Results 881-900 of 3,652 for speaker:Michael Collins

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (12 Dec 2018)

Michael Collins: Previously a garda would tell a person to drop in to the Garda station and produce his or her licence. Could we have a proper debate on the issue? Will the Taoiseach stand by those law-abiding people and not allow the changes to go ahead?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Dec 2018)

Michael Collins: Page 108 of the programme for Government, in the section on agriculture, states: "The priority for agriculture must be to reward farmers for producing quality food." It was recently revealed that factories have been fined 21 times this year for excessive carcass-trimming. This trimming is carried out before carcasses are weighed to calculate payments to the farmer who owns the cattle....

Local Government Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Michael Collins: I would like to speak to the amendment. Deputy Ryan is well able to speak on behalf of the people of Cork, especially as he come down to my parish to get married. I would never doubt his good intentions for the people of Cork. The Bill will have detrimental consequences for people living in County Cork and in the constituency I represent. I have no doubt about this. I have brought...

Local Government Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)

Michael Collins: In his reply the Minister of State said that discussions have been going on since 2011. I was elected to this House in 2016 and before that I was a member of Cork County Council. If discussions have been going on at ground level, why was the Government not listening to the councillors? They are the people at ground level to whom the Minister of State should be listening. I was listening...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Dec 2018)

Michael Collins: In the programme for Government, under the heading, Road Investment, the Government promised to increase the budget for local and regional roads "by approximately 50% in the years ahead as the national finances are repaired". Almost three years after the programme for Government was commenced, the condition of many of our local and regional roads is appalling. I witnessed 11 vehicles with...

Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Dec 2018)

Michael Collins: This is a very important Bill. The amendment to the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 will establish specific grounds with regard to getting some orphan products assigned to the reimbursements list. Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more rare conditions in Ireland and it is vital those receiving medication for rare conditions are entitled to get it reimbursed through...

Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. The HSE was established in 2005. In 2013, a directorate governance structure was put in place for the HSE as a temporary measure until the latter's functions could be moved elsewhere. Under the health reform programme, this directorate structure has remained in place for longer than planned. The Government states that this is because of the...

Rural Crime: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: I am delighted to be able to introduce this motion with my colleagues in the Rural Independent Group. I thank Triona and David in Deputy Mattie McGrath’s office for their assistance in this regard. Coming from a rural area in west Cork, I know only too well the fear and worry caused by rural crime in our communities, especially among isolated people living alone who may be elderly...

Nurses and Midwives: Motion [Private Members] (16 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: Last night I talked about the disgrace our health service has become. The INMO and PNA have served notice of industrial action for the weeks ahead. Both unions have been forced into taking such action in the interest of patients and everyone who uses the public health service. Nurses and midwives are the lowest paid graduate professionals in our health services. This is not acceptable....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: Morale among Irish fishermen is at an all-time low. These hardworking men across the country have given blood, sweat and tears to their profession and have seen their every right eroded by successive Governments year after year, decade after decade. Fishermen have no faith in the political system. They feel strongly that there is no concession to be made in any negotiations with Europe and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: And fisherwomen.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. Irish fishermen face uncertain times in Irish waters due to Brexit. In the UK British Ministers and MPs are making it very clear that when Brexit kicks in, Irish fishermen are to be kicked out of UK waters. This is how they will protect their fishermen going forward. What will happen when other European vessels are put out of UK waters? The real...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: Bring them back.

National Broadband Plan: Motion [Private Members] (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: I will start by citing an article from the website, thejournal.ie.Ireland really is in the dark ages, and rural Ireland even further behind that. No transportation links, no garda stations, terrible roads, [now no post offices and no pubs but, in particular] no broadband. All because of where you live. Rural people are forgotten about, because we obviously don’t matter. It saddens...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Joint Committee on Rural and Community Development
Common Agricultural Policy: Discussion (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: The discussions have been based mainly on the CAP programme. With many farmers' incomes under severe pressure currently, we need to protect the family farm. In recent years the way a number of CAP programmes have been rolled out has meant that in many cases farmers are forced out of their family farms to go to work. Is there anyone listening at all? I hope there is because I have a number...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Joint Meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Joint Committee on Rural and Community Development
Common Agricultural Policy: Discussion (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: The discussions have been based mainly on the CAP programme. With many farmers' incomes under severe pressure currently, we need to protect the family farm. In recent years the way a number of CAP programmes have been rolled out has meant that in many cases farmers are forced out of their family farms to go to work. Is there anyone listening at all? I hope there is because I have a number...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: On page 53 of the programme for Government it is stated the Government recognises the value of rural transport and will examine how best to improve rural bus network services in regions. Over Christmas and new year period hundreds of people vented their fury to me at how the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, had been allowed by the Government, supported by Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, to...

Local Government Bill 2018: From the Seanad (23 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: I will be brief because people already know my views on this issue. These amendments are very much based on Galway but circumstances similar to those in Galway exist in Cork city. I offer my full support to the public representatives in Galway and its surrounds because they know at first hand the effects this measure will have on their area. I can see what is going to happen in my...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: There is no doubt that this Bill will have significant implications for landlords of residential properties. While I welcome the protection of tenants and I believe the Bill will give tenants more rights, I am afraid that the Bill is anti-landlord. I imagine that it is very hard for the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to find a balance because I acknowledge that sometimes I would be on the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Jan 2019)

Michael Collins: Is the Tánaiste aware that smaller Irish fishing vessels have rights over only 13% of the national fish quota? Fishing quotas are very unequally distributed and traditional fishing families are being squeezed out. For example, in 2018 a tier 1 boat could fish 437 tonnes, but now, due to penalties imposed for exceeding the quota, the allowance for that boat has been reduced to 70...