Results 1,261-1,280 of 1,886 for speaker:Fergal Browne

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: Unfortunately, due to matters beyond my control, I had to be absent to attend a brief meeting.

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I came back to the House to hear the Leader's point. I understand she was annoyed by my earlier remark, for which I apologise. I did not mean it in that sense, but I was making a serious point that the time for Adjournment matters should be increased.

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I did not do that.

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: The Leader did not do so when I was present.

Seanad: Mental Health Services: Statements. (9 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Minister of State and his officials to the House. We on the Opposition side of the House welcome the report. The key aspect, as the Minister of State referred to in the latter part of his speech, is the report's implementation. It is good to make up a report over two years, but it is worthless unless it is implemented. Unfortunately, the Department of Health and Children has...

Seanad: Job Creation. (9 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe to the House. For years in Carlow we were told by the IDA that we could not get industry because we did not have a business park. Then thankfully, due to the foresight of the former county manager, Mr. Tom Dowling and the current incumbent, Mr. Joe Crockett as well as the Carlow public representatives, the purchase of a 70-acre piece of...

Seanad: Job Creation. (9 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: That did not seem to apply to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, in Dundalk, to the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney, in Clondalkin or to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, in Cork.

Seanad: Job Creation. (9 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: As one of the fastest growing towns in the country, Carlow is now almost as big as Kilkenny city. The thousands of people who commute from Carlow are forced to waste four hours each day in their cars. I urge the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to bring major industries to Carlow, for which we have been waiting 30 years. We need major industry such as manufacturing to keep the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: Does that also apply to the Dáil?

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I support Members who asked for a debate on fire safety. I suggest we invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the House to ask how many prosecutions for breaches of fire safety have occurred since the Stardust tragedy. I refer in particular to nightclubs, pubs and hotels in regard to which I suspect there have been very few. Will the Leader ask the Minister...

Seanad: Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Services. (22 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, to the House. I wish to raise the serious topic of cystic fibrosis and the care meted out to such patients. I acknowledge the Government's recent allocation of €4.78 million which is a welcome step. No. 26, motion 7, on the Order Paper calls on the Government to take steps to immediately rectify...

Seanad: Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Services. (22 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I am disappointed with the reply, which I believed would be more detailed. It did not place much emphasis on the need for new isolation units. Although the Minister of State acknowledged the need for extra staff, he should reconsider this issue. Perhaps he could communicate directly with me. We have ignored the problem in the past and should now shed light on it. Isolation units and the...

Seanad: Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Services. (22 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: Before Easter?

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I was not here yesterday for the Order of Business but I associate myself with the comments made by my colleague, Senator White, regarding Carlow. I ask for a debate with the Minister for Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources on the matter of directory inquiries and ComReg. A high percentage of the population have mobile phones but we are forced to go through numbers such as 11850...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I urge the Leader to arrange a debate with the Minister for Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources to ask why, when most people have mobile numbers, telephone directories do not list mobile numbers.

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: Why are we forced to go through services such as 11850 and 11811 to access numbers, paying exorbitant rates at the same time?

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: The same applies to land lines.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the amendments but I make the point once again that I do not understand why fines are not index linked. I realise the Attorney General has difficulty with this matter but I suggest to the Minister of State that it be considered at Government level. It makes sense for fines to be index linked, as opposed to being a fixed amount, which goes out of date almost immediately.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I welcome the amendment but question how enforceable the labelling provision will be. It is a massive problem because we have no idea where food is produced. Food is being brought into the country and relabelled as Irish produce when it is not, and it presents a major challenge for everybody involved in the food industry. I was surprised to learn lately that even sugar from the Carlow...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (23 Feb 2006)

Fergal Browne: I share Senator Ryan's view of this Bill. When it was first introduced, I asked for a briefing on it and was told that it was quite simple and contained few major provisions apart from expanding the categories of people who can write prescriptions to include nurses. That was an important selling point in what appeared to be welcome legislation but matters transpired very differently and the...