Results 26,601-26,620 of 26,685 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: I thank the Senators for their expressions of best wishes on the birth of baby boy, Finn. It is purely coincidental that it rhythms with Sinn. I thank my wife, Kathleen, who did the heavy lifting. At 9 lb. 1 oz., he was a big baby. Senator Bacik spoke earlier about men in the workplace. I was informed by the Leader of the House that there is no paternity leave for Senators.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: That is something that needs to be addressed in the Oireachtas generally, the Dáil and the Seanad. If we are to have a discussion about men and women in the workplace, this workplace should form part of that as well.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: I thank Senators for their expressions of best wishes. As the House will be aware, there are many bad news stories brought into this Chamber. However, there is a good news story as I am sure the Leader of House will agree, coming from Waterford, namely, that the tall ships event will take place tomorrow. It is being formally launched by the Taoiseach. It will be a spectacular event where,...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: Both the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister should be invited; it is a joint office.

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

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I support the amendment. I support the establishment of this Department but the concern I have about the Bill is whether we will see genuine root and branch reform of the public service and public spending. On the amendment, I would question the autonomy in real terms of the Minister's position in the Department because the Department and its...

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

David Cullinane: Senator Barrett asked earlier if this is really a new Department which will bring about the type of reforms we all want or if it is but an extension of the Department of Finance. I mentioned earlier that approximately two-thirds of staff in this Department will be staff moving over from the Department of Finance. The Secretary-General of the new Department has worked in the Department of...

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

David Cullinane: We support the establishment of the Department. That is different.

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

David Cullinane: They are being reintroduced.

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

David Cullinane: I am not sure what I can say about public sector reform in two minutes. I welcome the Minister to the House. My party would have shared a broad view with the Labour Party, at least before the election, about the need to ensure that public sector reform was about meeting the needs of citizens. That is the ultimate benchmark in terms of what we need to do in terms of achieving savings. We...

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

David Cullinane: It is part of public spending reform. The Minister should look at the recruitment embargo which is in place across the public sector. For example, recently I spoke to staff in Waterford Regional Hospital where, because of a shortage of nurses and doctors, it is recruiting staff through agencies and paying premium rates, and that is impacting on its budgets. Even the recruitment embargo is...

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

David Cullinane: Go raibh maith agat.

Seanad: Jobs Initiative and Competitiveness: Statements (Resumed) (22 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: Like the previous speaker, I will be laying down roots of my own in Kilkenny shortly as my wife is in Kilkenny General Hospital expecting our second child.

Seanad: Jobs Initiative and Competitiveness: Statements (Resumed) (22 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: We will see about that. I want to put my remarks into context. I cannot agree with previous speakers who stated that this jobs initiative amounts to ambition on behalf of the Government. It has been said on numerous occasions that this initiative is revenue neutral but I believe it is jobs neutral as well. I fail to see where the real jobs will come from and in that regard the context has...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: I condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence we have seen in Belfast over the last couple of nights. While some in small sections of the media have attempted to characterise this as a clash between two communities, many seasoned commentators and security spokespersons in the North have correctly characterised it as an attack on a small Nationalist enclave. The involvement of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: With respect, that is not what the amendment requests.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: On a point of order, the amendment I tabled does not relate to the Minister for Health. It requests that the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation come before the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: Perhaps the Leader can correct what he said earlier.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: Has the Committee on Procedure and Privileges met to discuss the proposals which my party put to the Leader and to the CPP recently on speaking rights? May I ask the Leader if a decision has been made and if he will inform the House of the outcome of the meeting?

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

David Cullinane: I did not receive a reply.