Results 9,581-9,600 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Written Answers — Air Services: Air Services (21 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Question 264: To ask the Minister for Transport his preferred options or expectations in relation to ownership of Aer Lingus in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6897/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Question 266: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which agreement has been reached in relation to wayleaves or land acquisition in regard to transport objectives set out in the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6899/07]

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (21 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Question 269: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will bring forward interim measures to alleviate road traffic congestion in anticipation of Transport 21 with particular reference to addressing the most serious needs in this area at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6902/07]

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (21 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Question 281: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the extent to which she has examined the cause or causes of occurrences of suspected cases of swamp fever here; the way this might have happened; the way it could be prevented; the action taken to prevent a recurrence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6903/07]

Order of Business (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: This is important legislation and the Opposition agrees that it should be processed quickly, but the length of time provided for the debate on this broadcasting Bill is deplorable, cynical and despicable. I protest the proposed guillotine strongly.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I seek your advice, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. There has been a trend in recent times for Ministers to reply to parliamentary questions on areas over which they have responsibility, stating that they have no responsibility to the House. I put down a question on a matter last week——

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: It is because it is about the way we conduct business in the House.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: There is no other method whereby this can be discharged.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: One of my questions asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to indicate how he calculated the legal costs of the Mahon tribunal. I do not understand how that cannot be a matter for the Minister in the House, because he has spoken about it everywhere but in the House. It is about time he accepted his responsibility. I also wanted to ask the Minister for the Environment,...

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: The Minister has responsibility to the House. He funds the local authority. He provides every single penny of capital grants required for the local authority. I strongly object to this growing practice whereby Members of the House are excluded from the information which is then being fed to Government Deputies and candidates on the ground ad libitum.

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Why are we having just one question?

Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: The Tánaiste has gone silent again.

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome this Bill. However, given that it is part of a wider legislative initiative, it would have been more beneficial had we time to pass all the legislation discussed in the e-consultation process. Broadcasting is undergoing major change with the advent of the digital era. The future of free-to-air transmissions is in doubt and legislation will be required in that regard. The needs...

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: The measures proposed in this Bill will be useful to that group of Australians. With regard to the Minister's proposals on technology, I intend to bring amendments on Committee Stage because I am not certain that use will be made of the optimum technology. Although this Bill only forms part of the wider broadcasting legislation currently under consideration, the building blocks put in place...

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I am unsure whether that would be good for the consumer.

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I suspect consumers would be taken aback in the era of high definition television. I take Deputy Broughan's point.

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Some of the Minister's colleagues have paid so many visits to television and radio studios recently that so doing in high definition might prove to be a shock for which the public may not be prepared. Although the public has been shocked on numerous occasions, I will not go into specific instances. Although it should not apply to the service that is being introduced, some Ministers tend to...

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: It was not. I think it was a GAA draw. The first prize was a Volkswagen Golf and the second a video recorder. They were that close together at the time. It came in a box and somebody who knew about these matters asked me whether it was a betacord or VHS recorder. I told him it was a betacord recorder and he told me I ought to get rid of it straightaway because it was old technology. In...

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: It might be called off.

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Hear, hear.