Results 421-440 of 784 for speaker:Jimmy Harte

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I support other Members who raised the plight of the trainee pilots, one or two of whom are from the Derry area. The families of these trainee pilots have invested a great deal of money in the training course and now face the possibility of that career being taken from them at short notice. I hope a resolution will be found so that they can complete their training. I also wish to get an...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: This is a slight on the people of County Donegal. No other county in the country has had to have its cases heard in another county, the Cathaoirleach's home county. There is no apparent reason for this.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I think, however, the Minister should come into the House and give us his view on it. Is it because the courthouse in County Donegal is not up to scratch? That is a matter for the Minister.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: The facilities in County Donegal are as good as those in Castlebar. I tabled this matter for consideration on the Adjournment and I wish to highlight that the people of County Donegal should not accept this situation.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: Listening to the Minister of State on the reason so many people do not speak Irish in the country, 60 or 70 years of bad language, I am a victim of that, I am the classic case, coming from an area in Donegal.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I went through national school and secondary school and had an Irish class every day for 15 years. I am embarrassed to say that I have more French than Irish, and I do not speak French very well. We should be in a situation where I could speak Irish comfortably because I spent 15 years learning it at school. If we continue to do this, the next generation will have the same Irish ability as...

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I am making a valid point.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I want to reiterate the Minister of State's remarks that the previous Administrations' policies, even the previous Fine Gael-Labour Governments in the 1970s and 1980s, did not deliver the Irish language tuition all children in this country should have. I spoke recently to a Polish person in Poland, and I was told they learn Russian first.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: It is relevant because they were not taught Polish, they had to learn Russian.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: That is an insult to councillors.

Seanad: Credit Guarantee Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (4 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I thank the Minister of State for the support he has shown to the small business environment. It is important for those who want to start businesses that credit is made available. Businesses that wish to expand also require credit. We must help the small business sector to maintain the 700,000 jobs it provides at present if it is to generate further employment. This Government is giving...

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I may be missing something but we are discussing political reform in the Údarás area. We spoke about selecting people from the county councils to act in this regard, yet we are in a Chamber whose Members are selected in the same manner by councillors. The Minister's point is that it would be wrong to say that Senators are not democratically accountable to anyone because they are not...

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: Senator Ó Clochartaigh can say there is a bias towards Fine Gael but that is democracy. There is a bias towards Fine Gael in this Chamber but that is democracy. There was a bias towards Fianna Fáil when it had a majority.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: That is the point I want to make. It is the responsibility of the county councillors, and if they do not do it responsibly the electorate of Donegal or Galway can remove them at the next election but in my experience Donegal County Council will-----

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: There will be county council elections.

Seanad: Gaeltacht Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I will conclude. I accept that Donegal County Council, like any other council in the Gaeltacht areas, will appoint councillors who will fulfil that role. Councillors appoint us as Senators because they have the experience. That is my point.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Jul 2012)

Jimmy Harte: Along with other Senators, I note the Orange Order's contribution to the Seanad today. I grew up in Raphoe in east Donegal and the Orange Order was, and still is, very prominent in the town in which there was 50:50 breakdown in terms of religion. The Orange Order was part of the community. As Senator Bacik said earlier, before 1968 or 1969 the bands played music. The Ancient Order of...

Seanad: European Stability Mechanism Bill 2012: Second Stage (26 Jun 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I welcome the Minister of State for this important business. During the referendum campaign many people to whom I spoke while canvassing asked what the ESM proposal meant. The best way I could describe it was based on my own insurance business. Let us imagine someone comes into my office and says, "I am not going to insure my house next year because it probably will not burn down and even...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I wish to send our condolences to the family of the young Irish supporter, James Nolan, on his sad death in Poland. As a fan I experienced the highs and lows of Euro 2012 but the low for most people was the untimely death of James Nolan. I stayed in the city of Bydgoszcz and the people there were very friendly. They appreciated the arrival of Irish people there. I wish to put on record...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2012)

Jimmy Harte: He referred also to the constituency review.