Results 1,941-1,960 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: If they actually paid tax, that would be nice.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I inquire about the status of the School Admissions Bill. On the anniversary of publication of its school admissions Bill to deal with the baptism barrier, the Labour Party is dependent on the Government to allow Government time to allow the Bill to proceed. It is not offering a perfect solution in dealing with the baptism barrier, but it would prioritise geography over religion in school...

Seanad: Rugby World Cup 2023 Bill 2017: Second Stage (11 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am delighted to say the Labour Party will, of course, support the Bill, but it would be a derogation of duty if we in this House did not at least make some comment on the rushed nature of the Bill. I take exception to any accusation that we are being reckless in asking questions about the lateness of the Bill. Having said that, I was interested in the comments made by the previous speaker...

Seanad: Rugby World Cup 2023 Bill 2017: Second Stage (11 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: They reminded me of the first international game I attended as a ten year old in 1987 with my father who never thought he would set foot in Lansdowne Road, which was interesting. It was a soccer game between Ireland and Brazil and the person who scored the winning goal was somebody who had once been expelled from the school in which my father had taught for choosing soccer over Gaelic games....

Seanad: Rugby World Cup 2023 Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Where is Senator Ó Donnaghaile's principle?

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I join others who have referred to the disgusting images in Northern Ireland. Any culture built on hate is not a culture at all. Some of the racist and sectarian imagery on these bonfires is quite disturbing and a statement from the Irish Government to this effect would be welcome. I praise Senator Ó Clochartaigh. It is refreshing to hear the questions of asylum seekers and...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Wow, 10 cent.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Better late than never.

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the Minister of State. I appreciate that when dealing with his ministerial responsibilities he has inherited a system and must do his best to manage it. This is an incredibly important scheme. I benefited from this type of scheme when I was a young boy in travelling from Malahide to attend primary school in Baldoyle and I am well aware of its benefits. I raise an individual case...

Seanad: Equality of Access to Education: Motion (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I move:“That Seanad Éireann: - affirming its commitment to providing equality of access to education at primary, secondary and third-level; - recognising the benefits, culturally and economically, of the historic decision to invest in publicly-funded secondary education in Ireland and recognising also that the introduction of publicly-funded third-level education further...

Seanad: Equality of Access to Education: Motion (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank everybody who has contributed to the debate, particularly those Senators who are supporting the motion. I am a little disappointed by the negativity in the Chamber and those who are intent on engaging in a party political point scoring exercise. If they read the motion, they will see that there is not one negative word in it. It is aspirational and seeks something better for young...

Seanad: Equality of Access to Education: Motion (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: These are choices the Government can make. If the Minister of State believes in free education, it is not good enough to say, "I believe in free education, but..." If the Government believes in free education, it should put the money into the system. At this stage in the game no one in Ireland is going to be bought off with the idea of tax cuts; what they want is service provision. I want...

Seanad: Equality of Access to Education: Motion (12 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The folder under the arm of a student is such a powerful symbol for the family and everyone in the community of what that student is doing and learning and how he or she is being empowered through life. I put it to the Minister of State that the last thing a student needs, aside from a folder under the arm, is anxiety about how he or she will pay for education in the future. Instead, a...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I wish to raise an issue of concern to many people across Dublin in relation to schools selling off their lands and the resultant impact on local communities. I understand from this morning's newspaper and a conversation I had with Councillor Deirdre Kingston of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council that Clonkeen College, a Christian Brothers school, has sold its land. This is of huge...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (18 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the Minister of State for attending. He will not need me to remind him that the scale and nature of the housing crisis affecting not just this city, but the entire country, is the greatest social challenge of our time. The Government recognises this and many initiatives have been undertaken to address the issue. One of the proposals that have been made by the Peter McVerry Trust...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (18 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Minister's response is reasonably positive. I get the sense that the issue of vacancy hot spots, as they were described, is being taken seriously and that the Minister is happy to engage with local authorities on it. I am a little disappointed with the suggestion that the publication of the strategy could be delayed until after the summer, but I understand these things happen...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am delighted to hear Fianna Fáil's sudden interest in the size of classes. I join the party's representatives to raise the issue as well as to propose an amendment to the Order of Business. I remind the Fianna Fáil representatives in this House that the previous Government managed to protect class sizes in their entirety and bring them down in the last budget over which we had...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I wish to propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that we take No. 21, the Education (Welfare) (Amendment) Bill 2017, before No. 1. Tacaím leis an méid atá ráite leis an Seanadóir Ó Céidigh mar gheall ar dhíospóireacht ó thaobh chúrsaí Gaeilge de. Tá sé thar am go mbeadh an díospóireacht sin againn anseo....

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: He is fixating.