Results 4,121-4,140 of 4,908 for speaker:Diarmuid Wilson

Seanad: Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (12 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: The Minister should wait until 7 November.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I join Senator Kathryn Reilly in requesting the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to the House to discuss the amalgamation of VECs and, in particular, the criteria used to decide on the location of the headquarters of the newly amalgamated VECs. It will be very interesting to hear the criteria the Minister used to decide on the locations. What savings, if any, will be...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Defence come into the House to outline his plans for the Defence Forces, with particular reference to Army barracks. I refer, in particular, to four barracks, in Clonmel, Mullingar, Castlebar and Cavan, which for several weeks have been the subject of rumours that they are to be closed as part of alleged cost savings...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I did not want to carry them up the stairs.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: Unfortunately, I must press the amendment because a decision on the matter could be taken as early as today.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I ask the deputy leader if she will invite the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Willie Penrose, to the House to give us an update on progress to date regarding the so-called ghost estates. The Minister of State, Deputy Penrose, came into the House in the previous term and, to his credit, within 48 hours he acted on some of the suggestions made from both sides of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I second Senator Byrne's amendment to the Order of Business. I ask that the Leader arrange for the Minister for Defence to come into this House tomorrow afternoon to discuss the rumours circulating in regard to the closure of a number of barracks throughout the Twenty-six Counties, including in Clonmel, Mullingar and Cavan town. I attended a public meeting last night at which more than 500...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: Thank you.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: It is the most economical barracks in the State, costing a little more than €200,000 to run. To close it would be ludicrous and would endanger the security of our State, leaving the area from the barracks in Lifford to Dundalk vacant, with no Army personnel to secure our State. I demand that the Leader facilitate the Minister for Defence coming to this House tomorrow afternoon to explain...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: It is apparent that some Senators on the opposite side may have voted incorrectly in so far as they were anxious to have the Minister attend the House but obviously they-----

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: To avoid any confusion, to put the record straight-----

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: -----and to afford those Members, if they made a mistake, an opportunity to correct their vote, I propose a manual vote.

Seanad: Army Barracks (27 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I also welcome the Minister who is one of the few Ministers who personally attends this Chamber to deal with issues relating to his Justice or Defence briefs. In 1990 the Army moved from the longest occupied barracks in Europe to the new purpose-built Dún Uí Néill Barracks in Cavan town. These are the only barracks to be purpose-built and designed by the Defence Forces since the...

Seanad: Army Barracks (27 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I thank the Minister for his reply. Cavan is a strategic base and is vital to the security of the State. Its geographical location is very important. Deputy Smith, Councillor Patricia Walsh and I met representatives of PDFORRA last Friday evening. There is great concern among the 120 personnel based in Dún Uí Néill and the 22 personnel currently serving in the Lebanon who are based in...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I second Senator Coghlan's proposed amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, come before the House to discuss a number of health issues raised in the past number of months.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: He may have intended to do so.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: I agree with him that it is appalling that the Minister has not been in the House in recent weeks. A number of health matters have been raised in the House in the past few months.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: The Minister has failed to come to the House. I would like to see him here sooner rather than later. I agree with colleagues that culture night was a success. In Cavan I attended a very successful event in the Johnston Central Library on Farnham Street. I would like to see more such activities organised on a national basis throughout the year. I also join my colleague, Senator Brian Ó...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: They are two very cultured people.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Sep 2011)

Diarmuid Wilson: Will the Leader invite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the House to update us on his proposals for local government reform and, in particular, to clarify his position on reported comments and comments he made in the House during a debate last session that he planned to reduce the number of county councillors in the forthcoming local elections? This is an...