Results 341-360 of 891 for speaker:John Minihan
- Seanad: Order of Business. (17 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: They were different angles.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (17 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: Senator MacSharry raised the issue of the Rural Ireland 2025 report. His call for a debate on the west was supported by a number of other speakers, including Senators Ulick Burke, Kitt and Feeney. We have a basis to seek a debate in the House on the report. I will raise the matter with the Leader and seek to arrange one. Senator Daly raised the issue of law and order in Kilrush. That is an...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (17 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: That would be my understanding of the matter. It would be highly inappropriate for the Minister to become involved in decisions on the deployment of gardaÃ. Senator Bradford made a point about funding that is available from the European Union. We should examine the area of intercultural relations, as has been highlighted by recent events. Senator McHugh raised the issue of the Irish...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (17 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on the Ferns Report, resumed, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business and to conclude not later than 1.30 p.m., with the contributions of Senators not to exceed 15 minutes each.
- Seanad: Juvenile Offenders: Motion. (16 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and compliment him on his approach to this issue. The Labour Party motion refers to measures to prevent children offending and re-offending and to how to help young people at risk of offending. If one looks at the range of actions that make up the work of the National Children's Office, it is obvious that truly helping children requires a broad...
- Seanad: Ferns Report: Statements. (10 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House for this important debate. During a series of statements such as this, striking a balance is difficult. On the one hand, we have all the selfless and significant work done by the church in Ireland over the centuries. On the other, we have the most awful treatment of vulnerable children at the hands of some members of the clergy and a failure on the...
- Seanad: Business of Seanad. (9 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: The principal's office.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: I join my colleague, Senator Brian Hayes, in calling for all-party support for the Shot at Dawn Campaign. The campaign deserves our support, particularly when one studies the cases that have been put forward. People were shot for wandering from trenches, suffering either from shell shock or post-traumatic stress disorder. We are aware of these disorders now but they were unknown at the time....
- Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: The Senator is illogical.
- Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: I am delighted to second this motion but would like to expand on a few specific points. The motion, which is concerned primarily with taxation policy and issues of fairness, gives us an opportunity to inject some reality into the debates about our choices for society and sustaining our recent progress. There is no doubt that a dose of reality is required. For example, the Opposition recently...
- Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: If the Labour Party wants to join it in respect of that proposal, that is fine. To return to the real world, the schemes to incentivise economic and social development were introduced at a time when promoting such activity was a national imperative. Governments of all make-ups devised, operated and expanded these schemes. However, this fact does not suit the Opposition. Policy point-scoring...
- Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: Although the age-old debate of equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome rages on, equality remains the objective. The tax system is a central plank to achieving that objective. I welcome the Department of Finance's work in examining the equity of these tax reliefs and support the Minister in his efforts to achieve the fairest and most equitable tax system possible. Unlike some...
- Seanad: Tax Code: Motion. (2 Nov 2005)
John Minihan: The Senator lost the debate in Trinity College and he cannot win tonight.
- Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (26 Oct 2005)
John Minihan: In recent weeks, it is true.
- Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (26 Oct 2005)
John Minihan: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and welcome the Minister to the House. We debated the issue of child care in the House several months ago and less than a month ago we debated the equally important issue of early childhood education. That we are debating it again so soon is testimony to the gravity of the issue and how it is viewed by all parties. Since the debate some months...
- Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (26 Oct 2005)
John Minihan: The Government amendment of 9 March 2005 included the following quote, "the use of child benefit as the most equitable way of giving support to parents towards the cost of rearing and caring for their children, irrespective of the family's employment status".
- Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (26 Oct 2005)
John Minihan: I cannot say for certain what caused this volte-face.
- Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (26 Oct 2005)
John Minihan: I presume it was not a cynical attempt to garner votes because such an attempt would, presumably, be beneath the Labour Party. This debate is far too important to concentrate solely on political point scoring. I would prefer to attribute Labour's Pauline conversion to the power of debate and the persuasiveness of the arguments put forward by this side of the House on 9 March 2005. We all...
- Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (26 Oct 2005)
John Minihan: I would challenge any Senator who felt this way to cross the floor.
- Seanad: Suicide Prevention Strategy: Statements. (26 Oct 2005)
John Minihan: I welcome the Minister of State. The last time I spoke about suicide in the House was May of this year and one of my primary concerns at that time was that statements would be reduced to a web of words and spun around numbers, namely, statistics, numbers of deaths and levels of investment. I tried to concentrate on the heart of the issue and completed my contribution without referring to a...