Results 2,641-2,660 of 6,046 for speaker:Frank Feighan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Railway Safety (Amendment) Bill 2018: Discussion (27 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: It is a very liberal regime.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: I would like to propose a vote of congratulations to Arlene Foster, the leader of the DUP, and also to the GAA family from Fermanagh and Donegal for the reception they gave her. It was a wonderful gesture to attend the Ulster final and it sets out an agenda that, hopefully, things are changing in Northern Ireland. That should not go unnoticed, especially given the Taoiseach's visit to east...

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Motion (26 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: I move:That Seanad Éireann do not insist on Seanad amendment No. 4.

Seanad: Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Motion (26 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank all stakeholders, including Deputy James Browne, for their work on progressing mental health reform and in respect of this Bill. Deputy Browne is seeking a number of key changes to the Mental Health Act 2001 which will give patients more say in their treatment and often more protection. I understand the Dáil has agreed to all the Seanad amendments bar one, which concerns...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: I join my colleagues in absolutely condemning the horrific scenes of children of illegal immigrants being separated from their families. I say this as somebody who has huge respect for the people of the United States. It has been the leader of the free world. Any time I look at the Seanad or any democracy, I think we would not have a free democracy in the western Europe except for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank Dr. Byrne. It is great to see him again. We have met on many occasions on the various circuits. He raised three specific areas, namely, Brexit, the current issues impacting on Northern Ireland and the importance of language. We are talking about hard and soft borders, etc. The polls regarding a united Ireland differ widely. Some reflect the impact of Brexit and others do not. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: Does purgatory still exist?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: Senator Lawless and I were in Westminster for the last two days. We met the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Irish in Britain to discuss the extension of voting rights to Irish emigrants. The huge level of goodwill towards the island of Ireland in Westminster is to be welcomed. I would like to ask the witnesses about a speech that was made at Queen's University Belfast by the former...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jun 2018)

Frank Feighan: I have just spent two very interesting days in Westminster, and was there during a Brexit vote. I brought our emigrant Senator Billy Lawless to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ireland and the Irish in Britain to talk about emigration reform and votes for emigrants. There is huge goodwill in Westminster and the House of Lords, among all the parties and Members, towards the island of...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: With regard to the Garda and the Minister for Justice and Equality, I would like to put to the House that applications for the current round of Garda recruitment finishes next Wednesday, 6 June, at 3 p.m. Bringing the Garda strength up to 15,000 by 2021 is something we should absolutely welcome. It is great for rural and urban areas. I was a bit concerned that the GRA stated there was a...

Seanad: Report on Children's Mental Health Services: Statements (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: I will share some of my time with Senator Devine. I am delighted to be here to put this issue centre stage once more. I thank Senator Freeman and all the Members of the Oireachtas and the stakeholders who had an input into this very valuable report, particularly the service users and their families. As the report notes, mental illness should be treated no differently from physical illness....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Bus Services: Discussion (30 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Minister for his presentation. A lot has been done in recent years to improve rural transport. The development of Local Link, which grew from 35 different rural transport groups, has made a noticeable difference on the ground. While we could always do with more, that has made a significant difference. The important issue now is to market those routes to increase the numbers...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Bus Services: Discussion (30 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Minister. I am delighted to hear that there was some leeway and that those who had not applied were given a second chance to do so. I am delighted to hear that an application was submitted by the Local Link office in my area of Sligo-Leitrim-Roscommon and I hope the Minister will look favourably on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Bus Services: Discussion (30 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: The Deputy has covered housing, education and now we are back to transport again-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Bus Services: Discussion (30 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: As a member of this committee I believe I can be helpful. A great deal of good work has been done with the Local Link service. I have seen it first-hand. I might disagree with my colleagues on many issues but one issue that needs to be reviewed is the six p.m. to 11 p.m. service on Friday and Saturday nights. Many years ago I had a pub and there was one man who came in every night at 8...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: The referendum result last weekend sends out a powerful signal that our country has changed and utterly so. It is time now for healing and reconciliation. There should be no scapegoats. Most people on both sides acted out of compassion. They listened to the stories of the experiences of men and women over the past 35 years. While the result is very welcome - I voted "Yes" - the euphoria...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: It could go a long way towards ensuring we have one Ireland in the future. We need to look forward to that.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: I know what it was like in 1983 too.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Waterways Issues (23 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: The development of the Shannon-Erne waterway has been one of the unsung benefits of the Good Friday Agreement. It is a flagship cross-Border project which involved the major reconstruction of many canal structures to make them suitable for modern cruisers. The canal was opened to traffic on 23 May 1994 on time and within budget. Since that time, the link has opened thousands of miles of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Waterways Issues (23 May 2018)

Frank Feighan: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response and note again that the Shannon-Erne waterway is a truly wonderful asset which has seen many spin-offs.As the Minister of State noted, one of them is the Shannon-Erne blueway which features 70 km of paddling trails from Leitrim village to Belturbet. The trail is complemented by more than 30 km of beautiful walking and cycling...