Results 4,401-4,420 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Public Area Enhancement Scheme (24 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The local area improvement scheme was introduced last year by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. To be fair, the Department operates many such schemes in conjunction with local authorities. I am not sure how much was made available for this scheme, but I think it was €7 million. It equipped the local...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Public Area Enhancement Scheme (24 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: It was probably wishful thinking on my part to hope the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, might come here today and announce a new scheme.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Public Area Enhancement Scheme (24 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I appreciate the Minister of State's response and her support for this very useful scheme. It would be nice to see it being run again this year.

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (24 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister to the House for what is groundbreaking legislation which successive Governments should have introduced many years ago. Governments right across the political divide are at fault in this regard. The situation in regard to guardianship and the law relating to it is outdated, but not for long. The legislation before the House reflects a new Ireland in which, as Senator...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I welcome the gentlemen. I share the Chairman's disappointment that the Ministers were not in a position to attend as I know they are committed to this issue. The hard questions are the ones we would like to ask the Ministers and we do not necessarily want to ask the witnesses hard questions. With that in mind, however, the witnesses are public servants of many years standing. I put it to...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: That was a long time ago.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I thank each of the speakers, who have put forward very powerful positions on the issue. I would take heed of what they say more than many of the other people as these are the representative organisations of farmers. We all agree with the comment about farm inspectors being advocates. What do the witnesses think should be done by the Department and the Health and Safety Authority that is...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I agree with the articulate way Senator O'Donnell described the witnesses' contributions. When we as a committee advertised for submissions we hoped we would get interesting ones and not just from professionals in the State agencies. We hoped for submissions from other people which would give us inspiration and belief that there are ideas and people who can make a difference. Mr. Duffy's...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I offer my sympathies to Mr. Gohery on his bereavement. At least something good is coming out of it because of what he is doing and the work in which he has engaged. The proposal to have this public consultation came after I heard a Clare FM interview with Mr. Eugene Hogan, who lost his brother in a farming accident in Offaly. The following week I proposed a public consultation on farm...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: Can I just clarify something I said earlier? I mixed Brian Rohan and Peter Gohery up in my comments and I just ---

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I thank the witnesses for their submissions. A number of different groups have come before us, and the witnesses were in the Gallery during some of the hearings. Education is a theme that arose across all the participants. I am concerned that there does not seem to be enough joined-up thinking between the various agencies, and I would like the witnesses' thoughts on it. Although Senator...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I thank all the witnesses for their submissions. It has been a long day, but most informative. I am keen to get the views of agricultural contractors on a scrappage scheme. One theme that has percolated through many, if not all, the submissions is the idea that a scrappage scheme is desirable. Obviously, if that is to materialise, it would have to be done at budget time by the Minister...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I also extend my thanks to the witnesses, to the Chairman for his continuous support on this project, and to Mr. Martin Groves and Mr. Ronan Curran, our secretariat, who do a fantastic job which is often unrecognised, although certainly not by us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functioning of National Lottery: Discussion (11 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Will Mr. Jennings elaborate on the engagement with the national lottery prior to the launch of the new system on 30 November? Clearly some people had identified issues with the system and felt it necessary to highlight to the national lottery that the changeover should not happen until the new year. Has there ever been a discussion on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functioning of National Lottery: Discussion (11 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: Does Mr. Jennings believe that significant damage has been done to the reputation of the national lottery as a result of all of these difficulties? It would seem that on a number of fronts, be it the problems with the lotto or the television show on a Saturday night that serious damage has been done to the credibility of the national lottery? What is Mr. Jennings view of that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functioning of National Lottery: Discussion (11 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: Could the response the Chairman gets to Senator Coghlan's litany of questions be circulated to the rest of us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functioning of National Lottery: Discussion (11 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: The delegations will be glad to hear that some of my questions have already been answered. What is the percentage that PLI is required to give out in prize money?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functioning of National Lottery: Discussion (11 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: How much of the remaining 50% goes to good causes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functioning of National Lottery: Discussion (11 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: That comes to 35% of the revenue. PLI needs to make €20 million out of the remaining 14% of revenue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functioning of National Lottery: Discussion (11 Mar 2015)

Martin Conway: The agents’ commission is 6% which means PLI has 8% of the overall revenue that would have been, heretofore, used by the national lottery as a State agency. Deputy Regina Doherty referred to the programmes "Winning Streak” and the new game, "The Million Euro Challenge". I have watched the new game several times and it is clear to me that PLI has made significant cost savings...