Results 721-740 of 3,652 for speaker:Michael Collins

Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Jul 2018)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill, which seeks to amend and extend the law relating to insolvent insurers and to provide for the establishment of a fund to be known as the motor insurance insolvency compensation fund. This fund will be controlled and managed by the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland. Vehicle insurers will be asked to make a contribution to that fund. What...

Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Jul 2018)

Michael Collins: Page 87 of the programme for Government stated that changes will be made to remove discrimination against small businesses and family farms under the fair deal scheme. Almost two and a half years later, can the Taoiseach give a guarantee that family farm assets will be excluded when calculating applications under the fair deal scheme? If farmland and assets are subject to charge under the...

Implications of Brexit for Irish Ports: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (11 Jul 2018)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. We need to ensure that not only is Ireland's economic growth increasing but that it is spread equally across the country to areas such as west Cork. Our ports, including the ports in Cork, are vital to our economic growth. We need to maintain strong competitive transport links with the rest of the EU to secure Ireland's economic future....

Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Second and Subsequent Stages (11 Jul 2018)

Michael Collins: Many people might remember last December, watching in horror the RTÉ "Prime Time" programme, "Carers in Crisis". We saw thousands of people all over the country dedicating their entire lives to looking after loved ones who were unable to care for themselves. In many cases, carers themselves were in ill health. Becoming a carer for a loved one is a life-changing experience. Each day...

Questions on Promised Legislation (12 Jul 2018)

Michael Collins: Two recent reports, one by MEPs on the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the other by DG SANTE, found that Brazilian beef does not have the same traceability standards as EU produce. As a result of these reports, it is crystal clear that the Mercosur countries are failing to meet EU standards on fundamental issues of food safety and traceability. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Impact of Retirement Packages for Postmasters: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: At the outset, the Minister thanked postmasters and postmistresses. He is correct; we need to thank them. Nobody has been listening to them, however, for many years now. I have been trying to listen to them, and I have been speaking to them one by one. Many of them in rural Ireland are living on the minimum wage. Does anyone realise that? Does the Minister realise that? Does Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Impact of Retirement Packages for Postmasters: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: They are the rural people who have been affected. Mr. McRedmond is forgetting that.

Future of the Post Office Network: Motion (18 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I had hoped the Government had learned from the errors of its predecessor but the fact that we are here tonight fighting to save our post offices shows that nothing has changed. I have seen five post offices targeted for closure in my west Cork constituency, including a three-generation post office in Allihies, which will close in January, Drinagh post office, which will close in October,...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (19 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate and I thank Deputy Daly for her work on the Bill. The purpose of the amendments is to clarify, modernise and strengthen the legal powers of coroners regarding the reporting of deaths and the conduct of post mortem examination and inquests. I support that going forward. The death of a loved one can be a deeply distressing time....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: Rural-proofing of all Government policies was promised in the programme for Government. It was our understanding that rural-proofing was meant to be a commitment by this Government to review and examine all Government policies to ensure that they do not disadvantage rural areas. The Tánaiste has misled the people, especially those living in rural Ireland. In the past two weeks I have...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: They are on the minimum wage. Postmasters are not being given a choice.

Central Bank (National Claims Information Database) Bill 2018: Second Stage (20 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Central Bank (National Claims Information Database) Bill 2018. It comes from one of the recommendations of the cost of insurance working group which urged the setting up of a national claims information database. We are all too well aware of the crippling insurance costs experienced by anyone with car, home, farm, business and even pet insurance....

Brexit Negotiations: Statements (25 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important topic this evening. Brexit will have many implications for Ireland, some of which we can predict and others we cannot. One thing that is sure is that there will be many challenges ahead for Ireland and it is vital that during the Brexit negotiations we steer through these waters with a clear vision of what Brexit will mean to Ireland. ...

Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion [Private Members] (25 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the motion regarding confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. I have pleaded with the Minister time and time again and informed him that immediate action is needed to tackle the housing problem. The majority of those who are becoming homeless are from the private rental sector. We are all too aware that rents are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (25 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I thank the Chair. Much of what I have to say has already been said. At the beginning of September, I was inundated with calls from constituents right across from Bandon to Bantry, from people in Kilcrohane trying to get to school in Schull and from people in Coomhola trying to get into Bantry. It is terrible when parents who have two children on a bus are told their third child will not...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (26 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: Page 101 of A Programme for a Partnership Government states the Government will reopen a number of Garda stations. Six such reopenings were announced subsequently, one of which was Ballinspittle Garda station in west Cork. I have asked this question repeatedly but will the Taoiseach tell us today when will Ballinspittle Garda station be reopened and be fully manned so as to protect the...

Local Government (Restoration of Town Councils) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (26 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak this evening. The previous Government abolished the town council tier of local government. The abolition of the tier which focused on urban centres was clearly a mistake and must be rectified by the restoration of our town councils. I strongly argue for the reintroduction of an urban focus. There is disconnect between the municipal districts...

Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Report Stage (26 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I am delighted to have an opportunity to contribute. I have been criticised for tabling amendments to this Bill. We live in a democracy. I will keep my discussions on these amendments brief. It is important that the case for them is made. I am trying to reflect what people in my constituency have been saying to me. I meet a lot of people who think this Bill goes a step too far. They...

Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Report Stage (26 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: The Minister has an opportunity to start leading by example by closing the Dáil bar. We should not have a place of drink in our place of work. This would send a message to the whole world, but the Minister will not do it.

Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Report Stage (26 Sep 2018)

Michael Collins: I totally oppose any cancer labelling of drink. There are traces of carcinogens in red meat and in smoked salmon. What is next? When one is buying bacon from the butcher, should he have to run out and put a sticker on it saying that one might get cancer if one eats it? The same point can be made in respect of smoked salmon. What are we going to do next? Are we going to eat at all? Are...