Results 101-120 of 190 for speaker:Mark Dearey

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (14 Jul 2010)

Mark Dearey: This presents a challenge to our party. We all have a background in activism and have been the beneficiaries of pro bono work, in my case in the action against the Sellafield plant which was of exceptional public interest, as was the case concerning Mullaghmore and several others. I do not know how high the hurdle is, but it will be interesting to see how the provision will be interpreted....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (14 Jul 2010)

Mark Dearey: This presents a major challenge for the legal profession It will be interesting to see how the point about cases of exceptional public importance develop during the years. The Minister of State has done what can be done to allow the tradition to continue.

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2010)

Mark Dearey: Picking up where the previous Senator left off on supporting small business, I call on the Leader to facilitate a debate on a subset of that theme, namely, sustaining employers. My experience over the summer has shown that many employers are paying themselves last and are among the first to take the hit in terms of pay within their small businesses. They are doing all they can to pay...

Seanad: National Economy: Statements (30 Sep 2010)

Mark Dearey: I wish to share time, by agreement of the House, with Senator John Hanafin.

Seanad: National Economy: Statements (30 Sep 2010)

Mark Dearey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I will reflect on some of what can be seen as almost congenital fault lines which existed in the economy that led to exaggerated expansion and subsequent falls in our economic fortunes. I will be very brief because there is no point in doing this in a recriminatory sense. There is a point in examining the issue if we can learn from it. We have...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: With regard to the public service obligation, peat is a relatively expensive way of generating electricity per kilowatt-hour. As long as oil prices are high, peat will be competitive as power can be produced at roughly the same cost as oil. When oil prices drop, as they have done, peat becomes an expensive way to produce electricity. Without the levy, the people working in those power...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: They would have to wait until oil prices crept back up to approximately $100 per barrel before being employed again. The Senator should explain that to her people before telling me the PSO levy-----

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: -----is not a useful mechanism to sustain employment in the midlands.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: The bulk of the PSO levy, which is approximately €150 million, goes towards the sustenance of those midlands stations, as somebody else has said. I hope that explains the issue.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: It concerns the impact on the Senator's area of removing the PSO levy.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: A portion of the levy goes to wind power, which is also more expensive to produce per kilowatt-hour than oil at current prices. If the price goes to €100 a barrel again, wind-generated energy will become a competitive alternative. If it goes to €147 a barrel, a price at which it spiked in July 2008, wind will become much cheaper. Arguing whether wind is cheap or not all depends where...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: Someone who changes a supplier will get the 5% PSO charge back plus another 9% in savings. That is sound advice to struggling households to assist them in finding a way out of the difficulty in which they may find themselves. The majority of householders, however, have not yet done that with only 26% making the change. I know the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: I accept there are larger users which need to enjoy competitiveness in energy prices, many of which are lobbying for it. For example, while IBEC's chief researcher, Mr. Fergal O'Brien, recently asserted electricity prices are higher in Ireland, its pre-budget submission does not quote any statistics to back this up. Mark Fielding, chief executive of ISME, never tires of saying Irish energy...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: We have heard enough about cutting quangos. Senator Coffey would not believe the number of quangos that exists around the British nuclear industry. I have had experience of dealing with the dozens of them from being involved in a court action against British Nuclear Fuels plc for 11 years.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: Then there is the waste and disposal issue. I often hear this soft purring of approval from Fine Gael when it comes to nuclear power.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: Fine Gael should deal with this issue properly.

Seanad: Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy: Statements (7 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: Trading and Investing in the Smart Economy is a welcome document which ties in with other job creation and sectoral development strategies such as the report of the high level group on green enterprise. Senator Donohoe challenged how well the integration of the various strategies was proceeding. A more integrated approach is being taken in this regard. The first thing that the trading and...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: From what I have heard this morning, the Opposition parties are speaking out of both sides of their mouth, when they assess how we can deal with our deep financial crisis yet continue to be all things to all people.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: There is no sign that the Opposition understands just how critical is the current situation. There is a huge gulf on consensus on that issue. This is an absolutely critical situation. Our public deficit is running at €19 billion per annum and this has to be borrowed. This means the markets have to place some faith in this country so we fill that enormous gap. This requires us to...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2010)

Mark Dearey: The Taoiseach continues to work on the concept. There are many voices among our partners in Government who see merit in the idea, but I see no indication from the Opposition parties that they are willing to take the offer seriously or that they understand the serious situation in which the country finds itself right now. On behalf of the Green Party, I commend the Garda Síochána for its...