Results 25,941-25,960 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: In the context of the amendment, it is important that clarification is given, in a reasonable time, on the exact roles, responsibilities and areas of responsibility. Section 3(2)(b) provides the Minister will have responsibility of "a company established under the Companies Acts all of the shares in which are held (i) by or on behalf of a Minister of the Government, or (ii) by directors...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: On a point of clarification, I thank the Minister of State for her response to my question. I used the example of Anglo Irish Bank to seek clarification on this position. I take it the Minister of State is saying that the only companies the Minister for public expenditure and reform will have control of or responsibility for are ones where the State holds the shares and the employees have...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: Most Members agree with the thrust of the amendment. In many instances, Departments or Ministers, including former Ministers in the Governments of which my party was part, do not want to be tied down by legislation. Perhaps it is the timeframe of 40 days that the Minister of State finds objectionable in this instance. However, Senators have stated the new Department should be different....

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I call a quorum.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister might need to call on the Taoiseach.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: Welcome to Government.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a very important Bill, providing for the division of the Department of Finance for the first time since the First Dáil in 1919. My colleagues and I agree with most of the Bill's provisions. However, we completely disagree with the manner in which the Bill is being brought before the Seanad. Prior to any debate on the legislation in this House, the Dáil Order Paper already...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: First, I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate her on her appointment, as I neglected to so do earlier. This is a fundamental issue. If one considers section 2, Senator Thomas Byrne has rightly raised the number of Acts that the Bill will affect when enacted. It is a broad section which means that, unquestionably, this is not a housekeeping Bill. I appreciate Senator Ivana...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I will not delay proceedings further, but it is not a question of Members on this side of the House whining. They have put a lot of work into tabling amendments that have been published. I note the Government amendments have also come from its Whips' office. Members take the Bill seriously, as they did when they debated at length the Finance (No. 2) Bill and the Finance (No. 3) Bill.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: My point is that if we allow this to happen, will Members next week be asked to take Bills in their entirety on a single day, thereby not allowing proper scrutiny of legislation? Fianna Fáil Members are laying down a marker. Senator Tom Sheahan need not worry, as they will get on with the business in hand. However, this point must be made and we do so at the outset of Committee Stage.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: We did not know that. We appreciate that the Leader had good reason.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The requests in that regard are from the Government side. I am aware that the Minister for Health will come into the House on 7 July.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Leader for outlining the business but we have a fundamental problem with the Order of Business, which must be addressed. There have been at least three and possibly four or five changes to the order in the past couple of days, the most recent change received half an hour or 40 minutes ago. That was to include statements on transport at 5.15 p.m., which I know was highlighted...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: It is a request. Will the Leader bring to the attention of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, the Committee of Public Accounts report produced across parties, including by members of his own party, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Róisín Shortall, Deputy Tommy Broughan and members of his own party? It would be very helpful were the Leader...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish to share two minutes with Senator Thomas Byrne.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Burton, to the House and congratulate her on her appointment. We have crossed swords many times in my previous life but I genuinely wish her well in her portfolio which is very crucial, given the level of spending, if we are to bridge the budget deficit. I watched with interest some of the debate earlier which was misconstrued when Senator Mooney said the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: -----I assume Senator John Kelly is firmly on the right wing of the Labour Party in that regard. I wish to raise the issue of how we are paying for some of these initiatives, such as the cut in employers' PRSI. In the debate on the Finance (No. 2) Bill we discussed the introduction of the pensions levy of 0.6% on some pension funds but not all. The members of my party and I regard this as...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister also said she would protect pensions and increase pension provisions. I will not go over the 100 days and the 100 U-turns yet because I actually hope this Government does well. The provisions of this Bill are being paid for by a raid on the private pension funds of people who were prudent and did what consecutive Governments asked, which was to save for retirement.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: The Opposition stated it was not enough.