Results 1,581-1,600 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: This matter concerns the need for the Minister for Health and Children to make Lyme disease a notifiable illness in Ireland, thus increasing the specialist medical help available to sufferers as well as publicising the risk from the disease. I raise this issue because one of my constituents has suffered from this disease over a long period of time. Her frustration has been painful, both...

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Perhaps it is due to my complete ignorance but I do not know what vector borne means. I do not have a clue what that means so it would help if I could have an explanation for it. I do not accept the response of the Minister of State, which states: "As most people suffer only mild symptoms and recover without recourse to a general practitioner, making the disease notifiable would not detect...

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Therefore, the Department is considering making it a notifiable disease.

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: The point is that in making it a notifiable disease we would make people more aware of it. That is the point of the Adjournment motion.

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Will the Minister of State tell me what "vectorborne" means?

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: On a point of order, I am not trying to be insulting to the Minister of State in any way but it is indicative of the way this House is sometimes treated that a Minister of State comes in with a script and does not know what the reply means. We should have the right Minister here.

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Yes, but if we had the right Minister here, presumably he or she would know what "vectorborne" and the reply meant.

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Order for Second Stage (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I move: "That Second Stage be taken today."

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I would first like to congratulate Senator Boyle on the introduction of this Bill in the Dáil in 2007. It should be noted that this Bill is identical, bar the date, to the one introduced by the Green Party and supported by all members of that party in the Dáil debate. On this side of the House, therefore, those of us supporting it are expecting a certain consistency from them. I am sure...

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: We have given the Senator a great opportunity. Life is full of such opportunities.

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I thank all Senators who contributed and the Minister of State and everyone else for their constructive attitude to the Bill as proposed. It has been debated in a somewhat restrained atmosphere, and there has been to some degree a cosy acceptance that there are many good decent people on these boards. That is absolutely true. There is no attempt in this Bill to attack those people or...

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I agree with the Minister of State, but they are not the target of this legislation. The target is those who are doing no work, are not qualified and are getting enormous amounts of cash for it. There are many of those. I could list them but I have not got time. Also, because I took the example of the European Commissioners, it is not right to say, in effect, we have had some able Fianna...

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I agree they have been able, but they have all been Fianna Fáil, for example, Commissioners McCreevy, O'Kennedy------

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: -----and Pádraig Flynn.

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Richard Burke was a political stunt, as the Minister of State knows very well. That was the worst possible example. It was a political stunt. Richard Burke was chosen because he was involved in a by-election situation. He was appointed to create a by-election. He was the worst and most insidious choice in that way and was chosen for the worst motives. Let us not take Richard Burke but...

Seanad: Denominational Schools (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I thank Senator Buttimer for sharing time. There is a very strong campaign to reverse the proposed decision to withdraw the grant for Protestant schools. I endorse what Senator Buttimer said. It seems extraordinary that the Attorney General has suddenly found that the grant may be unconstitutional. It might be unconstitutional to withdraw it when it has been in place for 40 years. I...

Seanad: Denominational Schools (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: The Minister of State is both.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2009)

Shane Ross: I endorse everything Senator Bradford said and support the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senators Mullen and Quinn. The House has a serious responsibility which we continuously funk, which is to make immediate decisions on matters which are relevant. We are always discussing and condemning after the event. We have an opportunity to give a certain amount of leadership and...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Nov 2009)

Shane Ross: I wish to address a peripheral matter. I was absolutely staggered when I read in yesterday and today's newspapers that after its stand-off with the Minister for Finance, Allied Irish Banks was about to appoint an insider as its executive chairman. Of all lessons to be learned, I would have thought the banks and the Minister had learned that the single thing one did not want was an insider...