Results 1,441-1,460 of 26,465 for speaker:John McGuinness

Seanad: State Airports (4 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: The Senator can take it that it is work in progress and plans are awaited. That process must be completed before either of the two Ministers will make a statement on that matter.

Seanad: State Airports (4 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: That is a matter for consideration once the business plan and everything else is considered. As I outlined in my reply, a process exists and we must wait for that process to be completed.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments (4 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I thank Senator Ó Domhnaill for raising this issue. The Minister assures the Senator and the House that he appreciates the importance of adequately resourcing the courts system in County Donegal and elsewhere. The question of additional judicial resources in the northern circuit or in the Donegal district is, however, a matter...

Seanad: Hospital Services (4 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: I omitted to mention to Senator Ó Domhnaill that I appreciate his comments and suggestions and that I will bring them to the attention of the Minister. I thank Senator Keaveney for raising this matter on the Adjournment. The Government decided in July 2005 to improve geographic access for patients in the north west to radiation oncology services. It was decided to facilitate access to...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: I wish to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, and Deputies Power, Nolan, Thomas Byrne and White.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: "The old order changeth, yielding place to new," said Tennyson, in a poem which begins, "So all day long the noise of battle roll'd", capturing the turbulence and soul searching which great changes often bring. The trouble with Ireland, unlike Camelot, is that the old order is taking too long to change, despite the noise of economic battles, and introspection is not providing radical...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: I will first deal with public sector reform, the elephant in the room, the old order that must change. We and the trade unions are requiring public service personnel to provide services to a modern economy within a system and a culture that are outdated and inefficient. Companies and individuals in the private sector, who contribute enormous sums to the public purse, are demanding change as...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: Deputy Harney cannot change the direction or the culture of that Titanic in three years. It will take longer, cost more and will be a hard slog for a Minister whose courage and ability no one has any reason to doubt, but whose hands are tied, as everybody here knows, by faction fights, vested interests and inertia.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: Labour and Fine Gael came into this House knowing this.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: However they couldn't resist the call of the headline and the lure of cheap publicity, which they put before the respect they should have for someone who is doing a great job in difficult circumstances on behalf of this country. I have no difficulty admitting that we have made mistakes.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: Neither have I any difficulty in understanding how and why those mistakes were made and accepting them as the natural consequences of a steep learning curve. Change, ideally should be the child of foresight and planning, but is frequently an orphan who arrives on the doorsteps of governments, commercial enterprises and individuals bearing gifts or problems, or both, all needing immediate...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: How dare they twist statistics and exploit understandable mistakes to make petty political points? How dare they use exterior events over which we have no control as examples of mismanagement?

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: It is true that we made mistakes, but it is untrue that we could have prepared in any real way for the fact that we were going to do so well. Infrastructure development of all types everywhere follows success as, initially, do mistakes. Nobody can prepare for something that may happen, the extent of which is unknown, by spending money yet to be earned. It is disingenuous to suggest...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: Can the Opposition Members tell me, with their pockets full of flawed statistics, the answer to one question? How is it, amid all the doom and gloom they laid before us yesterday, that the Central Statistics Office announced this morning that Ireland is creating a net extra 1,300 jobs a week? Please explain. As an economy we are where we should be: fighting for our share of the high-end...

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: They were voted on by some of the Deputy's colleagues.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: The truth would be fine.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: So should the Deputy because he has given misinformation in this House for the past two nights. He has misquoted statistics. He is a disgrace.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: Not one proposal came from that side.

Competitiveness of the Economy: Motion (Resumed) (5 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: The Deputy misquoted statistics.

Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (6 Dec 2007)

John McGuinness: I commend the budget to the House. We have had a lengthy debate on what turned out to be a very prudent budget from the Minster, Deputy Cowen. It is a budget for its time and reflects what is needed for the economy as we approach a difficult period in 2008. Deputy Kenny referred this morning to the public service and then attempted to drive a wedge between me and my party with regard to...