Results 21,881-21,900 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Sorry, this is when it was printed; 16 July.

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: In regard to the Minister's Dáil questions.

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I take the Minister's point. I had written down 16 June because that is what the Minister said in his opening statement.

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry if I am getting to the Minister. In fairness, if it is 16 July it is 16 July, but that still does not change the fact that the Dáil should be recalled to debate this issue, and the only person who can do that is the Taoiseach. To deal with the Government's abstention on the vote, I do not just blame the Government, or the Minister, in that regard. There is no question that...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza and Ukraine: Statements (31 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Stand together and do nothing.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (31 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: It is welcome that the Leader has allowed additional time for leaders and the spokespersons of each group. The situations in Gaza and Ukraine are crucial and have effectively turned into human tragedies. Therefore, I would have thought-----

Seanad: Business of Seanad (31 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I am making a proposal, that additional time be allocated to other speakers, as five minutes is very short for Members to get their points across. It is welcome that spokespersons will have eight minutes, but allowing five minutes in a special sitting is insufficient.

Seanad: Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I will follow on from Senator Reilly's point. I mentioned this issue on Second Stage and while we support the Bill we have concerns along the lines Senator Reilly mentioned, which I put to the Minister on Second Stage. It is still not clear to us how the money that the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland will give to the retail banks will be monitored, in terms of the level of lending...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Pyrite Remediation Programme Implementation (16 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister of State for the response. I am due to meet representatives of the Pyrite Remediation Board tomorrow in Leinster House with residents from Lusk village and my colleague, Deputy Clare Daly. The response is very similar to the one we are getting from the board. Following the meeting tomorrow, in the coming months or September when the Dáil and the Seanad are back in...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Pyrite Remediation Programme Implementation (16 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Seanad agus comhghairdeas freisin. I wish him all the best in his new role. I am delighted for him and am certain he will acquit himself well. I thank him for attending, as my Adjournment motion relates to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in which he has responsibility for housing, planning and...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: The Senator obviously has no clue what he is talking about.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Give me a break.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: And the Minister's.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I ask colleagues to consider what is being done. I appreciate the Minister's presence. I reiterate my congratulations and that of my group and I wish him well in his tenure but I could not think of a worse way of commencing it than to remove and drastically change the rights of 15,000 workers in the IASS. It is unfortunate that the Government has not during our detailed debates over the...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: It has nothing to do with privatisation.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: That has nothing to do with privatisation because there were protections in place. The changes introduced in last year's social welfare Bill by the Labour Party Tánaiste have enabled this to happen. Senators should ask themselves if they were in Waterford, Kerry or anywhere else about this. The Government is now allowed to bring in legislation to amend a private pension scheme...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: That is incisive.

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I formally congratulate the Minister, a fellow north-sider, on his appointment. I also welcome his road-to-Damascus conversion in the form of his comment that the Seanad is always a source of good advice and good proposals. I remember him saying some things to the contrary during the Seanad referendum campaign-----

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: -----but we will leave the past in the past. He was certainly an excellent Member of the Seanad and I am genuinely delighted about his appointment. Obviously, he has not much time to read himself into what is being proposed in this legislation. These are fundamental changes. This is the first time the State has legislated to change a private pension scheme. I debated these proposals at...

Seanad: State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: We have nothing in this group.