Results 941-960 of 1,229 for speaker:Denis Landy

Seanad: Ash Dieback Disease: Statements (29 Apr 2015)

Denis Landy: I welcome my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, to the House. Perhaps he might tell us whether something wrong with John O'Dwyer's hurley caused the ball to go right of the post by two inches last year. Was it affected by ash dieback? The Minister of State might comment on that when he is bringing the debate to a conclusion. On a more serious note, I commend the...

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (30 Apr 2015)

Denis Landy: I thank the Minister. As always, he is keen to take on board views across the floor, both in the Seanad and in the Dáil. He is always available to engage with Members of both Houses on issues and even this morning, I was at another briefing with him. This is important, as Senator O'Neill stated, because there seemed to be a "whatever you are having yourself" type of an attitude...

Seanad: Report of the Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (5 May 2015)

Denis Landy: I welcome our guests here today. As somebody who canvassed vigorously for the retention of the Seanad, against the wishes of many people in my party, I am glad the Seanad was retained but it is now time for reform. I do not envy the task of those who brought forward the report. For every suggestion and proposal there will be a counter proposal and a set of questions, rightly so and...

Seanad: Report of the Working Group on Seanad Reform 2015: Statements (5 May 2015)

Denis Landy: He will not mind. For the attention of the House, I made this point in a previous debate on this issue. On average, each Senator who is elected from the 43 through the panels gets 75 votes. Each one of those votes is provided by a councillor who was elected on average with 1,500 votes; it is now much more since the previous election. That equates to in excess of 100,000 votes that each...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (27 May 2015)

Denis Landy: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this matter. I greatly appreciate it, as I am aware that she was under some time constraint to get here this morning. In October 2012, the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, published a document entitled Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Government. That...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (27 May 2015)

Denis Landy: I thank the Minister of State to taking this matter as I know she was under a time constraint in getting to the House. I am pleased, in the main, with the response. Now that we have established a review is going ahead, I ask her to follow up on the terms of reference and the timescale for the outcome of the review as well as the invitation to the spokespersons on local government in both...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Government Reform (27 May 2015)

Denis Landy: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2015)

Denis Landy: I commend and welcome the report published yesterday on farm safety which was compiled by the Seanad Public Consultation Committee. I commend in particular Senator Martin Conway and Senator Denis O'Donovan and the other Members who were involved in it. There is a farm-related death practically every week. Last Sunday a two-year old child died in Cork in an accident with a horse box. I...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Leader Programmes Administration (11 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Ann Phelan. I commend her for the work she has done on the issue of rural development since her appointment and the work that has been done to date on the report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas, CEDRA. This Commencement matter relates to that issue and...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Leader Programmes Administration (11 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I thank the Minister of State. Most of the questions in my Commencement matter were answered in the reply. I am pleased there will be support, both technical and in terms of training, for the people on the board, which is very important.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Leader Programmes Administration (11 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I am aware that in some counties, including my own, there is not just one application made. In that regard I hope people can come together, not hold up the process and reach a compromise. I spoke to councillors across the country in recent days in preparation for this and in some counties they have one application. Limerick is an example where three different groups came together and made...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: A number of people in my area have brought to my attention the new - or not so new - concept of angel workshops. It purports to provide angel therapy, a non-denominational spiritual healing system. It may seem like a funny subject until one realises that people are paying €50 or €60 per session to talk to the angels. Some of the people who have contacted me have other...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I ask the Deputy Leader to raise the matter with the Minister and perhaps she can have some divine intervention on the matter.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I wish to speak on amendment No. 5, subsection (dc) which refers to "the Living Wage as set for the relevant period" but before doing so, I commend the Minister of State on the work he has done in this area since coming into office. A great deal of work has been done and high standards are being achieved, but the Labour Party does not intend to stop at the minimum wage. Our intention is to...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I join with Senator Darragh O’Brien in raising the plight of the workers of Clerys, many of whom I met at lunchtime. Several issues were brought up with me which I said I would raise on the floor of the House today. Obviously, we have to deal with the bigger issue, a point already articulated by Senator Norris. The workers asked me to raise two issues. First, Clerys, as of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Derelict Sites (18 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, to the House and commend him on his work, particularly in recent weeks, in the brief relating to housing and the new legislation on urban regeneration. He came in with a swagger of a Munster champion and I hope we can sort that out in the next couple of weeks.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Derelict Sites (18 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: This is a very serious issue. I attended a forum on rural development with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, last week and this was one of the biggest issues that arose. It concerns the blight of derelict sites on rural towns. Right across the country, we can see that businesses have closed and people have left houses for one reason or...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Derelict Sites (18 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I thank the Minister of State for his very strong and forthright response. He served as a member of the local authority in Waterford for many years, and I served with him on a regional authority. We are very familiar with this type of situation. The Minister of State is not just knowledgeable in theory but also in practice. I am dismayed to find out that in 2013, only 44 derelict sites...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (18 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: Get your ducks in a row, Darragh.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jun 2015)

Denis Landy: I welcome the resolution of the outstanding issues in the provision of medical cards for children aged six years and under. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to a legend of hurling, Jimmy Doyle, who passed away suddenly yesterday in Thurles. He was a man who loved to talk about hurling, but he never wanted to talk about himself as a hurler. He was named on the team of the century and...