Results 701-720 of 26,778 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: What did the Minister say about lifestyle choices?

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The figure will be €4.4 billion.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I speak in support the motion tabled by the Fianna Fáil group. I listened to the responses of Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Paul Keogh. Some of his responses to the debate were disgraceful. He did not speak to the motion or appear to understand what we are about this evening. We simply ask the Government to clarify its position regarding the Army barracks....

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: Today's job losses in Aviva point to the failure of the Government's jobs initiative. Fianna Fáil is proposing something the Government can do to keep jobs in major towns by confirming that the barracks will not close. The 700 men and women of our Defence Forces who are stationed in these barracks do an excellent job for the country at home and abroad. The Leader acknowledged this in his...

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: If Fine Gael and Labour Senators believe the Government is not governing the country they are not worthy of sitting in this House or the other House. They must make up their minds.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister of State, Deputy Penrose, said in Mullingar that this would be a red line issue. I welcome the fact that he said that. The rebuff of Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP, to Deputy Penrose was insulting to the Minister of State and to the people of Mullingar. If Government Senators respect the armed forces and the work they do, they will support the motion tabled by the Fianna Fáil group.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: If they respected the Defence Forces they would certainly not have tabled an amendment such as that tabled by them this evening, which is purely arrogant. Arrogance is already beginning to show in the Administration. We heard the great 100 days pronouncements of "no income tax increases and no social welfare cuts". We have already had social welfare cuts. Fuel allowances to thousands of...

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The truth hurts sometimes.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: What is the Government afraid of? Is it afraid of telling the 700 soldiers and their families what it is really planning to do? The supposed purpose of these Houses is to represent the people.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The purpose of the Opposition is to table valid questions on behalf of concerned citizens.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The concerned citizens in this case have defended our State through thick and thin.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: Government Senators have the audacity to table such an amendment and the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach had the audacity to give such a response. I am not easily insulted. This is an insult to the members of the Defence Forces. If Government Senators put their money where they mouths are they will accept the motion tabled by Fianna Fáil. The Government should, at the...

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government did nothing.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I hope the Government will have a better track record in dealing with the Defence Forces. How can Government Senators support the Government amendment to the motion? It is an insult.

Seanad: Army Barracks Closures: Motion (19 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: That is none of Senator O'Keeffe's business.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I am pleased that we are to discuss the issue of mortgage arrears on the back of the Keane report, with which a number of us on this side of the House are disappointed. While I have nothing against the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, I am disappointed that the Minister for Finance will not be in the House to answer questions on this issue or hear the views of Members on this side of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: That is exactly what the Government is doing. I raised grave concerns with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, when the investigations referendum Bill was presented to the House, none of which has been answered. The Government has not campaigned for this referendum.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I remind Members opposite again, as I did last week during the Private Members' motion on barrack closures, that they are in government now.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: These two referenda have been proposed by their Government but they are not even campaigning for them.