Results 1,301-1,320 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I do, and it is a very serious question. Did the Government submit any position papers to our EU partners or is it simply sitting on the sidelines? It becomes more apparent with each passing week that the Taoiseach is clueless in these matters and that we are simply being told by our EU partners that the treaty must be signed up to by the end of March. The Oireachtas, on behalf of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: Has the Government submitted position papers? What has it said in negotiations? Is it correct that the Taoiseach intends to tell his EU partners, instead of the Irish people, whether we require a referendum? The proposed treaty changes have serious ramifications for the future sovereignty of this country. We must have answers to these questions.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: Senator Healy Eames is very vocal today. She must be getting a hard time from rural schools.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: The Senator is very jumpy this morning. She must have had a tough weekend.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: The rural schools must be giving Senator Healy Eames a hard time.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: They should get themselves a couple of decent representatives and they might then get a few quid for the roads in Sligo.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: We are looking for the Government position.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: On a point of order-----

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I seek to correct the record of the House. That is not what I asked. I wanted to know the current Government position.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: The Senator might declare his interest.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I ask the Deputy Leader to make contact with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, to invite him to meet the residents of Priory Hall. Dublin City Council is being of no assistance at this stage to the residents who are still, in effect, homeless. Numerous requests have been sent to the Minister by the residents' group in Priory Hall but he has...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I would like the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, to come to the House today. I know, however, that will not be possible, but I seek a commitment that he will come to the House next week for a detailed debate to explain to me what the Government is doing. Not only is there an attack on rural schools but in this instance there is an attack on minority faith schools....

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sure my colleagues across the House would be most concerned about this departure as well. I ask that the Deputy Leader would request the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House at the earliest date next week.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: It is now. That has changed.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: When Fianna Fáil changed the pupil-teacher ratio, the Senator went ballistic. Is she joking?

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: This is the greatest road to Damascus-style conversion I have ever seen. It is incredible.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not the issue.

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group on Small Business: Statements (Resumed) (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the Minister to the House for this important debate. I commend him for the amount of time he has spent in this Chamber on the small business area. The report from the advisory group indicates that we have more than 200,000 businesses employing approximately 665,000 people. We all know people in areas in our constituencies who are running businesses. I will focus on several...

Seanad: Report of Advisory Group on Small Business: Statements (Resumed) (19 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: True.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I oppose the proposal to take No. 1 without debate. I do so on the basis that the Joint Committee on Investigations, Oversight and Petitions was set up prior to the decision of the people in the referendum to reject the proposed 30th amendment to the Constitution. As the Government's proposals were not acceptable to the public it is not acceptable that this committee should sit at all. It...