Results 20,301-20,320 of 24,340 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Ar dtús báire cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, Deputy Tony Killeen. I am conscious that the Minister has given an excellent address and I compliment him on it, but if he was to be sincere, he would certainly not vote confidence in the Government of which he is a Member. I am mindful of the fact that we have two famous slogans, "A lot done and more to do" and "The next steps", which...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I have said that, but Fianna Fáil could not wait. It put members onto State boards that were appalling.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The example of this is where we are today. I am referring to FÁS, CIE and the airports, which are a shambles, and it goes back to policy, not personality. The polices of the Government were wrong. It could not wait, the money kept flowing in and by God, it gave it out: benchmarking here, buildings there. Bertie called from Drumcondra and a few boys and girls were brought in here and...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Fianna Fáil is good at that.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator Feeney should not be blaming us for what went wrong. We were not in Government.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The Leader should not be heckling in the House.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The Leader should not heckle.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Deputy Boyle should put it on Twitter.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The Leader should not heckle.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2011: Statements (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Mansergh. When I speak in this House, I always seem to get into trouble with some Members. I decided, therefore, not to interject during Senator Butler's contribution.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2011: Statements (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Neither did I want to embarrass my good friend, Senator Coghlan, in the Chair. The calamitous 13 year reign of this Fianna Fáil-led Government is about to end. Senator Alex White referred to this budget as the bookend. The Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, of whom I must say I have become fond, has been an elected and non-elected partner in this roller coaster reign.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2011: Statements (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I meant as an adviser. To paraphrase the bible, shouts of glee will go up with trumpet blasts when the Taoiseach calls time on this Government. Ireland's current economic position has been greeted with amazement and incredulity abroad. Friends of mine from across the world have e-mailed me wondering if we will be okay in this crisis. It is hard when one sees a great nation reduced as such...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The Senator should not blame the Minister for this. He may be a bad Minister but it is not his fault entirely.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Deputy Gormley may be a bad Minister but he is not alone.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The truest words uttered by the Cathaoirleach were that Senator Leyden's time is up and that applies to Fianna Fáil as well.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I join Senators Fitzgerald, O'Toole, Bacik and Hannigan in seeking a debate on education. The OECD report is a damning indictment of the Government's policy and it is important we have a debate. Senator Boyle referred to the pupil-teacher ratio. As bad as it is, it is not the problem. The problem is the Government-----

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: If the Senator listened for a while, he might learn something. The Government has taken away the support structures in schools. When I started out as a teacher, there were 30 students in a class but while I welcomed the attempt to make education all-inclusive with children with intellectual disabilities, Traveller children and children of visitors to our country being added to the mix, the...