Results 621-640 of 704 for speaker:John Kelly

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2015)

John Kelly: I join colleagues in paying tribute to the national men's and women's rugby teams following their Six Nations victories. I pay particular tribute to Larissa Muldoon, a member of the women's team whose father went to school with me. I was glad to see there was Rossie blood on that team. I also take the opportunity to congratulate the Roscommon football team, whose members are playing out of...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Mar 2015)

John Kelly: I support Senator Heffernan's point about the sustainability of rural post offices. I come from a family of three generations that have run a small post office in rural Ireland. I have also seen the letters that are being sent out by the Department of Social Protection encouraging people to move their pensions and social welfare payments from the post office to the banks for the purposes of...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: I wish to raise the unfair treatment of Permanent TSB customers. The reductions in variable mortgage interest rates have not been passed on to its customers. I call on the Leader to invite the Minister for Finance to the House to tell us what progress he is making on the matter. Some 320,000 people are affected by this. Mr. Brian Hayes, MEP, has already said on the record that this should...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: I was out of the country when the findings of Dominic McGinn SC were brought to Cabinet in respect of the murder of Fr. Niall Molloy. I am disappointed at his recommendation. Having said that, I am not surprised, because the only remit Dominic McGinn was given was to review a botched Garda investigation file. In his findings he said there were serious shortcomings in that investigation....

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: I ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to initiate a full commission of inquiry into the murder of Fr. Niall Molloy to bring closure, fairness and justice to the Molloy family, because to date this has not happened.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2014: Second Stage (16 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister to the House. I support the Bill. There is little one can contribute to this debate that has not been said already. Like Senator O'Neill I agree that the merger of two agencies which do similar jobs is a move in the right direction. I believe the NRA is doing a good job and will manage the merger well. As is the norm in this House when we get a Minister in, we tend...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2014: Second Stage (16 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: I know. Something needs to be done to assist these people. It is not the case that they will ever obtain a full licence if they have to undergo a theory test. I am sure most people in this House, including myself, would not pass a theory test. The only people who can pass them are 17 year olds who study for them. I would like if the Minister would consider an amnesty for these people and...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2014: Second Stage (16 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: Despite that they are away from home from Monday to Friday, often arriving home late on Friday and returning to college on Sunday, they are still required to be insured for 365 days a year at a cost of €1,400 when in reality they may only drive a car 80 days in a year. There is a need for some ministerial intervention in this regard. There are many other things that can be done to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mental Health Services Provision (21 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Michael Ring. While I have great respect for the Minister of State, there is something fundamentally wrong when we table a Commencement debate directed at the Minister for Health only for it to be taken by a different Minister who may not be familiar with the issues involved. We should change the way...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mental Health Services Provision (21 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: The word "reconfigure" has been bandied about by the HSE for some years. It was bandied about during the term of the last Government and we are still hearing it. Of course, the reality of reconfiguration in County Roscommon was that we lost an emergency department. The Minister of State has referred to investment made in mental health services and the additional staff appointed in County...

Seanad: Sport Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (22 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: The Minister of State is welcome again to the House. I will be supporting the Bill, which is very simple. It is about the establishment of Sport Ireland and the dissolution of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority, which is in line with Government policy to reduce the number of quangos. The function of Sport Ireland is to develop strategies for...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Motion (29 Apr 2015)

John Kelly: I, too, welcome the Minister to the House and compliment him on all the good work that has been done in this area by him and the Government. As previously stated, while the detractor said it could not be done, unemployment has been reduced from in excess of 15% to under 10%. It is hoped this figure will be further reduced through the use of schemes as JobsPlus, JobBridge and so on. I do...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2015)

John Kelly: I seek a debate on the issue of online gambling and betting as a number of young people are in serious debt as a result of this facility being available to them. The betting companies do not care how much money a person loses or how much debt he or she gets into. On the other hand, if a person was to win a large amount of money online, they could shut down his or her account but do not mind...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2015)

John Kelly: It is not often that I agree with my colleague, Senator Terry Leyden. However, I agree with him on how the business of the House is run, particularly Commencement matters. When we table specific Commencement matters, we want the specific Minister in charge to come to the House and deal with the matter. Over the past four years I have been totally frustrated to have health issues that I...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2015)

John Kelly: The attendance of the relevant Minister would allow us to debate the issues.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2015)

John Kelly: That is the first time ever.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 May 2015)

John Kelly: Along with my colleagues, I call for an urgent debate on the demise of rural towns. Towns with a population of 2,000 to 3,000 are dying in rural Ireland. There is no question that we can see recovery in the cities, and it is welcome that the numbers on the live register are decreasing, but small towns are dying. Businesses cannot afford the rates and they cannot compete with the...

Seanad: Cultural Institutions: Motion (13 May 2015)

John Kelly: I second the motion. I welcome the Minister to the House. Senator John Whelan has covered much of the topic from a national perspective, but I will stick to local issues in County Roscommon, where the spend on arts, culture and heritage is €640,000 annually. Many arts festivals receive funding from Roscommon County Council, such as the Boyle Arts Festival, and festivals based on...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2015)

John Kelly: I call on the Leader to arrange an urgent debate with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. We need to find out why the Government is pursuing a wind-only policy to reach the 2020 renewable energy targets. We know there are alternatives, one of which is to convert Moneypoint coal-fired power station and other power stations to sustainable biomass. The cost factor...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2015)

John Kelly: I raise an issue related to the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB. Landlords sign up every new tenancy with the PRTB but do not receive any protection. When a landlord has an issue with a new tenant he or she is given the run-around from the PRTB for 18 months and is eventually forced to employ a solicitor to have the tenant removed from his or her property. We hear horror stories...