Results 3,801-3,820 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Gender Pay Gap Information) Bill 2017: Second Stage (24 May 2017)

Rónán Mullen: That is very much appreciated. I take this opportunity to welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to speak to this Bill. The perspective I am coming from is that I believe we should work increasingly for the introduction of family friendly work practices in our society as well as flexible working arrangements such as flexi-start and finish, which enables women in...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 May 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Roimh an Cháisc chualamar roinnt de na torthaí ó dhaonáireamh 2016. Ceann de na rudaí nach raibh mórán cainte air, agus nár chualamar ón Rialtas mar gheall air, ná an méid daoine a labhraíonn Gaeilge lasmuigh den chóras oideachais sa Ghaeltacht. Is é an figiúr a fuaireamar ná go bhfuil 20,586 duine a...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 May 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence and conclude by asking that the Taoiseach come in and among the issues he should deal with is the need for strong leadership in the area of promoting and preserving the Irish language as a spoken language in the Gaeltacht and elsewhere -----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 May 2017)

Rónán Mullen: -----and to set out what his successors should do to succeed where perhaps the present Government has failed to date.

Seanad: Migrant Integration Strategy: Statements (16 May 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the Minister of State. In his book Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters, the American management professor Richard Rumelt says, "strategy is primarily about deciding what is truly important, and focusing resources and action on that objective". With this in mind, I welcome the Government's migration integration strategy. Ensuring that migrants receive all...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the alleged compromise arrived at on the water issue. As a House and at Oireachtas level, we must reflect on what this whole affair has to say about the way we do politics here and in the country. We have had massive national distraction and a tremendous amount of posturing on all sides on an issue which is really rather simple, namely, the idea of promoting public, individual and...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: He had a great deal to put up with.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: As Senator Buttimer well knows, I would have been one of the constructive voices on this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I thank Senator Buttimer for what I think was a compliment.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Senator Buttimer should tell that to the Jack and Jill Foundation. Taxpayers are worried about hundreds of millions of euro. It appears we are back in the Celtic tiger days of waste and there has been no debate about it.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: People like Jimmy Sheehan do not have vested interests.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: The right hospital in the right place

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: It is a unifying theme.

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Well said.

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: The Acting Chairman could give us five minutes each.

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: All right. If the Acting Chairman stops me at five minutes, I will stop.

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: The effect of this Bill would be to allow the sale of alcohol in pubs on Good Friday. Let us be clear about this - this is not the most important issue that will ever come before this House. The fabric of our society will not be rent asunder if this Bill passes, but nor will the common good be in any way served if it does pass. There are essentially two arguments for the Bill. One is to...

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: The second big argument is that this ban on Good Friday is somehow a vestige of Catholic Ireland at a time when far fewer Irish people are committed to their religion. This argument appeals to a certain kind of secularist who wants to remove any remnant of a public nod towards religion, despite the fact that our grundnorm document, our Constitution, still acknowledges that homage is due to...

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: -----despite the fact that faith inspired many people, and that there are thousands and thousands of tolerant people who do not necessarily have faith themselves but who like the traditional elements which inform celebrations like Easter and Christmas. Perhaps they will be replaced in due course by Senator Ó Ríordáin and others when they get into power with names like...

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Rónán Mullen: The canny drinks people, who want to sell on draft beer and not just in cans, see an opportunity here. They see an opportunity to present their case, which is a really crass, commercial case, in terms that will appeal to many people in the media and so on. The argument is nonsense. It was never about religion. It might have been inspired by that, but if the ban on drink on Good Friday is...