Results 161-180 of 7,583 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I call for a debate on the relationship between freedom and responsibility in our society. I do so in the context of two issues which have been already raised by colleagues. One is the horrible murders of the two Polish gentlemen in Drimnagh and the second is the very bad news from a small town I know very well in my county where a number of male students in a second level school set upon,...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I will conclude shortly, a Chathaoirligh. Other people went on much longer.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I might visit you sometime and show you the transcript, which indicates the duration of some people's speeches.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I respectfully suggest that my contribution has been very short compared with many others. That is a repeated phenomenon. I have a problem with the way time is allocated to different Senators. I will, if necessary, approach the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on the matter. Perhaps we should allocate a set amount of time to each speaker.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I am not satisfied it is being carried out in a fair manner at the moment.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: That is not my problem. I am sorry; I should address the Cathaoirleach. I am not in any way impugning your integrity in this matter, a Chathaoirligh. However, I am saying there is an unsatisfactory situation.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: This is an important debate. We talk about many bread and butter issues in this House. However, values are essential. Many of our young people are overdosed on various substances. They seem to be oversexed at a stage of their lives when they should be——

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Many have lives that are filled but not formed in terms of values, which is a serious problem for society and will take us in a very unhealthy direction where we will have a right-wing backlash in terms of how bad behaviour will be punished. A stitch in time saves nine. We need to operate on this now by having an honest debate about values and we need to stop being so shy about what we fear...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Just generally.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: We would want to hurry if we want Ian Paisley.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: We can be thankful that so little media attention is paid to the Seanad or else we would be greatly enlarging the amount of coverage given to the tribunals, something that is so deplored by Deputy John Cregan and others. I support Senator Joe O'Toole's comment on the general need for us to have a discussion about how the tribunals are working. I have long been concerned about the impact of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I am not sure those days have fully gone away.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I also join those who have called for a debate on the Middle East. It is tragic that Israel, a country which many of us respect and whose right to exist none of us disputes, appears to deviate from the normal standards of justice seeking because it has a strong ally. It is important we have a debate on this. Many of us who like to criticise the Republican Party in the United States for its...

Seanad: Fairtrade: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I thank Senators Norris and Quinn. There are two points I wish to cover in the brief time available. One is to commend the free trade movement and its work generally, while the other is a consideration of fair trade as a global issue on which we in Ireland should take a strong stand. We all agree that the development of the fair trade movement is a good-news story. It is an issue on which...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the Minister to the House. We are seeing a lot of him lately. It always feels a little more like home for me when this Minister appears in the House. I also welcome Senator Quinn's, as always, thoughtful comments on the common travel area and the debate we need to have on whether we would be better off with our existing arrangements or the Schengen Agreement. Generally I welcome...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Not necessarily. That was not my point.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome Senator O'Toole's contribution, which raises an interesting issue, and I am also interested in hearing the Minister's response. The Government's renewed focus in this Bill on removing poverty traps and raising the income levels at which recipients of the lone parent allowance can receive benefits is welcome. In order to tackle poverty, it is vital that the social welfare system...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I second Senator Alex White's proposal on an amendment to the Order of Business. The announcement that there will be progress on the development of a child detention centre at Lusk is very welcome. We have heard much talk about juvenile crime and juvenile offenders, particularly in the context of the tragic deaths of two Polish men in Drimnagh recently, which horrified us all. There is an...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Ba mhaith liom cur leis an méid a dúirt an tSeanadóir Labhrás Ó Murchú. Ní minic é ag caint gan rud ciallmhar a bheith le rá aige. Tá an ceart ar fad aige maidir le húsáid na Gaeilge san Oireachtas. Is maith an rud é go bhfuil reachtaíocht mhaith anois againn, ach, mar is eol dúinn, ní leor reachtaíocht mar is ceist chultúir atá ann. Tá sé an-tábhachtach má tá...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Glacaim leis an ceartúchán sin.