Results 23,541-23,560 of 26,320 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I and my colleagues on this side of the House are increasingly concerned and dismayed, as I am sure are many Members on the Deputy Leader's side, by the Minister for Justice and Equality's handling and management of An Garda Síochána. Unprecedented steps have been taken by Garda representative associations in the Dublin north metropolitan area, north County Cork and Cork city, in which...

Seanad: Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: In the Dáil earlier the Minister mentioned, specifically in regard to the liquidators, that he vested the powers of the board temporarily in an employee of KPMG and a KPMG team is now in control of the bank. That is fine; I may be missing something. The Minister has mentioned that once the legislation is passed, joint special liquidators will be appointed. I am not being pedantic....

Seanad: Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister may incur expenses listening to this debate.

Seanad: Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister for his contribution. I believe I speak for most people when I say the manner in which this Bill has been brought to the Oireachtas is wholly unacceptable. It is akin to asking people to bet on the blind. I was in the Dáil Chamber for the Minister's speech, to which I listened with great intent, and where my party colleagues outlined a number of specific queries....

Seanad: Garda Resources: Motion (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I second the motion proposed by Senator O'Donovan on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Senators. I welcome the Minister and thank him for taking this debate. My colleague has covered a number of items in detail. Nearly 12 months ago, I took part in an Adjournment debate with the Minister relating to Malahide Garda station. This was in the first round of closure and downgrading. The Minister...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister, Deputy Reilly, said it would start in the last days of last year.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: If it happens.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Certainly not.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: He said free GP care would start in the last quarter of last year.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: He is too busy building hospitals in Wexford and Kilkenny.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Excellent.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: It does. It has made my day.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: That is not the point.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Why would she not say it in the House rather than on Ray D'Arcy's programme on Today FM?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: He got the job without an interview and public consultation. He was the Minister's friend.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I assume that the Minister for Defence, Deputy Shatter, will be in attendance for the Second Stage debate on the Defence Forces (Second World War Amnesty and Immunity) Bill 2012. Can he confirm if he will be here for our Private Members' motion on justice as well? Second, I thank the Leader for his response yesterday with regard to the abolition of exceptional needs payments for religious...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I concur with your remarks, a Chathaoirligh, about Senator Martin McAleese and those of the Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I express our disappointment at losing a very good colleague in Senator Martin McAleese whom I first met when he came into the Seanad and who is a man of the highest integrity, a gentleman and a pleasure to work with. I hope the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish Martin all the best. I want to raise two items with the Leader. Last week I stated I understood, not through any announcement by the Minister for Social Protection but from a local school in Swords, that the exceptional needs payment to cover religious events was to cease in 2013. The Minister and the Department of Social Protection did not see fit to issue any advice on the matter....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Coastal Erosion (31 Jan 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I wish to make several observations. Does the application received by Fingal County Council very recently include the required report? The residents were asked to undertake and bear the costs of many of these studies themselves. I welcome the fact an application has been received. With regard to the timeframe for the study,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Coastal Erosion (31 Jan 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, for taking this matter which is a very serious issue for residents of The Burrow, Portrane. I commend the residents of The Burrow and the residents' association there for all the work they have been doing. The Burrow is a community of approximately 80 people with in the region of 150 homes and 15 businesses. Coastal erosion, in particular...