Results 261-280 of 3,757 for speaker:Michael Collins

Finance Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Nov 2024)

Michael Collins: I will try to be brief. I will only speak for two to three minutes to give everybody else a chance. It is unfortunate that there is a guillotine here and we will not get an opportunity to speak on so many issues relating to the budget that are of great importance to the people of our country. It is a terrible situation that we have been forced into. There has been quite a lot of...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: What about west Cork and Kerry?

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: Are we all right? Are we to go blind, is it?

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: Shame on the Government.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: On a point of order, I am telling the truth.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: If the Minister comes to Cork, I will take him for a spin and he can meet the people.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: Why did the Government close down Tralee? I asked the Minister that question.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: If the Minister comes on the bus to Belfast with me next Friday, he will see that it is full of people who are blind or almost blind.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: It does not suit us because it is not happening.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: There is a bus going to Belfast next Friday that will be full of people going blind because of the Minister and his Government.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: The only ship that is turning is the Titanic.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: It could not be getting better.

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: We are talking about health insurance. The problem is that those paying health insurance are coming to ask me to take them to Northern Ireland for an operation because health insurance is no longer working for them. They are waiting lengthy periods of time, having paid huge money for health insurance every year. They have to pay upfront for operations and while there is partial...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: Excuse me. There are a lot of things in health that the Minister knows more about than I do. In this case, however, the patients were paying €2,500 upfront and were getting €2,000 back, so it was costing about €500, and they were quite happy with that, although they would rather it was done locally. They are now getting €1,170 back, as I know because I am...

Public Health Service Staffing: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: We find ourselves in an unbelievable situation. Four or five years ago there was a vote of no confidence in the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and it led to a general election. That vote was called on the basis of the health service and health scandals. Nothing has got any better since then. People are waiting three to five years for cataract treatment, while others are waiting...

Public Health Service Staffing: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (23 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: What about Bere Island and Cape Clear?

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (22 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: We have 14,400 people who are homeless. We have 4,419 children who are homeless. Is this not some legacy to leave just before the Government members knock on the doors of the people of this country to tell them what a good job they have done? My God, they have failed the Irish people miserably. If it comes down to the people in the cities, yes, but look at the people in the country areas....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: I welcome the Minister and the officials who are here today. The main bulk of my questions come from the fishing sector. Last week, when I met some officials I said I had been at a meeting a few days previously. It was the AGM of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation. The best people to educate me are the fishermen on the ground. If we were speaking about farming, it would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: As I said, this is how the Brexit deal was done. Zonal attachment was used. Why can it not be the same when trying to protect our fishermen now? That is the argument they are making. It is reckless overfishing by Norway, the Faroes and Iceland. The Minister can put forward the argument that we are part of the EU, but why is the rest of the EU not putting sanctions in place to stop this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion (16 Oct 2024)

Michael Collins: If Irish fishermen do not come out well from this, it will lead to disaster. It is a disaster at present, as well the Minister knows. We have had many a debate on it. I mentioned this last week and there are loads of other issues on which the Minister is to come back to me - I accept that - but there is great frustration that there is a lack of communication. Apparently, there was a...