Results 3,761-3,780 of 5,120 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: I was unavoidably absent last week and for that reason I wish to take this opportunity to welcome my constituency colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Heather Humphreys. I did not get the opportunity to do so last week. As a general point I suggest that the real and true custodians, those who have more than a vested interest in rural...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: Bear with me and we will all have our opportunity to speak.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: There is no point-----

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: That will be dealt with by the Minister.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: It is important to echo the point the Minister has made to the effect that what is at issue is one year's growth. We are not talking about heavy flails or heavy-machinery-type cutting or incision into hedges. I will set out why I wish to emphasise this point. A good neighbour of mine is a community activist in the town in which I live. He is a great person for local heritage causes, a...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes, that is the case. However, the Minister did not for a moment suggest that this should happen in the month of August. That is not what is at issue. What is at issue in the month of August relates to road safety. The heavy cutting that Senator Alice-Mary Higgins is rightly concerned about would take place in the traditional season and would only happen on a three-year basis. There are...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: I will take Senator Norris's point. I am referring to the area where we have the privilege to live - I suppose we represent the entire country.

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: In tillage areas where there is re-seeding this is a necessary exercise. There are specific difficulties in certain types of areas where small farming is carried out as well as wetland areas. It is important to emphasise another point that has been getting insufficient emphasis: this is a pilot scheme. In other words, there is a remedy if any operational difficulties arise in terms of...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: -----that we can trust farmers in the context of their discretion and love of the land. They have a passion for their hedgerows and nature. The way they took up and so excellently dealt with GLAS should be noted. There are abominable exceptions such as one gets in every facet of life, but with few and noticeable exceptions, I have yet to meet a farmer who does not take pride in his or her...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: I join Senators Gallagher and Conway-Walsh in addressing the broadband question. Some Senators may have heard on "Today with Seán O'Rourke" a businessperson from Keenagh in County Longford moving out of their current premises and moving very significant jobs from the village of Keenagh owing to the absence of broadband. In Cavan and Monaghan there are villages and whole tracts without...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: The only silver lining surrounding the dark cloud that is Brexit is the prospect that we might attract additional inward international investment into this country. IDA Ireland acted very swiftly in sending out 1,400 invitations to companies internationally asking them to consider Ireland as a location in the context of the UK's departure from the European Union. That was a welcome...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: We had an excellent debate on the action plan for education with the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, a few weeks ago. It was a great debate with a high level of participation and a great discussion. I ask the Leader now for a focused, stand-alone debate on the following aspects of education. The first involves those young people who leave school prematurely. While the number of such...

Seanad: Action Plan for Education: Statements (6 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister. In his previous ministry, he pioneered the concept of the action plan and its constant monitoring. It achieved a great outcome in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the rate of unemployment currently stands at under 8%, down from a high of 15.2%. It was a phenomenal success there and I have no doubt the same model, with a different set of criteria...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Manus Cooney (5 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: Just as Mr. Cooney stated that for him it was a huge privilege to address the House and that it is a memorable occasion for him, it is also a great privilege for me to welcome him on behalf of my party and my colleagues in the House. In welcoming him I acknowledge the presence of Senator Billy Lawless, who has done pioneering work and whose appointment is an indication of the Government's...

Seanad: UK Referendum on EU Membership: Statements (5 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister to the House. I commend and applaud his very sure-footed and experienced handling of this issue. He is doing a great job. All of his professional and political experience is coming to bear on the way he is dealing with it. That is very clear. I agree with Senator Leyden in that I believe there is a compelling case for a central position for this country in the...

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: This is the first time the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Pat Breen, and I have been in the Chamber at the same time. I congratulate him on his appointment. He has hit the ground running in his role and is bringing to bear all his experience as Chair of the foreign affairs committee and deputy leader of the Irish delegation to the Council of...

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: Modesty prevented that but I am glad the Acting Chairman stitched it into the record of the House. It was my great privilege and honour to succeed the Minister of State in that role and I try to emulate the good work he did. He gained a huge reputation in Europe from that role. We had a debate earlier today on Brexit and on how the sterling factor could jeopardise a number of our...

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: He is an accomplished economist and expert on these areas. He is of the view that-----

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: That is also good news to be added to this. I was very pleased to hear Senator Nash confirm his confidence that the Minister would defend workers' rights, trade union laws and domestic protection of workers and their negotiating position and standards, and his confidence in the Minister's anxiety to defend these areas. I was impressed by that fact. It is very non-partisan of the Senator to...

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Joe O'Reilly: I join in the welcome to the Taoiseach and in the recognition of the exemplary leadership he has given this country in getting our people back to work, restoring our public finances and now setting about rebuilding a normal society. I want to address the Brexit issue. If I may, I will address it on a micro level first. In the context of the budget and governmental policies in the short...