Results 22,601-22,620 of 27,087 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: But I am politicising this. The housing crisis, with people sleeping in cars and people in emergency accommodation, did not happen by accident. It happened because of Government policy and neglect. It happened because the State has not built social housing. We have surrendered social housing to the private sector. This was done by the previous Government under Part V of the Planning and...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: Some of us work in our constituencies and have dealt with people throughout the five years.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: We knew exactly the depth of this problem and the tragedy that it presented for many working families. I am calling for a debate. Will the Leader arrange for the Minister with responsibility for housing to attend the Seanad? If that does not happen, seeing as how we only have a few weeks left, we will have it-----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: Not today. I am making a reasonable request of the Leader that he try to arrange for a debate as soon as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Zero-Hour Contracts: Discussion (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: If that is possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Zero-Hour Contracts: Discussion (19 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: I thank the Chairman and members of the committee. I welcome the Minister of State to the committee. It is positive that we are shining a spotlight on this issue. It is fair to say many of us have been raising these issues for many years. In fact we had Mandate, Unite, SIPTU and other trade unions appear before the committee on these issues on several occasions in recent years. As the...

Seanad: Irish Water: Motion (13 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: There are no water charges in Northern Ireland. The Senator is making things up now.

Seanad: Irish Water: Motion (13 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: Where are the water charges?

Seanad: Irish Water: Motion (13 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: Telling untruths does so too.

Seanad: Irish Water: Motion (13 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: It is shocking.

Seanad: Irish Water: Motion (13 Jan 2016)

David Cullinane: It is fair for the Government Senators to point out to Fianna Fáil that it supported water charges initially. It is a fair political charge because it is the reality and it was part of the four year EU-IMF troika plan to which Fianna Fáil signed up. It is politics and we are going to have an election campaign. The facts of the position taken by all the parties should be put...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (18 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: There are a number of amendments with which I do not agree. However, I wish to speak to only two of them, one of which is amendment No. 23. My concerns are also expressed by NGOs and groups such as the Irish Refugee Council, the Migrant Rights Centre and Nasc. The proposed section 20(1)(e) states an immigration officer or member of An Garda Síochána may arrest an applicant...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (18 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: On amendment No. 104, our concerns are not about preventing exploitation or abuse of the system. We all want to ensure there are proper protections in place. We have to protect our borders, sovereignty and have an immigration system in place. The point is that it has to be fair, robust, along with safeguards built into it for those seeking asylum. Most importantly, we have to live up to...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: Second Stage (17 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister to the House and will be supporting the Bill. We are all aware of the devastating impact of alcohol abuse and misuse on families, individuals, employers and the State. It is estimated that it costs the State about €1.2 billion a year in health care costs. Any measures that can be put in place to reduce alcohol consumption will reduce that burden, as well as...

Seanad: Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (17 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I support the Bill but it has been a very long time coming and I do not direct my comment solely at this Government but at many Governments. The issue has lain on the sideline for a long number of years and been thrown from one committee to the next. All of the committees have pretty much made the same recommendations. The general public's...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: I call for a debate on health care. The Leader arranged for a debate a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, that was only 45 minutes long and it was not sufficient to critique the Government's failed health service plan and policies. Even top officials in the HSE over the weekend were talking about a lack of vision, a lack of resources and a lack of capacity. We saw from the now-averted nurses'...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: If the Leader supports the debate, we can debate all these issues. Shouting back across the Chamber will not achieve anything.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: We should have a constructive debate-----

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: -----and we should allow people then to have their say. Obviously during the election campaign, that will happen, but there is a crisis now that needs to be dealt with.The 45-minute debate we had a couple of weeks ago was insufficient to deal with the real crisis we have at the moment.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2015)

David Cullinane: That is not our policy. The Senator must not have read our policy.