Results 32,621-32,640 of 33,392 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I move amendment No. 17: In page 56, column 3, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: "(2) In publishing its proposed levies, it shall publish an impact assessment of the proposed levies including relevant comparisons of cost effectiveness of its operations with comparator countries.". This amendment seeks to ensure that the new Central Bank, in the reports it will produce, makes...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I move amendment No. 18: In page 60, column 3, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: "(c) the benchmarks or domestic and/or international comparison against which its regulatory performance should be viewed,". There have been occasions in which the advice Ministers received was so overwhelming that they had no choice but to follow it. The amendments provide that any advice...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I concur with Senator Ross on this point and made a similar point on Second Stage. I propose to respond to the Minister's argument that we are damaging the reputation of politics and proposing to undermine the independence of the Central Bank. I disagree completely because I do not for one moment suggest that politics is bad. I am proud and pleased to be a politician and any inference to...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: This is not a matter of people failing to show respect to the institutions of the State. That does not drive the points Senator Ross and I have made. The Fianna Fáil Party has made appointments in a manner that does not show respect for State institutions.

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: It is a fact, rather than an opinion, that appointments were made by the Fianna Fáil Party in the past ten years that did not show respect for State institutions.

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Second Stage (6 Jul 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this important Bill. The Minister enjoys reading and also, when possible, putting forward a very strong defence of his Government. Given those two factors, I recommend a recently published book to him that covers both those levels, What Did We Do Right? by Michael O'Sullivan and Rory Miller. It makes for very good reading in the present...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Second Stage (6 Jul 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister for that information. The point I mentioned was made in that report, which I had the opportunity to see. Does this Bill not represent an opportunity to examine mechanisms that could be introduced to create living wills for banks, to provide that if they do not deliver and if there is a risk of them becoming insolvent, an organisation such as this would have the power to...

Seanad: Respite Care Services (29 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Chathaoirleach for selecting this matter and Senator Keaveney for allowing me to take her place. I refer to the reduction in funding made available to organisations providing respite care, particularly for children with intellectual disabilities. I became involved in this issue last Thursday in my constituency in which the Sisters of Charity which is based on the Navan Road and...

Seanad: Respite Care Services (29 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I ask the Minister to pass on my desperate request to the HSE that it meet the Daughters of Charity on the Navan Road and do all it can to ensure that services are not withdrawn in a week and a half. The Minister said the Government is doing all that is possible to maintain front-line services. These services will go and, to the best of my knowledge, the HSE and the Daughters of Charity...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (29 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Of course.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (29 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I am willing to agree to a suspension until 5.05 p.m.

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome this legislation which Fine Gael Party will support. The amendments we will propose on Committee Stage will ensure the constructive improvement of the legislation and its most effective operation. A frequent criticism we hear of how politics is conducted in Leinster House is that the Government and the Opposition spend all of their time locked in fruitless battles of exchanges that...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I second Senator Coffey's amendment in seeking a debate to discuss the prospects of our young people. He hit the nail on the head when he highlighted that much work needed to be done in our country at a time when so many young people were being paid, many to do nothing. We need to integrate these two elements and be imaginative in our response. On a day when 56,000 students are nearing the...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Although we do not need a visit by the Queen to confirm this, it is proof that our identity is evolving and strengthening that even in these difficult times that such a visit has been proposed. It is appropriate that we should have a broad debate on all the issues affecting this republic from its national identity to sport, an issue on which Senator Mooney touched, to a visit by the Queen....

Seanad: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State. The ECCE scheme is an excellent one under which young children have free access for one year to pre-school activity and programmes before they enter primary school. It will have a positive effect on young children in getting them ready for primary school. A constituent of mine has a son who will be four years old at the beginning of July. He is deemed old...

Seanad: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: The key part of the Minister of State's reponse was that a number of parents had asked to send their children when they were below the age of four years and two months, which is the case with my constituent. The Department found no reason to remove or amend the lower age range. Perhaps when there is more money to examine these schemes in the future and see how they can be improved, it could...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Last week during the debate on Second Stage I stressed that Fine Gael supported the Bill, but I have since had the opportunity to review it in more detail and would like to hear the Minister of State's response to some observations of mine. Section 2 contains definitions. A number of things struck me and I would like the Minister of State to consider them. If he cannot give a response...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister of State for his response in regard to the passenger steamer and our own Navy which makes sense to me. It would be worthwhile looking at my point about the need to consider defining the crew of the ship because although the only person on the vessel given legal definition is the master of the ship, in different parts of the legislation other personnel are referred to in...

Seanad: Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: Will Final Stage be taken before Private Members' business?

Seanad: Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Paschal Donohoe: I have a question for the Minister of State which goes back to the point on definitions already discussed. Why is reference made in section 7(2) to "passenger steamers" while in section 5 the reference is to "ships"? This concerns consistency. The term "passenger steamers" is used up to a point but in section 7 the term used is "ships".