Results 4,481-4,500 of 5,118 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I apologise. She suggested Ireland was destined to take the same road as Greece and become dependent on an international bailout. This view is not sustainable and is a slanderous attack on the country. In fact, her argument did not stand up to critical questioning on "Morning Ireland". It is based on a negative frame of mind rather than on fact and she was unable to substantiate it. This...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Nov 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: We should have a detailed debate on education today. Education is the one vehicle to create equality of opportunity and to achieve economic recovery. The proposal to double or almost double the registration fee is very dangerous and is not the right place to look for money. It will act has a huge barrier to access to education. Many families, with whom we deal on a day-to-day basis, are in...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Senator O'Toole initiated an important debate this morning on the question of savings. We have €100 billion in savings and 10% of people's incomes is being saved, but it is important that this money be used in the economy. It is equally important that the moneys in the pensions reserve fund be used productively. We should examine from where we can acquire further money for the State. We...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Great emphasis should be laid on the absolute patriotism shown by the Opposition leaders yesterday in adopting the 3% target. It displays great patriotism and they deserve enormous credit. Those who are in government should ask themselves whether, were the roles reversed, they would do the same. Second, anyone who is in Government should, at every public occasion - I presume the Leader...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: -----which must have international ramifications. The target of reducing the State's borrowings to 3% of GDP by 2014 is unavoidable to sustain our credibility for borrowing on the bond markets. Therein lies the critical issue, in that if we are to borrow at realistic prices we do not have an option. This is frightening and is an enormously difficult position in which to be but is...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I wish to put on record that the provision of front-line services, such as bandages and wheelchairs for sick people, etc. cannot be compromised.

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I wish to share time with Senator Paddy Burke.

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Haughey, to the House. We on this side of the House have no fundamental, philosophical objection in principle to what is proposed or to rationalisation per se. We are not opposed to saving money. The only caveat we would enter is that we do not want savings to the detriment of a quality service. My difficulty with what is presented is that it...

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: The question of what will happen to them arises in the present economic climate. Do we not need them? The objective will be that VECs provide services to schools generally. Does this mean the laudable practice of County Cavan VEC of providing information technology, IT, services to other second level schools and primary schools in the county will be kept up? We are very proud of this.

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Will the college of further studies in Cavan, which is a national centre of excellence, meet its potential if it is to service a big region? Will this be an issue? My colleague from Cavan, Senator Wilson, will speak about our excellent Youthreach services because he has a personal involvement in them. What will happen to them?

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: How does the Minister of State envisage maintaining excellence and good practice while engaging in this rationalisation? Where will the savings be made?

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: If we are to solve the problem in our national finances and bring hope and confidence to our people three core ingredients are necessary. The first is the confidence of the people in the process. The people must be with the process and believe in it. To achieve that three things are necessary. First, the people must be told the truth. While yesterday was a step in the right direction it...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I want a debate on this. We need to audit wasted public expenditure at an institutional level in semi-State bodies, quangos and the whole governmental process and an immense level of savings could be achieved. I am prepared, based on my work in my clinic, to document 25 areas of waste I encounter on a regular basis. That is necessary. We cannot talk about reductions in services and...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (13 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I seek permission to share my time with another strong advocate of people with disabilities, Senator McFadden.

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (13 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady. In a non-patronising way, I congratulate Senator Mary White for her contribution and advocacy in that individual case which had a traumatic quality. There was ignorance in the way in which the person concerned had been dealt with. I commend the Senator. It is no harm to remember there are 400,000 people with a disability in this...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I refer to the serious problems in Cavan General Hospital. Medical outpatient services were suspended last Friday, while surgical elective admissions were deferred on Saturday and Sunday. All elective cases scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, today and the rest of the week, as well as medical clinics, have been deferred. Effectively, one could say there is no functioning hospital in Cavan as of...

Seanad: National Economy: Statements (30 Sep 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey. I was slightly amused when listening to Senator Butler, for whom I have much personal regard, to hear him talk about the need for national consensus, to agree future budgets and so on. The thought occurred to me that during the supposed boom — what essentially proved to be an illusion — there were not many on the benches opposite who...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: I join with colleagues, led by Senator Fitzgerald, who expressed concern about what is happening today. Today is the culmination of a dreadful process and represents a dark and disturbing day in our history. While we must recognise its gravity, we must try to progress from here. It merits repeating that the advice of Fine Gael on Anglo Irish Bank should have been taken. The advice of Fine...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: Nothing better underlines the bad place we are in as a country and as a people than the fact that 80 people have their electricity disconnected every day. In 2010, 13,824 people have been disconnected. It costs €86 to have the disconnection completed, which is reprehensible. It costs €88 to reconnect, which is criminal. That should be paid from profits, from a VAT reduction or out of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2010)

Joe O'Reilly: The justification for the current price increase, which will kick in on Friday, is the public service obligation and green energy. That is a good thing but there are other ways of dealing with this. It can be dealt with from profits, from efficiencies or by examining VAT rates or a combination of these. It should be put on hold in the emergency we are in. The energy price increase that is...