Results 21,181-21,200 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: I draw Members' attention to No. 3, a Bill I have produced with my colleagues with a view to assisting Irish businesses, the SME sector in particular, in accessing State contracts. I will be circulating a note on the Bill and ask Members to examine it. We have all received representations on how the State might do more to support businesses in accessing State contracts. What I propose in...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Look at the three amendments I tabled.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: I want to hear what the Minister has to say. I do not care what Mr. Duffy says.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government should do something about it and not just sit on its hands.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes.

Seanad: Sport Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the Bill and support its aims. I apologise for not being in the Chamber for the Minister of State's opening statement as I was attending another meeting. I do not know whether he addressed the costs of establishing the new body. If that information is not forthcoming today, it would be useful to get it at a later stage. I agree with the proposal to merge the existing authorities...

Seanad: Sport Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: I can say that because I was. I hope no one is watching or he or she will take the Senator for real.

Seanad: Public Services and Procurement (Social Value) Bill 2015: Second Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Senators on both sides of the House are aware of the importance of small and medium businesses. The sector employs almost 900,000 people and was responsible for more than 60% of the growth achieved in the past two years. I have been critical of the record of successive Governments on procurement...

Seanad: Public Services and Procurement (Social Value) Bill 2015: Second Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response to the Bill and all Senators for their contributions. I especially thank Senators Keane and Hayden on the Government side. I accept that the Bill needs to be improved and hope we can use the momentum gained today to produce a law that will assist in increasing the number of jobs in and profitability of our small and medium...

Seanad: Public Services and Procurement (Social Value) Bill 2015: Second Stage (22 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Can time be set aside in the coming weeks for a debate on the Government’s plans for the national drugs and alcohol policy? Last week my colleague in the other House, Deputy Niall Collins, and I published our proposals in this area. There is quite a bit on which all parties can agree. The absence of a Minister of State with responsibility for drugs policy is a deficiency and has...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Prior to the Easter break I asked the Leader to bring to the house the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coffey, or the Minister, Deputy Kelly, to review the pyrite remediation scheme. Over the Easter recess I found out that a grand total of five houses have been remediated under the Government scheme, which has been up and running...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: He wants to contact Mary Lou in the other House.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: There are 10,000 houses affected by this.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: I look forward to it.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: We would be delighted.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Shame.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Apr 2015)

Darragh O'Brien: Not really.