Results 32,321-32,340 of 33,049 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Innovation Economy Development (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, and thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this motion, to which there are a number of elements. The first is that the actual record on the spending of taxpayers' money on IT-related projects during the years has been patchy at best. The Comptroller and Auditor General compiled a report on this subject about a year ago, in which his office...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I would like to respond to the point made by Senator Ó Murchú. I understand that everyone should act in accordance with his or her own conscience and agree that the matter should be debated. The law we are talking about is not a penal one. It seeks to give a degree of recognition to people's sexuality and love for each other, over which they have no control and in which they have no...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Surely that applies in this case as well. I agree with Senator Glynn's observation that it is a beautiful morning. When I heard the birds tweeting away as I walked to the House, I was reminded they are not the only ones who tweet.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes. The Deputy Leader owns the deadliest pair of thumbs in Irish politics.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish mine were so deadly.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I am working up to my question.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Given that other animals that are out there tweeting on this beautiful morning, and in light of the Deputy Leader's recent tweetings on various matters, I ask him to put on the public record his concerns about the expenses issue that has been highlighted by Senator Fitzgerald. If he is willing to put them on the record elsewhere, I ask him to put them on the record of the House this morning....

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to specify that I am moving an amendment to ask Members of this House to respond to the points made by Senator Callely yesterday. I am not asking the Senator to come in here again. I am trying to give all Members an opportunity to respond to what he said yesterday.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes, I want to have a debate on it.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (3 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I am asking him for a debate, in which all Members of the House can participate, on the content of the contribution made by Senator Callely yesterday. If the Senator wishes to contribute to that debate, of course he will be welcome.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I ask for a debate on the live register figures released this morning. They show, sadly, that the overall number unemployed is up by 6,600. These are the real issues that matter to the people whom we are looking to serve. They also show that, despite the Government's best efforts, the economy has now turned so many corners that, tragically, it is back to where it started from. We are...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I underscore the concerns of my colleagues, especially Senator Fitzgerald, on the expenses issue. It is a pity this should develop in the week that the Houses of the Oireachtas published on-line the expenses of all Oireachtas Members in an effort to resolve this issue and provide transparency and security to members of the public regarding how we spend their money. In this regard, the...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: While this is an issue on which there is a need to give the Senator in question time to respond, I emphasise it is one in which Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas from all parties will need to engage for all our sakes. Banking is an issue that is frequently discussed in this House. The Government is committing an additional €2 billion to Anglo Irish Bank, bringing to €14 billion the...

Seanad: Euro Area Loan Facility Bill 2010: Second Stage (20 May 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to emphasise why it is in the interest of our country to support this measure. There are two reasons. First, the performance of our exports and of the European economy is of great importance to our national prosperity. Any measure we need to take to ensure the stability and credibility of the euro and the eurozone is in our national interest. This measure clearly is. A more...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I want to raise a matter I have raised previously with the Leader, namely, the progress made on the report of the innovation task force that was launched by the Government some months ago. It is a fine piece of work and was produced by people with real expertise and a passion for the smart economy. The Government is telling us it will be instrumental in creating over 100,000 jobs. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 May 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I strongly support the point made by Senator Ross about CIE and Iarnród Éireann. The chairperson of that organisation was recently reappointed to his role. There was a vote of confidence in him from the Government in terms of the way he was organising that business, yet when the Oireachtas looks for action and answers from him, it is not given them. Two weeks ago I raised the issue of the...

Seanad: Public Service Agreement 2010-2014: Statements (13 May 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: On previous occasions that I spoke on the Croke Park agreement I compared it to the Lisbon treaty. I do so again because such a comparison provides a useful starting point. Those who are engaged in political life try to represent their communities and country. Sometimes certain decisions are made which are so important as to require political parties to take a step backwards and ask what...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 May 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I am struck by the debate taking place on the euro. I spent the past four days in Paris participating in a programme organised by the French Government under which members of various parliaments seek to understand developments in other countries and various views on the euro. On Monday, I spent some time with individuals who were involved in discussions over the weekend on how to handle the...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Will the Leader arrange a debate on the status of Transport 21 and the amazing revelation yesterday regarding the Dublin interconnector or the Dublin underground DART section? The Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, indicated that he had met representatives of Iarnród Éireann very recently and had a discussion with its board but found out for the first time yesterday afternoon on radio...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 May 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: This is a €2 billion project. Who is running the delivery of transport services in Dublin? Is it Iarnród Éireann? How can it make a decision on one of most important projects in Transport 21 without the Minister for Transport knowing what is happening? The Minister had to question Iarnród Éireann, but the explanation it gave was simply not credible. As it has not yet submitted the...