Results 13,761-13,780 of 24,348 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The former Minister of State at the Department of Health, Ms Kathleen Lynch, was working on that issue. I will be happy to have the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, come to the House to discuss the matter. Senator Higgins raised the issue of migration. We have asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to come...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I will not politicise the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator Murnane O'Connor raised the issue of beds in the mental health services. The Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Helen McEntee, increased funding for mental health this year. She has taken a proactive approach to mental heath. It is important to talk more about mental health and achieve a cross-party consensus on the issue. As I am not familiar with the...

Seanad: Industrial Dispute at Tesco Ireland: Motion (21 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: To get cross-party support, I will second the motion as Leader, on behalf of the rest of the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on developments in the organic sector and on the greyhound industry, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to conclude no later than 2.45 p.m. with the contribution of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes each and the Minister to be given ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 2, statements...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Beauty's home.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I had better begin with Senator Wilson's final remark. I share his views that the Taoiseach is and has been a strong, prolific leader of our people across the world stage. As Senator Wilson well knows, being in government is a difficult task and some Members of the House need to understand that one cannot say yes or no all the time. One has to have a bit of steel and a bit of bottle. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: If I could finish the sentence, I hope he will remain as Taoiseach in the immediate future so that we can have a strong hand at the tiller in the Brexit negotiations. We should learn from other parties. We do not just anoint people. In both of the main parties we have a process to elect and select people not an anointment in a backroom.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: We have them too.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I say to Senator Wilson that as he is well aware, democratic centralism is alive and well in some parties. It is uno duce, una vocein some places, unlike our party. I thank the Senator for his kind remarks.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Some day I am sure Senator Ó Donnghaile would like to join us.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: We are the real republicans over here. We take the hard decisions in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Senators Conway-Walsh, Gallagher, Hopkins and Wilson raised the issue of Bus Éireann. It is a very important and serious matter that has given much concern to many people in the country who depend on Bus Éireann for transport. Members correctly identified some of the reasons people travel which include for hospital appointments, to go into the local village or to travel to visit...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The Government is committed to engagement and to ensure we have connectivity for people in rural areas. I welcome visitors in the Visitors Gallery from Athlone who depend on bus travel and public transport. The Government is committed to that. The Minister, Deputy Ross, is aware of his role and responsibility-----

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: -----and he will not be found wanting. As a trade unionist, Senator Gavan should know better than most the process that is involved. As he knows well, megaphone diplomacy or trying to score political points will not solve this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: There must be meaningful engagement by all sides in the resolution of this impasse. The Government has increased the PSO. It has increased funding to Bus Éireann. It is now a matter for the management and the unions to sit down and engage in the process. We must ensure there is connectivity and public transport links. We must also examine how we can deliver a better service for the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: Here we go. We are off again.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: The slogans are quite simple. I will outline a couple of slogans that are interesting. The number of people employed in the country is now 206,000 higher than when the Action Plan for Jobs was launched in 2012. A total of 6.8% of people are unemployed-----

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: -----compared to 15.1%.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2017)

Jerry Buttimer: I will repeat what I said. I know Senator Gavan does not like good news about jobs. A total of 206,000 more people are at work than when the Action Plan for Jobs was announced in 2012, and, unfortunately, 6.8% of people are unemployed.