Results 881-900 of 1,677 for speaker:Ned O'Sullivan

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minster for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, to come to the House to discuss his brief in general.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I will start off with some fairly good news, and I am sure the Leas-Chathaoirleach was as pleased as I was to learn this morning that the Lonely Planet has selected the Skellig Ring as one of the top must-see regions to visit in the world in 2017. The Skellig Ring is a small offshoot of the Ring of Kerry, which gives access to Sceilig Mhichíl, Valentia Island and so on. I was pleased...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: Being a Kerry man is an awesome responsibility.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: Second, we are lucky to have a corps of business people who are prepared to roll up their sleeves and work. Certainly they look for supports, to which they are entitled, but they do not have the deontas mentality. They work for themselves, to keep their staff employed and to keep their hotels open. I congratulate them. The Minister might be asked to come to the House to see if that...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: It has been an honourable tradition by distinguished people nearing the end of their lives to bequeath their documents and archive papers to the State. Traditionally, people in the worlds of letters and politics have done this.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I think of neighbours from Listowel, Dr. Brian McMahon and Dr. John B. Keane, who bequeathed their papers to University College Dublin and Trinity College, respectively. It has been the tradition of those who held the office of Uachtarán na hÉireann to come to an arrangement to give their papers, the papers of an outgoing President-----

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I am not discussing Presidents per se. I am discussing a tradition whereby those who held the office of President, such as Eamon de Valera, Paddy Hillery and Cearbhail Ó Dálaigh, have bequeathed their papers to the State. In fact, the current incumbent, President Michael D. Higgins, has already given his papers to date to the National Library. A new precedent appears to be being...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I think it is fairly significant that private auctioneers are being asked to put a valuation on something as precious as the archive of a prominent person in our State. I will not go into further details.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I accept the Chair's concerns but I have a valid point as there has been public comment on this issue for quite a while. We must respect the rights of politicians to do what they will, but where the State becomes involved and outside auctioneers are putting a value on something as precious as this, it is time for the ordinary people to express their concern.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: This is where I am expressing my concern.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: The Dublin marathon will take place shortly and I draw the Leader's attention to it. It is a hugely successful event with huge numbers from throughout the country participating, many of them for the benefit of charities. Running as a sport gets nothing like the media coverage it deserves compared with field or contact sports. Will the Leader raise with the relevant Minister the need for...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: Indeed. It seems that this financial matter should be in the public domain. From what I understand, there will be a clamour for that gathering. I suggest that the Committee of Public Accounts inquire into this matter or that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, come before this House to explain how these tax cutbacks work. Who puts a value on the artefacts, papers and portfolios of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism and Competitiveness Strategy: Discussion (9 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I apologise for arriving late. I welcome the witnesses and commend everyone involved in one of the success stories of the economy. As a Kerryman, I note the huge importance of tourism to my county. I am sure the witnesses are well aware of the recent launch of the Kerry county tourism strategy plan, which is fantastic. I was at the launch in St. John's in Listowel. The document is a...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I echo the sentiments expressed by Senator Ó Ríordáin. I was not here yesterday, but we woke up to a very worrying world with the election of Donald Trump as President of the greatest democracy in the world. When I went to school I studied Greek. The word "democracy" comes from the Greek words demosand kratos, meaning the voice of the people, and the concept originated in...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2015 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (10 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I commend the Minister of State on his work in the Department, which he is undertaking with a great degree of success, in fairness. We support the Bill. As the Minister of State has said, it is an enabling provision. We have to make provision for additional funding if and when it becomes necessary. We have no problem with that. I do not have...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2015 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (10 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I am in no hurry.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport will be here shortly, so I will not anticipate the debate.The report on the condition of our rail network was before Cabinet yesterday and was also disgracefully leaked beforehand. The report is very worrying, particularly for those who live in rural Ireland and the remoter parts of the country. I understand comments were made on this before I...

Seanad: Transport, Tourism and Sport: Statements (16 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. The Leas-Chathaoirleach will realise we have got the timing wrong. We are three quarters of an hour into the debate, yet we have three big areas of the Minister's portfolio to discuss. We would have been better-----

Seanad: Transport, Tourism and Sport: Statements (16 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: Yes. The Minister's speech was generously long. He is an old hand in the Seanad and knows well that the longer the Minister's speech, the less chance the rest of us will have.

Seanad: Transport, Tourism and Sport: Statements (16 Nov 2016)

Ned O'Sullivan: I am glad to hear it. The Minister pre-empted my remarks. That will be necessary because there are many aspects of each of the three sections of his portfolio that we would like to assess in greater detail. It is good to have the Minister back in his old stamping ground. We commend much of what he has said and support it. There are aspects of his statement about which we obviously have...