Results 2,101-2,120 of 2,919 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Health Service Plan 2012: Statements (Resumed) (1 Feb 2012)

Séamus Healy: In the five minutes available to me, I would like to deal with the section in the report dealing with mental health services on pages 48 to 53, and specifically, the item on page 49 in respect of the closure of acute inpatient psychiatric facilities in HSE South. This proposes the closure of 61 beds, 29 of which are in St. Michael's acute psychiatric inpatient unit at South Tipperary General...

Health Service Plan 2012: Statements (Resumed) (1 Feb 2012)

Séamus Healy: I will finish by asking the Minister to become involved in this and to meet a deputation of stakeholders from south Tipperary on this issue. It is a fundamental breach of the policy but is also a breach of the promises that have been given about other services being in place before any beds close at St. Michael's unit. Those services are not in place and I ask the Minister to clarify the...

Private Members' Business. Small Primary Schools: Motion (31 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: We would not be debating these cuts if the Labour Party and Fine Gael had honoured their election commitments. It is important to recall those commitments. They were going to burn the bondholders, not another red cent would be given to the banks, it would be Labour's way not Frankfurt's way and the weak and vulnerable would be protected. The Government robbed the clothes from Fianna Fáil...

Order of Business (31 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: The programme for Government promised legislation to ensure transparency and accountability from the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA. Every day, issues arise around this. The Taoiseach himself raised the possibility of developers or those connected to them gaining access to property.

Order of Business (31 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: Legislation was promised in this regard through a freedom of information amendment Bill. Have the heads of the Bill been drawn up and when is the Bill expected before the House, as there are serious issues around NAMA?

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: We all know it is the thin end of the wedge. I am around a long time and so is the Minister. As an example of what is likely to happen, I remember well the introduction of refuse charges in south Tipperary. I was at the council meeting where they were introduced and where I voted against them. In the course of that debate a Fianna Fáil Party councillor stood up, took a box of matches from...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: I concur with the remarks of Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan about the €50 registration charge, about which I spoke previously. I remember an election campaign not too long ago during which the Minister and his party told us that they would burn the bondholders-----

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: I am responding to the Minister. They said there would not be another red cent for the banks.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: It was going to be all change. It was going to be Labour's way, not Frankfurt's way. Talk about hypocrisy.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (26 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: In regard to the registration fee, the assurances we have been given are nothing but talk. Regardless of what the Minister says, we all know the fee will not be held at €50 but will instead increase, over a short period, until it reaches the €300 proposed by the Fianna Fáil Party in government.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: I listened to Deputy Michael Creed's contribution. Today we have heard the pot calling the kettle black and vice versa.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: As for the call for honesty, everyone in the House and the country is aware that the Government was elected on a programme of change and a promise of a new beginning. However, it walked into office, took the clothes from the backs of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party and continued to implement the very same programmes.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: The Government will be gone, too.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: Austerity is the name of the game for both the Government and its predecessor. This is part of a suite of taxes, comprising the household tax, the water tax, the septic tank tax and the property tax, all of which have been imposed on ordinary, middle and low-income earners and poor people in general. Its purpose is to pay anonymous speculators and bondholders. The money raised is to be...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: Buckets of money are being shovelled to bondholders and speculators. Incidentally, the particular bondholders the Government paid today have made a huge killing-----

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: -----as they bought the bonds for 54 cent in the euro but got the full face value today.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: The people concerned have made almost €600 million in profit from the payment made by the Government today.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: No; I will be brief. If the Minister was genuine, he could solve the problem by agreeing to defer the Bill until the consultation process has been completed and the draft regulations have been brought to the House for debate. There is no need for the Bill to be passed this week. It is clear that the information the Minister for Education and Skills gave to the House on 12 January is...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: I have a little more than 30 seconds; perhaps I had taken only 30 seconds.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Jan 2012)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the Minister's confirmation that the quality of groundwater in Ireland is very good. As I said earlier, the report of the Environmental Protection Agency as well as others indicate that the levels of pollutants from septic tanks are, to use their word, minor and that the cost of remedial works is approximately 5% of the overall cost in dealing with. I am disappointed, however,...