example, private companies were used to develop the water services and treatment plants but within a number of years, they were taken back into public control and have been preserved for the people. This is the very least one should expect from the Government. This Bill should protect this vital natural...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry Development (12 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has any plans to make the creation of jobs a condition of grant aid under the seafood business development and seafood processing schemes operated by Bord Iascaigh Mhara to ensure that the maximum number of jobs are created and maintained in the seafood processing sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6994/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry Development (12 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: I asked this question because, as he will remember, in June 2011 the Minister launched a high level group report in Killybegs which outlined how 250 jobs would be created in the area in the following years in the seafood processing sector. It is remarkably difficult to find out or verify whether and where those jobs are being created. It appears that the grant announcements made are linked...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry Development (12 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: I welcome the fact that the grant aid has increased for the added-value aspect of the investment. This is important. The dilemma we have seen in the fish processing sector, particularly in County Donegal, is that the greater the investment, the fewer the jobs. I acknowledge the argument that the remaining jobs are more sustainable but it is difficult for those who find themselves out of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of rent reductions that have been negotiated between tenants in fishery harbour centres and his Department in each of the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6919/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: It may be a practical response, but it does not go far enough. No one is more aware than the Minister of how circumstances have changed since the last reviews were done in 2008. Many businesses are struggling to meet rents that were set at peak market values. Perhaps the Department, as an extension of this process, can take a proactive view of the possibility of reducing those rents where...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Thomas Pringle: Clearly, if there was movement on both sides whereby the tenant and the landlord agreed to examine the process, it would be possible to arrive at a situation in which both sides agreed to reduce the rent in the vital interest of keeping a business in place and giving it the opportunity to create extra jobs and be more sustainable. There needs to be a will within the Department, however. If...