Results 25,181-25,200 of 26,766 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (26 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: The republic with which I want to be associated, a republic that cherishes all children equally, has a free education system. An element of this involves ensuring that children can get to school by funding a transport service through progressive taxation. If there is no money, as Senator Jim D'Arcy stated, we must consider raising the necessary amount through increased taxes on those who...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I mentioned community health partnerships. The Minister was not listening.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister to the House. When I hear politicians say that we should put politics aside, it is always politicians in government. The reality is that, when the Minister for Health was in opposition, he was a robust spokesperson for health, rightly so. Our job is to hold the Government to account. We will work constructively with it if it makes the right decisions, but in many...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: There is also the recruitment ban, restrictions on overtime and the hiring of agency staff, all of which are having a real impact on health services. Senator Crown mentioned the deal with consultants. It may be a good deal but we will have to wait and see how it works. If there are fewer staff, fewer nurses, fewer doctors and less capacity in the surgical theatres, the deal will not amount...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: Deputy Micheál Martin promised it.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: Micheál is listening.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I support the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator Darragh O'Brien. It is important for us to have a debate on the increase in the interest rate by Bank of Ireland and other banks. It is an important amendment, which I support. I also strongly support the call for a debate on the higher education sector, which would be an important debate to have in the next few weeks or...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Ground Rents Abolition (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I will be helpful and suggest something. The most obvious and achievable step is to pass legislation in order that the one eighth of the land's value that is due on the expiry of a lease can be reviewed downwards as well as upwards and lowered to a number close to zero so as to negate the value. After a year or so, ground rents would become...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Ground Rents Abolition (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to raise the issue of ground rents, a long-standing issue for many individuals and families in the State. Ground rents are something of an oddity and an anomaly, but they do not comprise a benign anomaly. They are, in effect, a hangover from a colonial past. It is shameful that, almost 100 years since the proclamation of the Irish...

Seanad: Homophobic Bullying: Statements (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I am filling in for Senator Reilly and did not intend to speak this evening. I am taking the opportunity to do so, however, because it is an important issue. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the fact that we are having a debate on this issue. Many of the main points have been made. The most obvious point we should make is that we must all offer leadership on this issue....

Seanad: Homophobic Bullying: Statements (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I am filling in for Senator Reilly and did not intend to speak this evening. I am taking the opportunity to do so, however, because it is an important issue. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the fact that we are having a debate on this issue. Many of the main points have been made. The most obvious point we should make is that we must all offer leadership on this issue....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Ground Rents Abolition (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I wish to raise the issue of ground rents, a long-standing issue for many individuals and families in the State. Ground rents are something of an oddity and an anomaly, but they do not comprise a benign anomaly. They are, in effect, a hangover from a colonial past. It is shameful that, almost 100 years since the proclamation of the Irish...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Ground Rents Abolition (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I will be helpful and suggest something. The most obvious and achievable step is to pass legislation in order that the one eighth of the land's value that is due on the expiry of a lease can be reviewed downwards as well as upwards and lowered to a number close to zero so as to negate the value. After a year or so, ground rents would become...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: And only on that matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator Reilly. I echo her points on the need for a full debate in the House on youth unemployment. We await the Leader's response to determine whether we will press the amendment. I raise the issue mentioned by Senator Barrett, namely, an unpublished report on third and fourth level education that is still sitting on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: They created the battle groups.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: Fianna Fáil wanted to support a European army.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: We all agree with that.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: In recent days there was a debate in the Dáil on the health service and, more important, the performance of the Minister for Health. A motion of no confidence was tabled. While the Minister may have survived that motion it is fair to say he was given the yellow card, not from Opposition Members but by the failure of his own Minister of State, Deputy Róisín Shortall, in her contribution,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Road Network (19 Sep 2012)

David Cullinane: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The reality, however, is that local authorities will find it very difficult to raise the extra money locally given the constraints on their already limited revenue streams, including rates. The bottom line is that they require the support of central Government, particularly in respect of their roads programmes. I accept that the Government has a...