Results 881-900 of 1,886 for speaker:Fergal Browne

Seanad: Nursing Home Charges: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

Fergal Browne: It begs the question of why there is a need to hold an inquiry if the result is already known.

Seanad: Nursing Home Charges: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

Fergal Browne: The Tánaiste is aware of what constitutes collective responsibility. She has been lucky enough to be in Cabinet for almost eight years. She should have discussed this but she did not. The major decision to award medical cards to over-70 year olds in 2001 was not properly thought out and has led to this unholy mess. The Government wants to turn the clock back and go back years. It is being...

Seanad: Nursing Home Charges: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

Fergal Browne: In 2003 one health board went to the bother of obtaining an 80-page legal opinion which concluded that the charges were illegal. The most shocking aspect of this sorry saga is that patients in nursing homes and their families who queried their obligation to pay were able to get away with not paying. However, anyone unable to speak up for him or herself continued to pay. I agree with the...

Seanad: Nursing Home Charges: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

Fergal Browne: We are fully in favour of that approach. I was in contact with the Health Service Executive yesterday and was informed that the practice of the former health board in the Carlow area was that 75% of a pension was taken, which makes perfect sense. Nobody would query that. The Government and politicians have failed miserably. We should not forget that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law...

Seanad: Nursing Home Charges: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

Fergal Browne: Nobody was happy with that scenario. We should learn from those mistakes. If people have been wronged they deserve compensation. The last thing we need is for taxpayers to be doubly punished by large legal teams capitalising on the issue. The Supreme Court ruled that there is nothing wrong with having charges for long-term care. I do not know any political party that would quibble with that...

Seanad: Nursing Home Charges: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

Fergal Browne: It would make sense for people to know their care entitlements when they reach a certain age. That is sorely lacking at present. It is a failure of the previous Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, that when medical cards were introduced for over-70 year olds, such a Bill was not introduced at the same time. We need to clarify exactly to what people are entitled as they grow...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: I agree with Senator O'Toole on the need for the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House to explain her plans, if any, to address the potential dangers of a flu pandemic which occurs every few decades. As far as I know, our plan dates back to 2002 and has not been updated. Today in Luxembourg, 22 countries will meet to discuss this important topic. England already has 14.6...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: I know that.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: Senator Mansergh is wrong about that.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: People are moving from buses to Luas instead of from cars. We should have a debate on that issue.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: They are not.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: It is a success, but people are transferring from buses to Luas.

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: Shopkeepers are expected to determine the age of a person who is trying to purchase cigarettes.

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Minister to the House and commend my colleague Senator Cummins on his initiative in undertaking the great task of publishing a Private Members' Bill and doing all the necessary research thereon. It is amazing to hear the hypocrisy of the Government. Only two and a half years ago, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform indicated he was willing to examine this area and...

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am receiving many telephone calls about the same Minister of State complaining of his stance on the sugar factory in Carlow and rail depots. I will leave that matter for a separate night.

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: I certainly do. It firmly belongs in Carlow. The Government speaks a lot about value for money and ensuring that taxpayers' money is well spent. Both I and people living in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny and in the south east, have grave concerns about the proposed new motorway. The original route was changed substantially to accommodate Roadstone. The originally planned bridge was doubled...

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: I have raised it with the Chairman. Representatives of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government appeared before the PAC today. It is the only committee on which Senators may not sit and, as such, we are at a major disadvantage. I ask the Minister of State to examine this issue in Bennettsbridge. He will have an interest in it given that he lives close to the area in...

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: The Government should ask serious questions about the Department's intervention on behalf of a private company and the reasons the amount of dolomite allegedly present in the mine has never been quantified, business plans went missing, the compensation to be paid to Roadstone will be 38 cent per tonne of dolomite given that it is valued at 3 cent per tonne, and the doubling of the size of the...

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: It is worthless and a firm would be hard pressed to list it as an asset. While it had a function in the past, this is no longer the case.

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Mar 2005)

Fergal Browne: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I appreciate he was not aware of the specific case I outlined. He should note that one section of the land covered by the project in question has been treated as commercial, although it is currently an agricultural field, which has significantly inflated its value. Having drawn the Minister of State's attention to the project, I ask that it be...