Results 7,141-7,160 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: Fine Gael supported it.

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: I wish to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey.

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: I am delighted to speak immediately after Deputy Burton because as I came into the House I said there is an air of unreality about the debate today in that the proposer of the original motion is not here. I will not dwell on that; it is a matter for Fine Gael. I will, however, dwell on the Alice in Wonderland that has been adopted by the Labour Party. I want to illustrate this, in...

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: It is at the time when one faces a crisis that leadership is tested. What happened with the Labour Party? It did what it always did, it panicked, ran away and failed to address what was of interest to the nation. Quality of leadership is tested in those times and when the Labour Party was tested it failed. It did not have the capacity in those days. As I said, when the Minister, Deputy...

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: The guarantee scheme, a decision which was attacked, in particular by the Labour Party, is examined in detail, as has been said, by Professor Honohan. He said, "It is hard to argue with the view that an extensive guarantee needed to be put in place-----

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: -----since all participants-----

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: I said "extensive".

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: He said an extensive guarantee needed to be put in place since all participants rightly felt that they faced the likely collapse of the Irish banking system within days in the absence of decisive action. He continues: "Given the hysterical state of the global finances in these weeks, failure to avoid this outcome would have resulted in immediate and lasting damage to the economy and...

Confidence in the Taoiseach and the Government: Motion (15 Jun 2010)

Dick Roche: It was approximately 3%. We should remember what some of it, in particular the senior debt, involved. Some of it was from other banks within the institutional framework in Ireland. Some was from treasury management activities by international companies which have invested in this country and some was from credit unions. It was great credit to the Labour Party that it would have flushed...

Consular Assistance (6 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: I can well understand the concerns of any family with a member detained, for whatever reason, in another jurisdiction. It is difficult. It is very traumatic for a young man to be detained in a jurisdiction with whose legal processes he may be unfamiliar. Mr. Paul Barrett is an Irish citizen and is currently in detention in Lille in France. He was arrested on 16 March this year by the...

Planning Issues (6 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: I thank all of the Deputies who raised this matter. Having dealt with EirGrid and its predecessor, the ESB, it is not a pleasant experience for any public group. It is unforgivable that an error appeared in an advertisement taken out by a body such as EirGrid. Under strategic planning legislation, the expectation would be that EirGrid would at least get its advertisements right. The...

Planning Issues (6 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: -----which are operational matters for EirGrid, or in the planning process, which is a matter for An Bord Pleanála. EirGrid has been developing proposals for a 400 kV interconnection project from County Meath to County Tyrone. It is a large interconnector. This transmission and interconnection project is a key policy priority from a number of perspectives. It will further consolidate the...

Schools Recognition (6 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: I thank Deputy Hoctor for her very heartfelt presentation. I have a response from the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills but, unfortunately, it does not contain the positive response the Deputy was hoping to elicit. I will pass on the Deputy's well-made and sincere comments to the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills who, for family reasons, cannot be in the Chamber...

Order of Business (7 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: The Deputy is not entitled to break the rules.

European Council: Statements (7 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: I will deal with the last point first. A great deal of work has been done on this point, particularly by the Joint Committee on European Affairs. The House must come to grips with this issue because this was one of the major points in the Lisbon treaty to which we all signed up. Deputy Costello also made this point. We signed up to it not because we wanted to get the treaty over the line...

European Council: Statements (7 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: I will be brief. On the general point made by the Deputy about the Taoiseach or Ministers coming before the House in advance, I question the wisdom of trying to do all this in plenary session. I do not believe it to be the best way to deal with it.

European Council: Statements (7 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: I tend to agree with-----

European Council: Statements (7 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: Very well. I was trying to deal with the three points made by the Deputy. If, to revert to the earlier point, more of this work is to be done in committee, the work of such committees must be better publicised. It is fundamentally wrong that, for example, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs, which sits day in and day out, considers and tries to scrutinise legislation, at...

European Council: Statements (7 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: While I can reply with the single word "Yes", I will come back to it during the wrap-up.

European Council: Statements (7 Jul 2010)

Dick Roche: I will deal with the question on the millennium goals. The Council did discuss the situation in Iran and the major international concerns that exist because of its dealings with nuclear programming. The Council also issued a declaration, which is important, because it supports the concept of a negotiated solution and the continuing efforts of the High Representative. It would be dangerous...