Results 4,361-4,380 of 4,717 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Nov 2018)

Neale Richmond: I apologise for having to slip outside for a moment. I am out of breath after sprinting down to the Chamber. First and foremost, I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I am genuinely thrilled for him. It is much deserved. As a former teacher, he has a long history in this sector so I am excited about what he will bring to the role. This might be the first time the Minister is...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Nov 2018)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Minister for his response and for his interest in Ballinteer Educate Together national school. I cannot over-emphasise that this was the third application to be made in respect of this project. This has been going on for eight years. There are children who will go through their entire primary school cycle without ever seeing the inside of the proposed permanent building. There...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (6 Nov 2018)

Neale Richmond: I am delighted to welcome the Tánaiste and his officials to the House once again. I join everyone who has spoken in this evening's debate in rightly commending the Tánaiste and the team in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on their sterling efforts over a difficult number of years. I believe the first Brexit preparedness meeting in the Department of Foreign Affairs and...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I echo the words of Senator Boyhan and pay tribute to the late Seymour Crawford who was a family friend, particularly on my mother's side of the family in the Cavan/Monaghan area. I know that there was a huge crowd yesterday in Newbliss to mark his passing. My sympathy goes to his surviving nephews and niece. Yesterday I had the opportunity to welcome students from Gaelscoil Inse Chór...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Work Permits Applications (11 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Pat Breen, and thank him for taking this Commencement matter. I also thank the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Heather Humphreys, for the reply to the letter I sent her in September about this issue. I will address three key areas related to work permits, an issue that...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Work Permits Applications (11 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and the heartening statistics he outlined. I acknowledge the efforts of his Department and appreciate its ongoing engagement in this area. It is open and recognises there is an issue which needs to be addressed. However, as we face into a chaotic global economic scene with Brexit approaching and the regressive trade policies of Trump...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding arrangements for the sitting of the House on Tuesday, 9 October 2018, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; and No. 2, Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017 – Committee Stage (Resumed), to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to be adjourned no later than 2.45 p.m., if not previously concluded.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I thank the 17 Senators who raised a plethora of issues, particularly those who have stayed behind to receive a response. I will begin with the issue of housing, which was raised in various guises by Senators Ardagh, Ó Ríordáin, Paul Daly, O'Mahony and Humphreys. I take on board what Senator Ardagh said about the two sites in the constituency of Dublin South-Central - the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: There you go - possibly. The suggestion about a housing emergency committee is a valid one. We are all keenly aware of the issue within housing. The Government is on record as saying this is the number one issue but I will bring that suggestion to the Minister's attention. In response to Deputy Paul Daly's remarks about one-off housing, he might be shocked to hear that it is also a...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I agree. It is in every county. Regarding Senator O'Mahony's comments about the vacancies in Ballaghaderreen, we need to work on making sure people know this country is not Dublin-centric. Senator Humphreys discussed a number of key issues involving Airbnb. He has consistently raised this issue in this House and I commend him on the progress he has achieved by his continuous lobbying....

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: Absolutely.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: It is important that we have properly funded public broadcasting. It provides a vital service to the State. Over the past year, there have been severe weather incidents in the State, be it a hurricane, a snow storm or a major drought, and the role that RTÉ television, radio or online played-----

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: With respect, I believe the investment in RTÉ is merited. Whatever anyone's public gripe with RTÉ might be, that cannot be overlooked. Of course, RTÉ does not simply own the site in Montrose. There is one listed building on the site but RTÉ also owns a site in Galway, where TG4 broadcasts from, and our former colleague, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, now spends his days....

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: Ó Clochartaigh, sorry. Of course, RTÉ has a site in Limerick from where LyricFM, my favourite radio station, broadcasts.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: In response to Senator Mullen, I will put in a request for a debate but I would remind him that TV3 no longer exists. It is now Virgin Media One.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: With regard to Senators Gavan, Norris and Joe O'Reilly's comments on the situation in Palestine and the representation by EAPPI to the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade last week they mentioned, I received a similarly detailed briefing on the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs six months ago and I raised the key issue of sites and buildings owned by the European Commission...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: Everyone has a responsibility to pay all the taxation he or she is liable for and I would encourage people to do so. Tax evasion in any form should always be condemned. Regarding Senator Coffey's concerns about primary healthcare, particularly in respect of the Four Mile Water healthcare centre, I will bring to the Minister of Health's attention that we need a debate on the issue of primary...

Seanad: Sitting Arrangements: Motion (4 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I move:"That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the Seanad shall meet at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 9th October, and Standing Orders 29 and 30 shall stand suspended."

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Task Force Report on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and Doing Less More Efficiently: Discussion (3 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I enjoyed both presentations. I never thought I would say that when it comes to an issue such as subsidiarity. Subsidiarity is a term that has plagued my fascination with the European institutions for the past 13 years. I have been to so many events where someone would get up and start talking about it and one would see the room collectively go to sleep. I accept it is a key tenet of what...

Seanad: The Transfer of Functions of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council: Statements (3 Oct 2018)

Neale Richmond: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his statement. Like other speakers, I also was a member of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. I am a resident of the lovely village of Stepaside in Dublin Rathdown. I am grateful the Minister has come in, hopefully, to answer some questions on the transfer of the harbour company into local authority ownership.Senator Horkan...