Results 32,701-32,720 of 33,049 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: ——to come out and state who these people are——

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: ——as opposed to the Senator standing up and waving a sheet of paper.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: It is a question to the Leader. As opposed to Senator Leyden standing up and waving a piece of paper claiming he knows who these people are, why are Cabinet Ministers not asking these questions and doing their best to restore faith in the banking system?

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: They should do so as opposed to looking for headlines in a stunt like that.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I support Senator Fitzgerald's call for a debate on the quality of regulation of our financial services industry. I have some figures to illustrate why this debate is so urgently needed. The financial markets price Government debt and decide how much somebody buying that debt should be willing to pay for it. Israel has a spread of 213 points. That will affect the interest rate charged for...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: Earlier in the week in the United States, the director of the FBI appeared before the House banking committee and gave testimony to the effect that his organisation would investigate the misselling of financial services and products. Why can we not take the same approach given that we are talking about financial activities which have placed our economic interests at grave risk? I wish to...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I support the requests of my colleagues for greater clarity as to the reason for this decision. This would benefit everybody looking to participate in politics and to understand how decisions of such importance are made. At this time, it is inconceivable that we would recommend an increase in the number of Deputies or Senators. Given the challenges and difficulties the country faces...

Seanad: Child Poverty: Motion (11 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Labour Party for moving the motion. I also thank the Minister of State for his contribution. When discussing such a difficult and at times sad subject, it is important to place the huge number of statistics and facts to which people refer in the context of the individual experiences we, as public representatives, have had with people who have been touched by the blight of child...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I join my colleagues in calling for a debate on the revelations last night concerning the banking sector. I was very struck by the phrase that our financial institutions need to look after each other during times like these. Where is this solidarity when small and medium-sized businesses go to the banks looking for help? They cannot get help at present. The reason the recapitalisation...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not making this point in a partisan sense but contending that it really goes to the heart of what we are discussing. We are investing public money because the financial institutions cannot obtain private money. Who will give private money now? I agree strongly with what Senator Leyden said. What we have witnessed is an act of vandalism that will go to the core of our State. Nothing...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: It is just as well.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I support Senator McFadden. We will not take lectures on responsibility on this side of the House. Where was responsibility on the other side of the House when the Government went out and destroyed our tax system? The price for this is now being paid. It presided over the banking system but did not want to make any decisions about it and, again, we are seeing the consequences.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I have three questions to put to the Leader on this matter. First, this is just the beginning. The Government has said it needs to find €2 billion worth of savings this year, €4 billion next year and €4 billion the following year. Will the Leader provide an explicit guarantee to the House that social welfare payments and pensions will not be cut? This is the beginning. When will we...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I concur with some remarks made by Senator O'Toole. I believe there is a small but growing risk of social unrest in the country. People see such unfairness in the way decisions are made. W.B. Yeats has been quoted twice in the House in the past two days and I wish to add another more ominous quote: "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold." We face that risk. One word, "sorry", would...

Seanad: Economic Issues: Motion (28 Jan 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I second the motion and I thank Senator Phelan for tabling it. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I take this opportunity to highlight not what Fine Gael says about the state of the economy, but what the National Competitiveness Council says about the state of the economy and the conclusions drawn by the Government in a publication it submitted to Brussels at the beginning of...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: My colleagues have made their points eloquently and forcefully and I support both of them.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: It was agreed so long ago that it might merit reconsideration. I would certainly support the Senator's request. Progress reported; Committee to sit again.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I will not press this amendment. In light of dealings I have had with this Minister of State and his Department on previous legislation, I am happy to take his assurances that a similar amendment will be forthcoming on Report Stage. I thank him for taking on board the thrust of my proposal and I look forward to his amendment. It is very interesting to hear the comments of many Senators on...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: It is not agreed. We are on amendment No. 7, section 18. Is that correct?

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for that. I tabled my amendment, which I believe is supported by amendments from some of my colleagues, because some of the changes this legislation refers to, particularly in regard to the amalgamation and integration of port authorities, will be of major concern in local communities and among the industries and stakeholders that will make great use of these...