Results 22,161-22,180 of 24,447 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Departmental Reports (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: With respect, the reply from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is not satisfactory. It is an appalling response from a Government that has had 11 months to peruse, deliberate on and arrive at "an appropriate response" to the report. Why is there a question about the publication of the forum report? I accept this is not the Minister's Department but the reply is...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I second the amendment to the Order of Business. I ask the Leader for an urgent debate on the twin issues of co-location and the role of An Bord Pleanála in the planning process. I do so in light of the decision today by An Bord Pleanála to go against its own inspector's decision to refuse planning permission to the Beacon Medical Group in the context of the co-located hospital in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I ask the Leader for an urgent debate regarding Seanad reform.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It is a folly and an insult to the people that the Leader and the Deputy Leader are fighting over the seat in this House of former Senator Kelly, whom I congratulate on his election to the European Parliament. Are we serious about reform of the Seanad? Do we want to see democracy regarding this issue, which is not in the gift of the Leader or Senator Boyle?

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Nor is it in the gift of the Taoiseach. It is about democracy and if we want real democracy we should have reform of the Seanad——

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: ——as the Fine Gael Party proposed earlier this year.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I hope we will have meaningful reform of the Seanad and that the Leader and Senator Boyle will put their differences aside and support the alternative candidate from this side of the House for the proposed by-election. I congratulate former Senator Kelly on his magnificent victory in the European elections in Ireland South. I hope he serves the full five years in Europe and that he will come...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I would not bet on that.

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The Greens could not wait to get into government.

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: What did the Green Party voters in Cork say?

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The Leader did.

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The Senator has been doing this for the past five minutes. He has been preaching the sermon on the mount over there but he is no Moses.

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I am sorry that Senator Boyle is leaving, as I enjoyed his speech and his lecture to Members. My mother, may God rest her, had a great saying, which was that democracy is a great leveller and the ballot box never tells lies. She was right. The ballot box last Saturday unfurled a result that many Members never would have forecast two years ago and people want change. I lament the loss of...

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I will take no lip from anyone in this regard. The fundamentals are quite simple. In the words of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, in the Dáil this week, "People have lost jobs. They have lost savings. They have lost pensions." The Minister failed to mention that the people have lost trust and have lost confidence in the ability of the Government to govern. Fundamentally,...

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I am ready. I would love an election.

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I am out talking to the people four days a week.

Seanad: Elections of June 2009: Statements (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator Daly is afraid to speak to his party's councillors because he will have to explain why so many of their colleagues have lost their seats.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I compliment the victims who marched outside the gates of Leinster House. Their dignified protest was very moving and left many of us full of anger and sadness at what it has transpired happened to them. I join Senator Mary White in praising the report of the Sub-Committee on the High Level of Suicide in Ireland. It is extraordinary. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health and...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The Leader should not be political.