Results 281-300 of 3,902 for speaker:Paul Gavan

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: I welcome the Taoiseach. I believe that his recent remarks stating he believes we are on the path to unification and that there will be a united Ireland in his lifetime reflect the views of most of the people on this island. His attendance and speech at the Ireland's Future event in the 3Arena last year was a significant moment in the debate on constitutional change. There is, of course, a...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: Apologies, I was never strong on religion. I stand corrected. The final issue I raise relates to health and community workers. Approximately 5,000 of them will go on strike on 17 October. These are the front-line workers the Taoiseach was happy to applaud during Covid, that is, the people who make an incredible difference to the lives of those with disabilities, who help them get up in...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (28 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: Well said.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: When I came back this time last year the first item I raised on the Order of Business was housing because of the horrendous state of the housing crisis. As we all know, it has got much worse since then. I will stick to the facts. The July homeless figure that I quoted last year was 10,568, including 3,137 children. In July this year it had gone up to 12,847 homeless people, including...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: I thank Senator Lombard, though, for his concern. University Hospital Limerick today has a new record with 124 patients on trolleys this morning, in September. What are we going to be facing in the winter months? We have a Minister who is in denial, who came into this Chamber and rejected the figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO. He actually said on radio in the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: Well said.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: First, I express condolences to our colleagues in Fianna Fáil on the very sad death of Damien O’Reilly. I also wish a warm welcome to the Superintendent here today. I am lucky enough to be one of the representatives in this Chamber in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In that regard, I have written two reports on the tragedy that continues to unfold in...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022: Second Stage (26 Sep 2023)

Paul Gavan: On behalf of Sinn Féin, I mostly welcome the Bill and what it intends to achieve. Modern technology such as body cameras can help the work of An Garda Síochána as it tries to keep our communities safe. I will mention the issue of Garda resources first because it has had a lot of attention recently with violent incidents around the capital highlighting how people do not feel...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I wish the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader, the Deputy Leader and all of our colleagues a good summer after what has been a fairly intense year. I thank them all for their courtesy and patience at all times. I thank the staff, including Martin, Bridget and the whole Seanad team, for the incredible job they do. I include in that all of our ushers and the huge team of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Like who?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Well said.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: First, I will comment on the motion without debate on planning and development, to point out Sinn Féin's perspective. We need to give this issue more time for it to be discussed and considered fully. That is Sinn Féin's position on that motion. I will raise the issue of firefighters. My union, SIPTU, has recommended that the Labour Court proposals be rejected. In my experience,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: All three. We are just putting it on the record.

Seanad: Situation in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory: Statements (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Well said.

Seanad: Situation in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory: Statements (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I welcome the Minister of State. I listened carefully to his statement and I do not disagree, as such, with anything he said. However, the key message I would like to get across to him today is that, right now and for some time since, words are not and have not been enough, not when we see the horrors being inflicted on the Palestinian people. Patricia McKeown of the Irish Congress of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I thank our guests for their fulsome presentation and answers. I hope that trend will continue with the question I am going to ask. I have the raised the issue of European works councils both at this committee and via Seanad Commencement matters on a number of occasions but have had no satisfactory answers to date. Infringement proceeding INFR(2022)4021 from the European Commission in 2022...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: Yes, that would be helpful. My understanding is that those infringement proceedings have not been called off, and they are still in play. Am I correct in saying that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: It is helpful to get that response. SIPTU met with the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Mr. Nicolas Schmit, a few weeks ago and he expressed his concern that the Department has not moved forward on this issue. However, Mr. Mulligan has told me that the Department has heard nothing from the Commission since November. Is that what Mr. Mulligan is putting on the record here today?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: That is fine. I will bring that back up with our colleagues in the union movement. I appreciate that the witnesses have given me some answer today. I thank them for that. The second matter I want to raise is the concern I have, as to many others, regarding the issue of bogus self-employment. A reference was made to the construction sector a little earlier. I can tell the witnesses...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Statement of Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (12 Jul 2023)

Paul Gavan: I have one last question, if I may. I want to understand where we are up to with the issue of collective bargaining. I know the LEEF talks have produced recommendations in that regard. As the witnesses will know, we are an outlier in Europe in terms of not having a right to collective bargaining in this State. When are we going to see draft heads of the Bill to implement a strategy for...