Results 23,781-23,800 of 24,347 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I wish to raise the issue of the breakdown in community life. We have not had the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the House since we came back. Last night when I was walking back to my hotel I encountered eight people urinating on the streets. I stopped and counted as I was going along.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: It may seem funny but it is not a joke. We are talking about civility and respect. I was appalled at this behaviour. It leads me to a point about Irish society. Today we have major investment in the RAPID, CLÁR and Leader programmes, but we need to have a real debate on community life and how we can enhance this in our country. I join with Senator O'Toole in requesting a debate on the...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Curim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Sargent. I compliment my Fine Gael Party colleague, Senator Coffey, on his fine speech on this motion. To enlighten Senator Boyle, the reason there is no amendment is that it is Fine Gael Party policy to support the electoral commission. If we are serious about reform of the political system let us not have a fudge, as we had from the Minister...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I was amused to discover that I had spent more than some people and I agree with Senator Boyle on that issue. Cheque book politics is alive and well in Irish politics. Let us get rid of it. I suggest the electoral commission be brought into being now before the local elections. Let us have accountability and let us clean up politics. Some 99.9% of the people I know in local and national...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: My party introduced a ban on corporate donations in 2002 and the Irish people said it did not matter. It does matter on one level. I happen to believe there should be public funding of political parties. Let us get rid of private donations. Let us have public accountability.

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Let us have it and see how it works. Barak Obama today is suffering from having a cap on his spending in America. He was taking funding and he has been caught. Let us have accountability. If the Green Party wants to leave its imprint on the Government this is the one area where it can do it. Despite my rows with Senator Boyle——

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: ——I believe him to be a person of impeccable credentials and I know he is sincere in regard to his political work. If he wants to leave an imprint on the Government this can be his legacy and I will support him 100% in that regard. I want to see democracy funded, with people participating in it. I also want to see Irish politics clean. The way to do it is to bring the electoral...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I agree with Senator Boyle that we need consistency with regard to the running of elections. I support Senator Coghlan's remarks on boundaries, including local election boundaries. What will be the division in my city of Cork? Will it be along the river? If so, current wards will have to change and there could be an imbalance with 13 or 14 wards on the north side and 17 or 18 on the south...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: An independent electoral commission is necessary. I sometimes wonder whether the Government Members understand this. Do they really want such a commission? Is there an over-reliance on the members of the Green Party? Do some Government Members say they will pander to the Greens, put out this great concept and then forget about it? I hope we will not do that. It makes no sense that...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: It is fiction.

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Can Deputy Boyle give us a clue?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Who created the HSE?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008: Second Stage (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Bill. The budgetary provisions are also welcome but it is important we put them in context. In many ways the Minister is in a great position in that he has had a tremendous innings in Government with ten years of prosperity. The Government has rightly invested in social welfare. In doing that, however, we have...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Who closed them? It was your Minister.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: What about Judge Mahon?

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Yesterday I raised the issue of men's health and mental health and I revisit it again today in light of the case in which Judge David Anderson criticised the Health Service Executive. It is time we had a major debate on the functioning of the HSE. Yesterday, Judge Anderson criticised the dysfunctional HSE after it failed to have a representative at his court. We were promised action with A...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: They cannot take the heat on the opposite side.

Seanad: Pharmaceutical Pricing: Statements (4 Mar 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: After 1 March.