Results 24,321-24,340 of 26,766 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Oct 2013)

David Cullinane: Last night, I attended a public meeting in Dungarvan, County Waterford, that was attended by approximately 500 parents and teachers from schools across Waterford city and county. I note the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, has organised similar meetings throughout the State. A strong sense of solidarity was evident at the meeting, at which parents showed solidarity with teachers,...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Oct 2013)

David Cullinane: It is with sadness again that I note we are faced with a case in which the HSE's action, or rather lack of action, in how it dealt with a child abuse allegation has come in for criticism by the Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan. In upholding a complaint by a family, she found that the HSE's actions had negatively affected the child involved. She was critical of the HSE's failure to...

Seanad: Tackling Bullying in Schools: Statements (Resumed) (26 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: First, I wish to welcome some visitors from Australia who are in the Public Gallery today with Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn. I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this important issue. I am sure, like me, the Minister has met parents and pupils in his constituency office who present with a case of bullying. It is a very difficult problem to deal with as a public...

Seanad: Tackling Bullying in Schools: Statements (Resumed) (26 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I accept that. I welcome the recent announcement that parents are to receive special training in an effort to crack down on bullying in our schools. I also support the Minister's decision to allocate €40,000 to an anti-bullying project. Any steps taken by the Minister and his Department to deal with this issue will have the full support of my party. Like the parents' and teachers'...

Seanad: Tackling Bullying in Schools: Statements (Resumed) (26 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I am presenting the figures ---

Seanad: Tackling Bullying in Schools: Statements (Resumed) (26 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: There may be examples of that. There may be imbalances in the system but it is the Minister's job to address that. I am presenting the figures for over-sized classes, which are an obvious problem and an obvious reality. Nobody can say that we have not had cutbacks in our education system. We have had many cutbacks and the Minister will say that they were necessary, as part of our economic...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Yesterday the Governor of the Central Bank admitted to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform that he had not listened to the full recordings known as the Anglo tapes. I find this incredible. He acknowledged that he had not seen the full transcripts. He also acknowledged that he had access to the tapes, but that he had no intention of listening to the rest...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. David Begg (25 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome Mr. Begg to the House. I was one of the Senators who proposed that, as the general secretary of Congress, Mr. Begg should address the Seanad to mark the centenary of the Lock-out. The speech was very good in setting the historical context to allow us to commemorate, remember and pay tribute to working people over the past 100 years and the people involved in the Lock-out for their...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: The Irish National Teachers Organisation released figures yesterday which show that one quarter of all primary school students in Waterford - the Leader's county - are in so-called super size classrooms. The union is right to raise this issue. It is organising public meetings across all cities and counties in the State, including in Waterford. The union points to the problems for pupils...

Seanad: EU Directive on Patients Rights in Cross-Border Health Care: Statements (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister to the House. It is good we are discussing an EU directive. It is good practice and we should do more of it. I welcome the directive and the rules which govern cross-border health care in the EU. Such rules are particularly important when one considers the high level of mobility between countries generally, but obviously it is much more prevalent, and I suppose much...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: The "What's Left" income survey commissioned by the Irish League of Credit Unions was published today. It shows that almost 500,000 people have no money left at the end of the month after paying essential household bills. The study also shows that people are cutting the amount of money they spend on food simply to pay their utility bills, the mortgage or even just to get through each day....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: The point I was making related to ethical issues with regard to the arms industry itself. I do not think it is something Europe should be building its economies around. That is the point I was making. Ethical issues should be brought to the fore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I recognise the good work - the cutting-edge research and development - that is being done by the telecommunications, software and systems group. I accept that a great deal of work is taking place across the State, as the Minister of State suggested. How does that sit with the OECD's overall commentary? That is the main point I was making.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Perhaps I should have raised this issue with the Minister, Deputy Bruton, but maybe the Minister of State can address it. There was very little discussion on the section dealing with a more competitive and efficient defence and security sector. I know it is not an area that we focus on to any large extent in this State but many people would be concerned about the potential for an easing up...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: It was not all self-inflicted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: May I ask a supplementary question at this point which is relevant to the point the Minister is making?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: It is important we get clarification on the regional aid guidelines. My understanding in terms of the BMW region is that the percentages are broken up into three categories. If one compares the BMW region to the southeast region across all of the three categories the BMW region is 5% better off. Is the Minister saying that it is his view that following the regional aid guidelines review...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: Figures from the Minister's Department show that 241,000 were employed in manufacturing and industry before the Government entered into office. That figure is now 240,900. It has actually seen a small decline in recent years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State and the strong team from the Department. I wish them well at the upcoming Council meeting and commend them, as the previous speaker did, on the work done during the EU presidency. Many important issues will be discussed at the Council meeting, and we have discussed many of them with the Minister and the Department over the past 12 months....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

David Cullinane: I asked about the drawdown of the loan guarantee and micro-enterprise fund.