Results 2,961-2,980 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Seanad: Establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (16 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the Minister to the House, and on behalf of the Labour Party we want to support the establishment of the tribunal of inquiry and the terms of reference as laid down. We have had a turbulent week and it gives myself and my party, considering our position in opposition, absolutely no satisfaction whatsoever to see what has happened in recent days. An Garda Síochána is...

Seanad: Clarification on Statements made by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: Statements (15 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Minister is very welcome. I welcome the clarity of her statement, which is no less than I would have expected from somebody of the Minister's integrity.She is well known in this country as a politician with great integrity and honesty and her stature has been reinforced this week. After the week's events, I find that hers is one of the only voices in the Government I can believe....

Seanad: Clarification on Statements made by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: Statements (15 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: They had no comprehension of what equality and justice really meant. It is polling company stuff. That was our experience in government. Fundamentally, Fine Gael does not have an instinct for what is just and right until it reaches the point of disaster and no return. Now Brexit does not matter. Various reports are under consideration in the Houses today that would put Ministers under...

Seanad: Clarification on Statements made by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: Statements (15 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Taoiseach's presentation of what has happened in the past few days is just not credible.

Seanad: Clarification on Statements made by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: Statements (15 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The media performances of other members of the Government in the past few days are just not credible. What we are dealing with is a family whose names have been destroyed. There are people wondering why anyone would bother being a whistleblower. They are asking themselves what would happen if they were to see a great injustice or a terrible wrong being done in the institution in which they...

Seanad: Clarification on Statements made by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: Statements (15 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Until senior members of the Government cop on to the fact that in this republic it is "justice be done though the heavens fall", we will return to this issue time and again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Returning Emigrant Support Services: Discussion (15 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am sorry I missed the presentations. I found the witnesses' interaction with other members very interesting. I know Karen McHugh from the fantastic work she does with Doras Luimní. I am at a disadvantage because I am not from a rural area, although I have connections in rural Ireland. For this reason, I cannot tap into large parts of the conversation on agricultural issues. Like...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I want to support Senator Gavan in his remarks on industrial disputes that are ongoing today. The Tesco issue is one that I feel quite strongly about. This does not have to be a divisive issue in this Chamber and I want to echo the call for the Minister in charge of this area to come to the House to talk about her vision for workers' rights in Ireland. Over the course of the last five...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I do not know what to say after that previous contribution. I seem to remember the very same voice in this Chamber on the day after the American presidential election saying that we needed to get used to the new world order and that the era of political correctness was over. A congratulatory message was sent from the same individual to the newly elected President. I am delighted we have...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Níl-----

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: An Talibán. Tá difríocht ann.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I formally second the amendment. In six weeks' time this country, and indeed the world, will celebrate the history and the story of a very famous undocumented migrant called St. Patrick. On that day and in that week it is imperative on us in this House and to anybody with an Irish background to tell the real story of Ireland, that being one of emigration and an understanding of coffin...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Is he coming to talk about judicial appointments or -----

Seanad: Convictions for Certain Sexual Offences (Apology and Exoneration) Bill 2016: Second Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am proud to support Senator Nash's Bill. I congratulate him on the work he has done to bring this important legislation before the House. At the heart of this Bill is an essential understanding of what equality really means. Equality is not a sense that one privileged group in society can hand down rights to another group in society. That is not what equality means. It is not in the...

Seanad: Northern Ireland: Statements (26 Jan 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the Minister to the House. I join with others in expressing my thanks to the former deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, for the journey he has taken, his commitment and work in the past number of years. I wish Michelle O'Neill MLA the very best in her new role. I disagree with Senator Neale Richmond in his belief that the British Government will act in good faith in terms...

Seanad: Junior Cycle Reform: Motion (25 Jan 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I congratulate Senator Conway on putting together this motion. Those of us on the Opposition benches are at a terrible disadvantage whenever Senator Conway says anything, promotes anything or drafts a motion because it is very difficult to debate with somebody with whom one tends to agree most of the time on the stances he takes, the opinions he has and the effort he makes. I commend him...

Seanad: Junior Cycle Reform: Motion (25 Jan 2017)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Hear, hear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Discussion (15 Dec 2016)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I am not a member of this committee. I am substituting today for Deputy Burton because I have an interest in this area. I believe that the education system perpetuates inequality. In a system that is based on competition, as ours is, one will find in any community or geographical area a school that is the least popular and in that school one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Bill 2016: Discussion (30 Nov 2016)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the members of the committee and the panel for their kind comments. Professor Bury's presentation is one of the most impressive presentations on this issue that I have heard in the past number of years. He spoke in stark terms. He repeated one of his sentences in order to ensure that we all understood the magnitude of the situation and how drug overdose has reached epidemic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of Misuse of Drugs (Supervised Injecting Facilities) Bill 2016: Discussion (30 Nov 2016)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Deputy O'Brien would have six to one then.