Results 821-840 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to raise a subject that has not be touched on so far, that of the recent European Council meeting at which the Taoiseach and leaders of other countries met and at which agreement was forged regarding a new way in which nations need to conduct their finances and economic policies. The famous Stability and Growth Pact, which was shown to be nothing of the sort, is now being...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to comment on the protest involving students which took place yesterday, the events that occurred outside the Department of Finance and the comments that have been make in respect of the latter. It has been frequently stated in this House that the future of our country depends on the attitude and skills of young people. I witnessed at first hand objects being thrown at the front...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I support the calls for consensus made by many of my colleagues. However, it is important to emphasise the point made by Senator Regan about the degree of consensus that already exists in many areas, including on the need to reduce our deficit to 3% of GDP by 2014, to implement budgetary adjustments at an early stage, and to ensure that what we do stays within the eurozone framework. In...

Seanad: European Council: Statements (9 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his update on the conclusions and decisions from the European Council meeting. I want to register a concern about a number of the decisions and conclusions that came out of this European Council meeting. In doing that, I am deeply mindful of the fact that if it was not for the support the European Union has given our country over recent...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Senator Leyden has done enough offending himself.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: We all know Ireland is a small open economy that is deeply dependent on the role of financial investment in its economy to keep it going and very dependent on its international reputation. A number of speakers have referred to the role the IMF could play in the economy in the future. We need to be very clear about one thing. While an outside body could play a role in helping the country...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: That is a crucial question. I hear Senator MacSharry talk about the salaries being paid to people in the third level sector and the universities. I have to remind him that his party is in Government, and he should do something about it.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: For those of us in public life, this is particularly resonant. These are the same people who were tenured, with vast pensions and multiple jobs, who will be lecturing us on how we need to conduct our affairs. To address this would deliver some moral legitimacy and credibility to what must be done to tackle the issues and lead the entire country back to prosperity.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I second Senator Bradford's amendment to the Order of Business. Earlier in the week the Ombudsman said she did not have faith in the Government's ability to look after our elderly. The European Court of Auditors report showed the Government managed to sleepwalk its way into the closure of an industry. In every responsibility the Government has been meant to discharge, it has been unable to...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: The future of our economy is under much pressure. Our State, its institutions and its citizens who want to support them will still exist, regardless of what happens to the economy. How they will be conducted and their responsibilities may change but the passport we are all proud to carry will still be there, will still have value and honour attached to it, like the State's institutions. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Regarding comments made by colleagues on the other side of the House about the international media, it is not the fault of the international media that we are in this disaster. Neither is it the fault of international speculators.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Decisions were made at home that handed power to the financial markets which they are now using to beat us. If the decisions had not been made between 2002 and 2007 to spend and borrow at unbelievable rates, these people would not have the power that they are now wielding. It is the Government's fault.

Seanad: Protection of Intellectual Property Rights: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Most Members have focused on intellectual property protection and the recent Charleton judgment which affects the music industry. I want to focus on the role intellectual property rights can play in creating the smart economy. The single best document the Government ever produced was the innovation taskforce report, Building Ireland's Smart Economy – A Framework for Sustainable Economic...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I have listened with great interest to the contributions made from all sides of the House on what is a grave day in the country's history. We need to be clear, however, that victimhood is not a path to survival. I have heard some speakers blame the European Union and the media for what has happened, while others have blamed the private sector. None of these groupings has been elected to...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree with my colleagues who called for a debate on the need for reform of our institutions, particularly in the context of the Croke Park agreement. I am struck by the tone of this morning's discussion and how grim it is. However, as I came to Leinster House this morning, people were having their breakfast before going to work, while children were going to school. The vast majority must...

Seanad: National Paediatric Hospital: Statements (17 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State. I acknowledge the contributions of Senators Corrigan and Cannon. Politics will change as a result of the desperately difficult times in which we find ourselves and I was struck by the nuanced and constructive approach both my colleagues took to his matter. Care was taken to try to understand the issue and both speakers made informed contributions that left...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: All over Ireland this morning people are asking one question: why can the Taoiseach not speak with the same clarity and honesty as the Governor of the Central Bank on "Morning Ireland"? While not underplaying the precarious position in which we found ourselves or our plight, he spoke with certainty and clarity about where we stood, the events of this week and those which the country would...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Senator Harris is wrong in one regard in what he said. We are still a sovereign people and, unfortunately, that has a very negative implication today. It is still within our grasp to make matters worse for ourselves than they should be. It is possible to make what is truly disastrous situation for our country a crisis for Europe. That happened yesterday. I have spoken in this House and...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: That is not helpful in seeking to get where the country needs to get to.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Nov 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Some colleagues have called for a debate on the future of our Legislature and the need for change in that regard. There is a deeper force at play here which is beginning to manifest itself. The people to whom I have spoken believe that it does not matter for whom they vote in the next election because the Irish Government will not be running the country anyway. There is a growing...