Results 341-360 of 394 for speaker:James Heffernan

Seanad: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jul 2012)

James Heffernan: That can be done tomorrow.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2012)

James Heffernan: Ba mhaith liom pointe beag a dhéanamh. It is interesting that we are debating amendments Nos. 2 and 3 which seek to cement the partition of the island. They come from Sinn Féin. Not too long ago its members were up in arms over Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. It is interesting, therefore, that they are trying to do this.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2012)

James Heffernan: I agree with what previous speakers said. We cannot make laws in this House for other jurisdictions. We must be sensible about this. We have debated the amendments for long enough. It is time for the Minster of State to respond and for us to move on.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Jun 2012)

James Heffernan: Aontaím leis an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh. Níl na cluasáin ag obair anseo ach oiread.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Jun 2012)

James Heffernan: It is very unfair that we cannot participate.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Jun 2012)

James Heffernan: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach chun Bille na Gaeltachta 2012 a phlé. The Bill makes provision for the potential geographic redefinition of the Gaeltacht and will, for the first time, provide for a statutory language planning process for the Gaeltacht, towns in or adjacent to the Gaeltacht that service Gaeltacht areas and communities outside the Gaeltacht that have made...

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (6 Jun 2012)

James Heffernan: I welcome the Minister of State. It is nice to have another Limerick person in the Chamber, for a change.

Seanad: Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (6 Jun 2012)

James Heffernan: I understand Senator Landy spoke about the amalgamation of North Tipperary and South Tipperary County Councils. I wish to raise some points about the amalgamation of Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council. There was division for a long time between city and county perspectives, with one side wanting a boundary extension and the other side favouring amalgamation. I praise the...

Seanad: British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly: Statements (17 May 2012)

James Heffernan: It was with great interest that I saw the Seanad Chamber in all its glory when I turned on my television the other day. When I noticed that every chair in the House was filled, I wondered whether somebody had failed to tell me about something. When I realised that the Chamber was being used for the 44th plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, I was glad it was getting...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (17 May 2012)

James Heffernan: I welcome the Minister and apologise that I missed his opening remarks because I was at a committee. I will not profess to be an expert when it comes to economics, my knowledge of economics is pretty limited. This legislation seems very sensible in that it will remove that onerous task of having to compile to separate sets of accounts. Where I come from, we know how important foreign...

Seanad: Review of White Paper on Irish Aid: Statements, Questions and Answers (9 May 2012)

James Heffernan: I welcome the Minister of State and wish him continued success in his work. As has been mentioned by a couple of previous speakers, human rights issues in African countries like Malawi, Ethiopia and Uganda have been mentioned. I understand that if they receive 10% of their funding from a donor country they will be deemed to be operating illegally in some countries and the focus on human...

Seanad: Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Bill 2012: Second Stage (18 Apr 2012)

James Heffernan: I welcome the Minister to the House and I thank him for bringing this important legislation before us. Like previous speakers, I welcome this Bill. It seems road safety is a theme which is discussed every time the Minister comes to the House and there is always commendable cross-party support which is a delight to behold for a change. This Bill is designed to reform the testing system for...

Seanad: Housing Policy: Statements, Questions and Answers (28 Mar 2012)

James Heffernan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I wish her continued success in her brief. I understand the Minister of State spoke with councillors in Limerick about retrofitting and insulation of local authority houses. This issue caused me a problem when I was a member of Limerick County Council. The council's system was to insulate vacant stock first in preparation for tenants moving...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2012)

James Heffernan: I add my voice to the calls for a debate on the Mahon tribunal. There has been much talk about it today and many Members from both sides of the House have expressed abhorrence at what the tribunal reported and found. Every day when one walks through the corridors of power, one becomes very aware of the ghosts of those who have gone before one and of those voices which are still around....

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

James Heffernan: I welcome the Minister. He has been busy in the Seanad this week and it is good to have him back. I broadly welcome the Bill, the purpose of which is to strengthen competition law and enforcement through increased sanctions. I hope that the Bill will prove an effective deterrent to white collar crime such as price fixing and cartels, which are not of much benefit to the State or the...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

James Heffernan: I welcome the Minister to the House and commend him on his Action Plan for Jobs 2012. I will travel to London next weekend to visit my brother who is working there and anything that will get young women and young men like my brother back working here is welcome but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. The Minister stated that the plan will be reviewed on a quarterly basis and...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

James Heffernan: My question concerns the county enterprise boards. I want to be clear on an aspect of the Minister's contribution. Will the county enterprise boards have local autonomy and will there be a local assessment body that can arrive at quick decisions? Will the local enterprise offices, or LEOs as they will become known, be able to issue grants or will they be required to get further approval...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

James Heffernan: I ask the Acting Chairman to bear with me. I have been here a while waiting to ask questions.

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

James Heffernan: On small and medium-size enterprises which employ between ten and 50 people, the Minister said there was a break in the ladder, so to speak, between enterprise boards and Enterprise Ireland. Will the new one-stop-shop take those businesses under its umbrella because the Minister will understand they provide valued employment, especially in areas in rural Ireland? I refer to those...

Seanad: Investment in Education: Motion (8 Feb 2012)

James Heffernan: I second the Government amendment to this Private Members' motion. Education is one of the core values and principles of the Labour Party and was one of the reasons I joined the party. To be debating spending reductions in education this evening is, therefore, difficult for me. I acknowledge the fantastic contribution that various Ministers have made to education. One of the most...