Results 32,781-32,800 of 32,999 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: As I begin my contribution to this very important debate and before I go on to my observations as a politician, I want to reflect on how I felt as a person when I heard the result last week. As a person, the abiding feeling I had on hearing the result was loneliness. I felt my country, of which I am a member, is on the margin. So much of the success we have had in progressing our economic...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Motion (18 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I can give only one kind of response now.

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: And Fianna Fáil people.

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty Report: Statements (5 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for his passionate contribution in discussing this important report. I also acknowledge the work that Deputy Perry and others members of his joint committee undertook in producing the document under consideration by the House. I also recognise the valuable work being done in this area by the Joint Committee on European Affairs, of...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jun 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: Like Senator de Búrca, I call for an urgent debate on the tragedies which took place on our roads at the weekend. In making my contribution, I wish to extend my sympathies to those families who were grieving during what was a holiday period for many of us. This subject is so important that the Fine Gael group wishes to table an amendment to the Order of Business to discuss the magnitude of...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: There have been, rightly, many calls in this House in recent weeks for a debate on the level of retail pricing in Ireland because consumers feel ripped off. The debate was moved forward constructively yesterday, in terms of informing politicians of what is happening, by contributions made elsewhere on actions taken by the National Consumer Agency. In light of this further information I...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on standards in the private rental accommodation sector. Some months ago we became rightly agitated about footage shown by the "Prime Time" programme about the state of accommodation in which many people in our cities live. We must recognise the scale of this issue throughout the country. There are too many tenants living in rental properties in...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I join other Senators, particularly Senator Butler, regarding the role of public private partnerships, PPPs, in housing projects. During the debate, which I hope the Leader will arrange soon, I will stress the point that the process did not collapse because the apartment standards were changed. The change may have been a contributory factor, but greater factors were at play, many of which...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: The belief that the process collapsed because new standards were applied to deliver good quality housing is the reason a debate is necessary.

Seanad: Public Private Partnerships (22 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, and wish him the best of luck in his new role. I tabled this Adjournment matter in light of the events which took place this week. Five housing projects in the city of Dublin, due to be delivered for those most in need of them, were cancelled or have been significantly delayed owing to problems with the public private partnership scheme....

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: This morning I attended the launch of the Carer of the Year Awards organised by the Carer's Association. I attended the event because the association has a particularly vibrant presence in my neighbourhood and constituency. It was a very moving event and was attended by many carers and those being cared for. The enormous difficulties for some of the carers to simply attend such an event is...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not too sure what the conversation is about and I am sure it is important. I am well able to handle any points that Senators wish to make but I am trying to make an important point here and am seeking a response from the Leader. The Carer's Association has been very successful in gaining agreement for the launch of a carer's strategy later in the year to deal with the many issues upon...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: It is a pity that Senator Mary White is not here to hear a response from Members to her comments——

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: ——when she was so quick to point out that other Members of the Seanad left the Chamber yesterday.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: If the Senator is going to make such a strong contribution, it is a pity she can not be here to hear the response from Opposition Senators.

Seanad: Transport 21: Motion (21 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes with dissatisfaction that: the Government's public transport investment programme continues to suffer from completion delays and budget over-runs; the continued congestion due to delays in providing an integrated and reliable public transport system is leading to damages to Irish business...

Seanad: Transport 21: Motion (21 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: I am clear on what we would do differently in some areas. I have many ideas but will conclude by providing only three. All 26 glorious pages of the annual report produced by the Department of Transport to update the public on progress in respect of Transport 21 continually sets out the success of the project. Let us have some realism in these reports and let us note that not everything is...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: Last week in this House I called for a debate on the role of public private partnerships, particularly with regard to public housing and public infrastructure projects. I called for that debate last Thursday because four of the enterprises that have been destroyed by the announcement today by Dublin City Council are in my constituency. In recent weeks the negative perception and doubt...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 May 2008)

Paschal Donohoe: For many communities in Dublin that have been bypassed by much of the economic growth and positive developments in our country in recent years, what has happened today is not merely the collapse of a funding mechanism but the collapse of hope. Their confidence that local and national Government will take their concerns seriously and do something for them has also collapsed. We should not...