Results 32,421-32,440 of 33,049 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Proposed Emergency Funding to Greece: Statements (16 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister of State for attending this debate. I agree with the point made by Senator Boyle. This appears to be a situation of huge gravity and it is important that this debate take place. We should examine what is taking place in the Greek economy and the implications overall for the eurozone. The nub of the issue is that governments bailed out the banks. One can quibble with...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (16 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the amendment which I hope follows on from the earlier debates we had on the need to make this body as transparent as possible to ensure there will be confidence among all those who will depend on this body to work well and in a just manner.

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (16 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister for making these changes to the Bill. They will improve it because, as I said, they will make the operation of the body more transparent. I may have missed some of the points outlined by the Minister. The purpose of my amendment and that of the Government amendment is to make more transparent what is happening in the process as opposed to its outcome. The Government...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (16 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister for confirming my understanding of the matter and I take his point in that regard. However, while I understand the case he has made I believe the Bill is flawed in this regard. The Minister has far more experience of this area than do I in terms of what happened in Mayo and the controversy in that regard. Let us consider the position had this system been in place when...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (16 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (16 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister for his participation in this debate and his willingness to take on board points made by Opposition Senators. I also thank his staff for their courtesy in meeting us and giving us an opportunity to understand the Bill better and for answering our questions. This is good legislation, which will make an important contribution to this area. I have flagged my one concern...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I support the request by Senator Hannigan for a debate on emigration. I want to address in particular the attitude and views the Tánaiste has in this regard in light of comments she made on the BBC last night. Speaking about Irish people who are going abroad, she said in that debate, "There are people who have greater acumen academically, and there are people who have found work in other...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree with Senator Mary White's comments about the role education can play in competitiveness and, in particular, about what Dr. Barrett, formerly of Intel, said in this regard earlier this week because this man knows what our county needs to be competitive. However, I reject what she said about our party. We do not need her pity. We are not asking for it nor do we need it. For her to...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Her leader presided over the drift and lack of direction which Mr. Barrett decried and deplored and that must be recognised. We need to have a debate on education. A cohort of young people in our society about whom we had a debate last night, need action more than pity. Two thirds of young men living in Limerick county and city are signing on and it is the same in other counties while...

Seanad: Youth Unemployment: Motion (10 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: With the permission of the House, I wish to share time with Senator McFadden.

Seanad: Youth Unemployment: Motion (10 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary. I commend the Labour Party on its motion. It is important that we are discussing the matter. As I was getting ready for this debate I was reminded of the film title, "No Country for Old Men". That was adapted over the weekend by a newspaper which said it is no country for young men and women. One of the figures I came across in my...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I support my colleagues in their request for a debate on banking and the future of our economy, but I wish to relate it to what is happening in Greece at the moment. On a number of occasions over the last few weeks, I have pointed to the developments in Greece and the profound implications they have for our country. What we can see happening in another country is what should be apparent to...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: On Second Stage there was much debate about the need for transparency, that the public should understand the way in which safety cases were evaluated and the criteria under which they were approved. Am I correct in understanding the safety framework creates the framework in which safety cases will be evaluated? If so, what are the circumstances which could lead to a delay in publication of...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I agree with Senator Walsh. From my understanding of the safety framework, could we have a situation where a safety case would be evaluated against an unpublished framework because it might be inside the eight-month timeline?

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: My point is not about whether they are in place but whether they are published. Could we end up with a situation where a safety case would be evaluated against an unpubished safety framework? On Second Stage the Minister stated one reason the legislation had been introduced was he wanted to put in place a framework within which the public could understand the way decisions were made. It...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Given the presence of that stating "The Commission shall publish...", and that it does need to be published as he just stated, could the Minister state again why he feels the need to state to the commission if it has not done it within eight months?

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: What will happen if there is a case being evaluated inside that eight month period? Does the Minister see my point? Let us say the commission gets in place——

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Fine.

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the latter point on which the Minister concluded because that is the subject of an amendment we will discuss later. It is extremely important that the public has access to material. Even if they are not at the stage in the process in which they will be participating, the earlier that material is made available to them, the better this system will work.

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2010: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I move amendment No. 37: In page 15, between lines 41 and 42, to insert the following: "(c) A safety case prepared under paragraph (a) shall be publicly displayed for a period of not less than 6 weeks. (d) A safety case prepared under paragraph (a) shall be open to consultations from the general public for a period of not less than 6 weeks.". In light of what the Minister has stated, I will...