Results 2,621-2,640 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am requesting that the Leader invite the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, to the House to answer questions about the recent controversy. I can only imagine the reaction in this House, the Lower House and the media if any Labour Party Minister or Minister of State in the previous Government did what Deputy Breen has done. I am quite sure that Fine Gael is hoping that this will be forgotten...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Leader can pant, moan and whinge all he likes but the reality of the situation-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Here is the reality of the situation.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Leader's Government is now dependent on the vote of a convicted criminal and trying to move away from a controversy where a Minister of State arranged a dinner with a bidder for a contract-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: He has a criminal conviction for tax irregularities. The Government is now trying to move away from a controversy relating to the actions of a Minister of State facilitating a dinner between a bidder and a senior Minister, for which the senior Minister resigned. If the Government is trying to move away from that situation, it says a lot about where the Fine Gael Party is now.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am making that request of the Leader-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am formally requesting that the Leader bring the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, to the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: If the Leader does not facilitate the request, it will say an awful lot about his party, and what he really believes regarding ethics and morality, and how politics should be properly conducted in this country.

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Much of what I was going to contribute to the conversation has been raised by my colleagues, Senators Mac Lochlainn and Ruane. I will make my contribution relatively short. As Senator Ruane has said, there is no huge rush to get this done if we are not going to get it done correctly and properly. The Unite trade union, with which I hope the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I wish to express the sympathies of the Labour Senators to the family of Emma Mhic Mhathúna and I join colleagues in commending her courage, bravery and humanity. We will stand with all survivors in order to try to obtain justice and to ensure that this never happens again. I call for a debate with the Minister for Education and Skills on the relationship between church and State. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: It is important that everybody in this Chamber would realise that without taxpayers next week's budget would be impossible. Compliant taxpayers are the unsung heroes of this country. They pay for our nurses, gardaí, teachers and social welfare system, including pensions for older people. I would like to object to some of the rhetoric from Government sources in the past while regarding...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Senator could boycott it.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Self-praise is no praise.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Or the Pope's visit which got blanket coverage.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: President Higgins had an involvement there.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (3 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I want to raise the inaction of the Department of Education and Skills vis-à-visunregulated seclusion and restraint of children with disabilities. With the greatest respect to her, I am disappointed that none of the Minister for Education and Skills, the Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for disability or the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (3 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the Minister of State for her reply but this sort of reply drives me round the twist. The first paragraph of the reply is a classic case of the Department saying it is somebody else's problem: "The board of management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their schools...Schools are not required to report such interventions to the Department."...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Gender Pay Gap) Information Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (3 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the Minister of State and his officials for being here and for working with this House in trying to get this legislation to the next Stage.

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Gender Pay Gap) Information Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (3 Oct 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I also congratulate my colleague, Senator Bacik, on her hard work in this regard. We all know in this House that Private Members' time is fairly precious. When one gets it, one wants to make sure one has a topic or legislation which is very important. This is why we have chosen this one. We feel that we have an opportunity to have cross-party support on this measure to take it to the next...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products Availability (27 Sep 2018)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the Minister of State for being here. I very much appreciate it and I know she will feel strongly about the issue I am about to raise. I also appreciate that her Department is working as best it can to find a resolution to the issues I raise. I welcome in the Gallery Ms Fiona Bailey, the mother of Sam Bailey. I met the family of Grace O'Malley from Mayo last week. Last week there...