Results 1,381-1,400 of 2,018 for speaker:Pat Casey

Seanad: Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (No. 2) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Jul 2020)

Pat Casey: Workers' rights are protected in primary legislation and every employer must comply with that legislation. It is not true, therefore, that workers have no rights in the workplace. In all my time as an employer, I have tried to do the best by my employees. I used the joint labour committee, JLC, arrangements for numerous years, until the collapse of those arrangements. I actually found it...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 Jul 2020)

Pat Casey: I ask the Leader to request that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government come before us in September. That request has been made by a number of other Senators in order to discuss social and affordable housing and the homeless crisis. The issue I wish to raise comprises two interconnected aspects.One of these relates to the county development plan process, which every county...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: The issue I wish to raise relates to a number of Departments. I refer to the local property tax. We are in a year when all family and household incomes have suffered a negative impact due to Covid-19, yet we are asking local authority members to increase the property tax, thereby increasing the burden on those same households.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: That could have been avoided if previous Governments had addressed the two fundamental issues of the revaluation process and the fact that the property tax was not paid on new homes that were built, thus increasing the burden on the owners of existing properties.I accept that dealing with this issue is now in the programme for Government, but regretfully, legislation is required to deal with...

Seanad: Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: I congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on his appointment last Friday. I was sitting in the office waiting for the vote to be called but, the next minute, I heard people congratulating him. No vote was needed.

Seanad: Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: Six months after my election to the Seanad, this is my first time speaking in the Chamber. It has taken a while. I welcome this Bill, which will amend the Investment Limited Partnerships Act 1994 in several ways with the main aim of making Ireland a more attractive domicile for private equity funds. Enactment of this investment partnership legislation is also a commitment included in the...

Seanad: Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: I welcome the Minister of State. I come from County Wicklow, which has been at the heart of forestry.It has been a huge and integral part of our economy, but more than that, generations of families have earned their living from forestry for decades. This legislation cannot come quickly enough. The forestry industry is in crisis. The Minister of State was in Shillelagh last week, in the...

Seanad: Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: I also disagree with the amendments. While I can accept the genuine thrust behind them, we must all accept we have a planning process with which most people are familiar and the same timeframes are applied in respect of a planning process.This point in the engagement is not the first time the appellant has engaged with the process. He or she is well aware of the process and will have made...

Seanad: Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: Perhaps I misspoke at the time. The Government brought in legislation that allowed the planning system to extend it by three months. I did not mean to say that this legislation gave the Minister of State this power. There was emergency legislation, however, and part of that legislation took the planning Act into account. It also took into account that individuals were not in a position to...

Seanad: Investment Limited Partnerships (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: Why?

Seanad: National Screening Advisory Committee Bill 2020: Second Stage (30 Sep 2020)

Pat Casey: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and thank Senators Norris, Boyhan and Craughwell for highlighting this campaign again, as that is required to keep it to the fore and in our minds. It is an incredible piece of legislation that is required and I welcome it. Coming from Wicklow, I met Les and his family on a number of occasions. The Senator has set out their position. As Les says, this...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House, although I am disappointed it is not the Minister for Tourism. If I had a planning matter, I would be delighted to see the Minister of State here, but that is not the case today. This Commencement matter relates to the equality of treatment for the hospitality sector. I call on the Minister of State to set out the evidence that clearly shows...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: I thank the Minister of State for his response. My comments are not directed at him. The response refers to level 3 so it does not even admit that the sector is at level 5. That is where we are. It would be something for the Government to acknowledge that in reality the hospitality sector is at level 5. Being asked to survive with 15 customers outside and for people to stay in a hotel in...

Seanad: Leaving Certificate 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: Senators Murphy and Byrne are sharing time.

Seanad: Leaving Certificate 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: Senators Seery Kearney and Buttimer are sharing three minutes each.

Seanad: Leaving Certificate 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: I am sorry but that is what Senator Buttimer said.

Seanad: Leaving Certificate 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: I am running out of time so there is not room for each speaker to have six minutes.

Seanad: Leaving Certificate 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: I thank the Minister for the leadership, calmness and empathy she has shown to students, teachers and everybody in the education system at a time when everybody was running around like headless chickens looking for media attention. I also thank her for the respect she has shown the House by always making herself available.

Seanad: Teachtaireacht ón Dáil - Message from Dáil (8 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: Dáil Éireann agreed on 7 October 2020 to the amendments made by Seanad Éireann to the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2019.

Seanad: Budget 2021: Statements (14 Oct 2020)

Pat Casey: I warmly welcome the Minister. Yesterday, we saw the introduction of the largest budget in the history of the State. It is designed to take us through the greatest challenges faced by the people of Ireland since the formation of the State. Each of these challenges is massive but together they present a clear and present danger to the health and well-being of every man, woman and child in...