Results 1,301-1,320 of 4,676 for speaker:Dessie Ellis

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Proposals on Roadworthiness Testing: Discussion with Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (13 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: We have seen an increase in the number of quad bikes on the main roads and they are not subject to the same regulations that apply to other vehicles. Do the witnesses have an opinion on their use?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Proposals on Roadworthiness Testing: Discussion with Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (13 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: Will we say in our report that we agree with the positions in any way or will we just give a breakdown of them? I am curious because there appears to be general consensus.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: EU Proposals on Roadworthiness Testing: Discussion with Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (13 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: That is fair enough.

Topical Issue Debate: Traveller Community (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: Ireland is proud of its place in the world. It is a nation, almost alone in Europe, which since the first formation of its nationhood has owned no slaves, colonised no land, divided no peoples. This is only half of Ireland's story. Ireland has a great shame that it denies. The great stain on this nation's character is the grave mistreatment of a small but significant population of Irish...

Topical Issue Debate: Traveller Community (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: There have been cases of judges making horrible and derogatory comments about members of the Traveller community and using terms such as the K-word to describe them in open court. I use the latter term because using the actual word for which it is substituted is no less heinous than using the N-word.

Topical Issue Debate: Traveller Community (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: The incident such as that which happened in Donegal should be viewed in the same light as racism. I am aware of another incident in my constituency involving people who were walking home to a refugee centre. On four different occasions cars drove by them and objects were thrown. This type of incident can lead to something much worse. Is there any way we can strengthen our anti-hate laws...

Topical Issue Debate: Traveller Community (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: I have heard Deputies in the House use the same anti-Traveller tone as that employed by the councillors in question.

Other Questions: Prescription Charges (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a double charging of the prescription charge on medical card holders where the prescription item, as prescribed by the general practitioner, is not available in the milligram dosage prescribed, for example, 15mg of a given tablet available only in 10mg and 5mg, 7.5mg of a given tablet available only in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: To ask the Minister for Health the reason the new epilepsy monitoring unit at Cork University Hospital and the redevelopment unit at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, remain unopened, in view of the completion of the units in the autumn of 2012 at an estimated spend of €900,000; if he will address this situation in the interest of epilepsy patients here; the timeframe for the opening of these...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Discussion with Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: I, too, thank Mr. McGuinness for his presentation. I have a number of questions for the delegates. Mr. McGuinness has mentioned that the organisation proposes to submit a number of amendments to the Bill. I look forward to receiving them. On the lack of taxi ranks, which is the responsibility of the local authorities and causing much concern for many members of TTnH, I do not know how...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Discussion with Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: It will be in the Dáil next week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Discussion with Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann (14 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: I wish to return to the issue of transferability. It has been a major issue for the industry. The taxi review group indicated that it would not happen, but there appears to have been a change of mind. Will the witness indicate how he thinks that could work? With regard to the taxi review group that drafted the document, the big disappointment from the taxi drivers' point of view was that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the discussions he has had with the Department of Justice and Equality and experts on the Good Friday Agreement over the course of the drafting of the Taxi Regulation Bill in view of the devastating effect its measures may have on former political prisoners related to the conflict on this island; the reason for not including any recognition...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: I thank the Minister of State. New taxi regulations could result in the disqualification or suspension of drivers who have convictions relating to the conflict between republicans and the British State on this island. It is recognised that this conflict was a special circumstance and that those who received convictions in the course of the conflict should not be treated as common criminals....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: In any consideration of an individual's constitutional rights, such as the right to a livelihood or ownership of property, the doctrine of proportionality would apply. In the case of Cox v. Ireland, the Supreme Court considered section 34 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 which provides that a State employee who is convicted of a scheduled offence in the Special Criminal Court shall...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: I will come back and ask a number of questions. Has the Minister of State looked at the Bill properly? Sinn Féin have sought legal advice and we believe it is unconstitutional. What legal proofing did the Minister do of the Bill? The Minister of State mentioned the Department of Justice and Equality. The Government signed the Good Friday Agreement but the Bill puts disproportionate...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Taxi Regulations (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: The Government signed up to the Good Friday Agreement, an internationally recognised agreement, where people who took part in the conflict would be treated in a certain way. That should be binding. This is putting serious pressure on people who have been in the taxi industry for many years. The fact the Minister of State is looking at this retrospectively is the problem. I understand the...

Other Questions: Road Maintenance (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: It is wrong to suggest that many local authorities are cutting back proportionately more than the Department on projects. My experience is that Dublin City Council, DCC, is tailoring all projects as much it can, including roads projects. I refer to the A5 project, which the Minister said would be funded in 2014. If money became available, is there any way that project could be considered?...

Mortgage Restructuring: Motion [Private Members] (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: I move:That Dáil Éireann: recognises that:— the two biggest issues in housing are mortgage distress and the lack of social housing; and — the current Government has pursued a policy to pass responsibility for providing social housing onto the private sector and has continued to deplete the public housing stock;notes that:— one in four mortgage holders in the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Waste Management Issues (19 Feb 2013)

Dessie Ellis: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to reopen Dunsink Lane linking Finglas to Castleknock, Dublin, in view of the resolution of many of the issues which resulted in its closure. [8576/13]