Results 581-600 of 605 for speaker:John Whelan

Seanad: Cultural Institutions: Motion (13 May 2015)

John Whelan: I thank all our colleagues for their contributions to this wide-ranging, robust and honest debate, which has been important for the Minister of State to hear. We are very fortunate in the Seanad, and it is one of its strengths that the vocational skills and expertise of Members come to the fore at this time. We are very fortunate to have Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú, who heads up...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Bioenergy Strategy Implementation (26 May 2015)

John Whelan: I welcome the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Alex White, to the House. As line Minister for this important policy area, I look forward to his response. I have expressed the view on more than one occasion that the bioenergy sector has been the poor relation or Cinderella of the broad renewable energy industry. There is an apparent disregard at Department...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Bioenergy Strategy Implementation (26 May 2015)

John Whelan: I thank the Minister for his answer. I appreciate that the RHI must be structured and work properly, but we are not trying to reinvent the wheel. Such schemes already operate in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. We are playing catch-up. I urge the Minister to put in place interim arrangements such as the triple E register standard, which is already in operation and approved by the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (9 Jun 2015)

John Whelan: I welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar. I am pleased and relieved to see him here in person. The midlands, including all of County Laois, are in turmoil owing to the speculation, scaremongering, doubt and confusion surrounding the future status of the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise and, in particular, its accident and emergency department.I do not have to spell...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (9 Jun 2015)

John Whelan: I will finish on this point. Everyone cannot choose to go private and skip the queue to go to whatever new modern newfangled private clinics are being set up around the place.The people of the midlands require a 24/7 accident and emergency service at Portlaoise hospital. I am appealing to the Minister to clarify the situation.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Services Provision (9 Jun 2015)

John Whelan: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply and for departing from his script to deal specifically with the accident and emergency service issue. There is an incontrovertible case to be put regarding the retention, in absolute terms and in perpetuity, of a 24/7 accident and emergency service at Portlaoise, based on patient safety concerns, patient demand and the requirement to serve a...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Second Stage (24 Jun 2015)

John Whelan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I commend him on bringing forward the legislation. It seems to me that in some quarters one is damned if one does and one is damned if one does not. The legislation is in the House but not before its time and there is a deadline on it. It is important that it is passed in the interest of public safety, the people who work in the industry...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Jun 2015)

John Whelan: I welcome the Minister to the House as we put the final piece of the jigsaw in place to finally give Ireland its own postcode system. We are not reinventing the wheel but this system is not before its time. We are the only country in the OECD without our own postcode system. Given that we pride ourselves on being a progressive, thriving and smart economy, I cannot believe it has taken so...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (15 Jul 2015)

John Whelan: I am pleased that my matter has been accepted and I am grateful to the Minister of State for attending to answer it. I am here to make an appeal on behalf of natural environment organisations that they would finally receive their fair share of lottery funding for the fantastic work they do the length and breadth of the country on a variety of community, conservation, habitat protection and...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (15 Jul 2015)

John Whelan: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I accept that the Government provides valuable support to many community projects in this category and this sector by means of a range of other funding tranches managed by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. I suppose there would have been very little point in the addition by the Government of "natural...

Seanad: Broadcasting and Media in Ireland: Statements (7 Oct 2015)

John Whelan: I welcome the Minister to the House. This is a timely debate and it is important that we are having it in a public space in order that we can tease out these issues. I would like to broaden the discussion. It is listed on the schedule as broadcasting, communications and media. When we talk about this issue we tend to boil it down to a discussion about RTE and the television licence fee...

Seanad: State Claims Agency: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

John Whelan: I move:That Seanad Éireann: - commends the Government for the comprehensive and successful process of political reform upon which it is engaged; - calls on the Government to consider engaging in further reform, in particular to consider a review of the role of the State Claims Agency; - calls further on the Government to consider undertaking such a review, with a view to bringing to...

Seanad: State Claims Agency: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

John Whelan: Those deep pockets are not to be used to frustrate fair play, common sense and natural justice when a wrong has been done, perhaps by mistake, misadventure or some mishap. This is not a question of apportioning blame. It is a question of seeking to change a culture and system which has at its heart a default opening position where the State will go to war against its citizens, very often to...

Seanad: State Claims Agency: Motion (7 Oct 2015)

John Whelan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan. If I thought the House would get as constructive, comprehensive and positive a reply to all motions then I would put one down every day. I thank colleagues on all sides of the House for their contributions and input. It was important to air this subject. We had no prior knowledge of the work going on behind the scenes in the two lead...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Meals Programme (13 Oct 2015)

John Whelan: I thank the Minister of State for breaking his busy schedule on budget day and coming into the House to take this matter. There will be lots of headlines today and many different issues will attract the attention of the media, but one scheme that will not is the school meals programme. It is an undervalued and unsung success story in our social protection and education systems. I commend...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Apiculture Industry (17 Nov 2015)

John Whelan: I join the Chair in welcoming the Minister of State to the House. The issue I am raising today poses some problems and challenges and offers some great opportunities. I refer to the concerns, ideas and interests of this country's 3,000 beekeepers, who are represented by the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations. They are particularly concerned for the prospects of the native Irish...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Apiculture Industry (17 Nov 2015)

John Whelan: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive answer, which touched on many of the points I raised. I ask that the Department engage with its Northern Ireland counterpart on this matter because an all-island approach would offer solutions and opportunities. The sting in the tail, to use a pun, is that Ireland should not need to import honey. We have an opportunity to develop a...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2015)

John Whelan: Is that Social Democrats policy? That is news.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jan 2016)

John Whelan: The nation holds its breath and people in Portlaoise, in particular, are holding theirs. I commend colleagues who have approached this issue in a non-partisan, apolitical way because it is not only about pollution but also about public health. Our time in this Seanad is running out and it is time for action because the time for reports is over. We need answers to establish why the...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jan 2016)

John Whelan: I am not in a position to second it.