Results 20,981-21,000 of 21,050 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (6 Feb 2008)

Alan Kelly: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (6 Feb 2008)

Alan Kelly: All I am asking for is fair play.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (6 Feb 2008)

Alan Kelly: I condemn what Irish Ferries is trying to do. The Government has said it cannot do anything but any legislation that can be introduced from a European point of view, or anything that can be done by the national employment tribunal to alleviate the situation should be encouraged. Attacks on the minimum wage from the tourism sector, whether from the Irish Hotels Federation or Irish Ferries,...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (6 Feb 2008)

Alan Kelly: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2008)

Alan Kelly: I ask the Minister of Education and Science to come to the House to discuss the issue of third level access. In this regard I refer to mature students and those who recently have lost their jobs because of the turnaround in the fortunes of the Celtic tiger, which unfortunately is quite sick at present, especially in respect of the construction and manufacturing sectors. It is sad to note...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2008)

Alan Kelly: The Government allowed applications for this fund to be made prior to the budget in the knowledge that it would be taken away in the budget. That was disgraceful. I ask the Leader whether he can update Members regarding the mid-western development plan, which was put together last May and about which Members have heard nothing. I am unsure whether it ever will take place, particularly in...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) and Subsequent Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. My party will facilitate the passage of this Bill. This is a time also to reflect on the budget. I welcome the unified approach to the budget this year and spending in specific areas, including the national development plan. I was intrigued to hear the previous speaker say that economics is not an exact science because some Ministers speak as...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I wish all my fellow Senators the best of goodwill for the season. I repeat my call for a debate on the public service. I do so for a number of reasons. There are two matters to which I draw the House's attention, one of which is the review of the labour market which was brought forward by FÁS. The statements made by FÁS should concern all Members, particularly having regard to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: We can go on all night.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: There were 20,001.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the comments by numerous Senators today on mental health. I will not dwell on or repeat them, except in one area. I was in agreement with Senator Glynn on the issue of the way in which mental health services are being used by people who should probably be using other forms of treatment, for example those who are suffering in some cases from drug abuse. In areas where I suppose...

Seanad: Broadband Access: Motion (12 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I thank Senator Quinn for sharing his time with me and I welcome the Minister. The Government amendment to the motion is a joke. I will not repeat the points made by my colleagues. The amendment was not thought out, but just thrown out there. I speak on this with some knowledge as before my election to the Seanad I looked after e-business for Fáilte Ireland. I am aware of the broadband...

Seanad: Broadband Access: Motion (12 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: This is the highway for Ireland. It is the future for investment and the indigenous SMEs and IT companies. A group of entrepreneurs is going to Silicon Valley looking for investment in this country. They have been nicknamed the "silicon Paddies". We have the education levels to attract investment in IT and industries based on it, but we do not have the infrastructure or the investment...

Seanad: Broadband Access: Motion (12 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: The way to get broadband into rural Ireland is obviously through a wireless network. There are various methods of doing this, which I will not detail. If that were prioritised and the investment made, it would be an achievement for the Minister and he would be rewarded for it. He would get all-party support for this. To get investment into rural Ireland and allow people the network access...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: For a number of reasons, I call for a debate on the future of the technology sector. The House will discuss later today broadband and small and medium enterprises, but the future of our economy in many areas is based primarily on the future of technology and this issue is not being taken seriously enough. While I have many concerns, most of which I will not refer to here, a specific concern...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Cathaoirleach. On another issue, today was a day of great concern to me because, unfortunately, I had to deal with a person I will call the Chemical Ali representative of the Health Service Executive in terms of press relations. As some Members may be aware, I visited Nenagh hospital last week with Labour Party colleagues and press photographers when we were denied access to a...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: With all due respect, I have only spoken for two minutes in comparison with other Senators who have spoken.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I will wrap up. From the point of view of the HSE there seems to be some form of new agenda when it comes to dealing with public representatives and the press.Inaccurate comments were made about me, so I went directly to the person concerned to seek redress but I was told I had gone through the wrong channel. How long will it take me to get around to the correct channel and contact the...

Seanad: Water Quality: Statements (6 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I shall avoid the trap into which my learned colleague, Senator Keaveney, fell in trying to pronounce the names of some of the contaminants that have featured in this discussion. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, who is my fellow countywoman. This is an important debate. Water quality has come to the fore of late given recent events in Ennis, Galway and elsewhere, thus...

Seanad: Job Creation (5 Dec 2007)

Alan Kelly: I had hoped the Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, would reply to this matter as she is a fellow countywoman and constituency colleague of mine. This matter is as pertinent to her as it is to me. None the less, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, to the House. This matter refers to the continuing job losses in the town of Thurles which effectively has become a blackspot in...