Results 61-80 of 2,118 for speaker:Michael Mullins

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011 [Dáil] : Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: I would be concerned if the Minister were to increase the levy to 70 cent immediately. That does not appear to be his intention, however, on the basis of the statement he made today. It is prudent to give him the option of increasing the levy over a period of years if it is not working at the current level. I agree with other speakers that the introduction of the levy some years ago by a...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (26 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: I welcome the Minister to the House. I very much welcome the legislation, which Members strongly support and wish to see implemented at the earliest opportunity. We are all very much aware of the ludicrous circumstances in which young people who are given custodial sentences by the District Court of three, six or nine months - it is very often the same offenders week after week - are...

Seanad: Clár Tógála Scoileanna (26 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: I support Senator Ó Clochartaigh on this matter. There is a difficult situation in Loughrea.

Seanad: Clár Tógála Scoileanna (26 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: There is a real need for school accommodation there.

Seanad: Clár Tógála Scoileanna (26 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: Will the Minister convey our views on this matter?

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: I have no doubt the Leader will be able to organise bringing the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to the House early in the next session. I assure Senator Mooney the Minister is not sulking. He is heavily weighed down by the enormous mess-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: -----he was left with-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: I ask that we use the same question and answer format we had for the debate with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coveney. I have no doubt the Minister will facilitate this. I strongly support the request by Senator Ó Murchú for a discussion on the arts and culture. There is no doubt they have a huge contribution to make in the economic recovery of the country....

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jul 2011)

Michael Mullins: Yes, and the west. People naturally head west but they do not always head to the east of the county. Yesterday, Senator Quinn raised the issue of the very low level of organ donation. We should have a very open and frank discussion on this in the Chamber. We need to do something dramatic to increase the level of organ donation in the country and the House should be used for a broad...

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: I support Senator Noone in her call for a discussion on credit unions. The Financial Regulator may have gone somewhat over the top in curtailing the lending activities of the credit unions, which were always regarded as the small person's bank. Never before was the credit union needed so much by people who are struggling to pay the fees of their children in college or bridge financial gaps...

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: My question is whether the Leader can arrange for a debate on this issue to take place as a matter of urgency. I raised the issue of cross-Border activity in regard to machinery where people were defrauding this State as a result of the importation of machinery from the North. At a time when we are desperately trying to plug the hole in our finances and various services are under pressure,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: I am concerned that huge sums of money are being lost to the Exchequer as a result of illegal activities. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence.

Seanad: Innovation at the Heart of the Jobs Challenge: Statements (14 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: I will keep it brief. I welcome the Minister, who is off to a great start. We all want to see him take more risks, because the crisis we are facing is of such enormous proportions. The county enterprise boards in most counties - certainly in my own county of Galway - have made a valuable contribution to job creation and getting people started in business over the years. There are lots of...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: I strongly support the proposal by my colleague Senator Healy Eames about the ESB. It is certainly worthy of consideration and I hope the Government will consider it. It was regrettable that the first words from a union leader at the ESB this morning consisted of a call for strike action.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: That is something to be regretted and it is no way to proceed in this day and age. I ask the Leader to convey our appreciation to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, for clarifying the situation with regard to septic tanks yesterday.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: We have had a summer of scaremongering around rural Ireland by people who should have known better, including Ms Marian Harkin MEP and the former Minister Deputy Ó Cuív, whose revised programme for Government in 2009 stated that the Government would introduce a scheme for the licensing and inspection of septic tanks and waste water treatment systems.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: Yesterday's clarification by the Minister will bring great relief to many.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: I put it to the Senator that if he wishes the State to incur a fine of €2.7 million-----

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: If the Senator wants the State to incur a fine of €2.7 million and an ongoing charge of €26,000-----

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Michael Mullins: That is typical of what we have seen from the Government in recent years. I put it to my colleagues that if one of their members wishes to go to jail - somebody who was a member of the Government-----