Results 24,501-24,520 of 26,766 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I am always invited.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I am sure, in line with the traditions of the Labour Party, that the Minister would like people to be inside or outside of the office making their feelings known. The rolling out of Intreo offices has been a very good idea and I welcome the improved service. At present when people attend their social welfare office they will encounter long queues, a lack of privacy, an inability to get...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: -----that are very general in nature and do not properly support the application. The CWOs, social welfare officers, appeals officers and medical assessors seem to prefer consultant reports and place more value on them. That makes sense but it is more difficult for people to get a letter from a consultant. The problem also relates to the recruitment embargo and staffing issues. A valid...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I wish to clarify something. I do not expect the Minister to reply. The point I was making was about people being forced to work. I agree with her about choice and if people want to work longer, I fully support their right to do so. I was talking about a situation where the pension age has been changed to 66 and could increase, thereby forcing people to work longer. When people have jobs...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 3: In page 7, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following: "Social Welfare Appeals 6. The Social Welfare Appeals Office shall ensure that all appeals are processed and responded to within 21 days of receipt of the application to appeal a decision.".I am sure the Minister will agree that the staff in the social welfare appeals offices do a very good job. I would...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister for her helpful response. On the first issue she raised, we will take it up with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. There might be an appropriate way to raise it in legislation he will bring before the House on other issues. On the issue of pensions and jobseeker's benefit, my difficulty is in regard to low paid workers, who tend to be blue collar workers...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I would like to speak briefly to this section. I know the amendments were ruled out of order. I will outline, in the context of this section, the broad thrust of the reasons we tabled these amendments. One of the issues relates to what happens when a person who has been dismissed by an employer takes a case to the appropriate employment rights body, under the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Agriculture Sector: Discussion (18 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I apologise to the visitors as we probably tried to cram too much into one day and, unfortunately, we are victims of that. As the Vice Chairman said, we have the presentations and they will be factored into our report. I do not know if the visitors heard the session with the Kilkenny county manager. The whole area of agriculture and Food Harvest 2020 was raised. The visitors have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Third Level Sector: Discussion with Waterford IT and IT Carlow (18 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I thank the witnesses who have travelled from Waterford and Carlow. The common thread that has emerged from the presentations is the need for an integrated strategy from national to local level across a number of different areas. Dr. Donnelly was strong during the consultations in Waterford on the need for an integrated economic development strategy for the south east, which would examine...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: South-East Economic Development Strategy Report: Discussion (18 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I will be as brief as I can, to be helpful. I welcome the witnesses and thank them for coming here today. I met some of them already as part of the consultation process and there are some I have not met. Mr. Michael Walsh clearly set out the challenges the south east faces. Any of the research we carried out into examining the south east economically, and the Forfás report was the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister for his response. I share his view that hospital management has responded impressively. He has acknowledged that the figures for opthalmology, orthopaedics and ENT are very high. I welcome the announcement of the new and replacement consultant posts. If the new posts do not allow the hospital to reduce its waiting times and numbers, is the Minister in a position to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Waiting Lists (13 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I have raised the issue of long outpatient waiting times at Waterford Regional Hospital a number of times in the House. My party health spokesperson, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, sought from the HSE a full breakdown of the figures on all of the departments and specialties at the hospital in respect of outpatient waiting times to...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I join previous speakers in expressing deep regret at the drowning of Shane, Paul and Kenny Bolger from Passage East in a terrible tragedy off the coast of County Waterford. I extend my condolences to the men's mother, Margaret, two brothers, Michael and Anthony, and two sisters, Linda and Paula. The men belonged to a large family of seven which has been fishing for generations. The death...

Seanad: Youth Unemployment: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I commend the youngest Oireachtas Member, Senator Reilly, for bringing forward this important motion and for her excellent articulation of the issues affecting young people. It was a very strong performance. I read an article in one of the national newspapers today and it mentioned an exchange yesterday in the Seanad, which was unfortunate. The same article referred to the fact that the...

Seanad: European Union (Accession of the Republic of Croatia) (Access to the Labour Market) Bill 2013: Second Stage (12 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister to the House. Sinn Féin supports the Bill and has consistently supported Croatia's accession to the European Union and EU enlargement generally. As the Minister will be aware, however, my party has difficulties with the political, social and economic direction Europe has taken in the past 20 years and the democratic deficit in the Union. Notwithstanding these...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: I supported and commended the Government on the publication of the national carers' strategy. It is very important we take a holistic approach to caring and ensure people have access to training and have proper income and respite supports. There is a package of measures which are necessary to ensure those people who do a tremendous, difficult and demanding job in looking after people in...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2013)

David Cullinane: The failure of the Constitutional Convention to discuss the Seanad is not the fault of convention members. We should not call into question the value of the Constitutional Convention on the basis of the remit set down for it by the Oireachtas. We must make clear that the fault lies with the Government. As a previous speaker noted, the Government was afraid to allow the convention discuss...

Seanad: Early Child Care Education Standards: Statements (30 May 2013)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister for attending the Chamber at short notice. I commend Senator Jillian van Turnhout for pressing the issue and the Leader of the House for arranging the debate. Everyone in the House and the public at large were shocked by the contents of the "Prime Time" programme. The shock was quickly followed by anger owing to the fact that this was not a new issue. As far back as...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)

David Cullinane: We see what they did. A vote would be more important in the next general election.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)

David Cullinane: -----Labour Party Members will reap what they have sown from the people they have betrayed and let down by doing what they have done since coming into government.