Results 4,481-4,500 of 5,171 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (21 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome the people who are seated in the public Gallery, in particular the young people. Like previous Senators, I thank Senators Fintan Warfield, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Lynn Ruane for sponsoring the Bill. I think I have spoken about the Bill before and I fully support same. It is important that we again state our commitment to...

Seanad: Ratification of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Statements (21 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State. I will not repeat what I stated previously about this issue but only say, "Well done." It has been a huge personal ambition as well as a political ambition for the Minister of State to get the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified. It is has been a difficult road. I have been here and at other meetings where people have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Provision of Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (8 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the witnesses and the Minister of State for their attendance. This is an important issue, which is one of the reasons for their attendance and why the committee decided to put this in our programme. I apologise for stepping out of the meeting. I was here earlier but had to attend the Seanad Committee of Selection to ratify some transfers and other items. However, I read the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Provision of Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (8 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I would make two requests of the Minister of State for the benefit of this committee. He might report back on these requests as soon as he possibly can. I request an analysis of current voids in every Traveller accommodation scheme in the country. There are only 31 local authorities. My second request is that he would provide us with a comprehensive report of the proposals that have gone...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mayoral Election (7 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for selecting this Commencement matter. I warmly welcome the Minister of State with responsibility for local government and electoral reform, Deputy Phelan. To get to the kernel of this Commencement matter, there has been media coverage in recent days relating to the proposal or suggestion of an elected executive mayor for the Dublin area, including the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mayoral Election (7 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State. There is still a lot more work to be done, from which I am not taking away. The Minister of State used the term "plebiscite". Whatever decision is made, there has to be change. We should never be afraid of change, but it is important that, in respect of local democracy and government, we initiate a plebiscite. There is now a connection with local property...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I wish to raise two issues, one relates to Dún Laoghaire Harbour and the second relates to the Seanad by-election. I will deal first with the issue of Dún Laoghaire Harbour. For those who may have read today's edition of The Irish Times, they would have seen pictures in it of decimated, bashed up, collapsed concrete in Dún Laoghaire Harbour as a result of the recent storms....

Seanad: 100 Years of Women's Suffrage in Ireland: Statements (7 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I warmly welcome the Minister, Deputy Madigan, to the House and acknowledge the enormous amount of work she has done and her contribution to the Vótáil 100 celebrations, which I will later address. As I was coming to the House today, it struck me that it is hard to believe that 1918 was the first time for Irish women to be permitted by law to vote and stand in parliamentary...

Seanad: International Protection (Family Unification) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (7 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I have spoken at length to Senator Kelleher about this amendment. She articulated her arguments very well and is committed to this issue. I support the amendment and thank the Senator for pursuing the matter.

Seanad: Project Ireland 2040: Statements (7 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State. In terms of what the previous speaker said, I got my copy of Project Ireland 2040 on the day it was announced. I had an interest in it so I went looking for it and it was available. I am delighted to have a second copy because I know many people were looking for copies. I am aware that councillors throughout the country were very keen and active in that...

Seanad: Project Ireland 2040: Statements (7 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: That is even better. They will have two copies each. I take on board what Senator Horkan said. He is right, but I am not surprised that the Minster of State should come in here as a Limerick-based Deputy and promote his projects in Limerick. I acknowledge that and fair play to him. I would do the same. Before I go into the depth of the plan and analyse it, I want to flag two issues...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Education Policy (6 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter. I am very conscious of the Minister's commitment to entrepreneurship in terms of education. I see reference to education in his jobs document. I want to keep this issue active. It is very active in certain schools but in others there is not much of a focus on it and we have got to ask ourselves the reason for that. I have...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Education Policy (6 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive response.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I want to raise the issue of horticulture and Bord Bia's Making a World of Difference strategy document, which is part of the programme for Government. It might be no harm at some stage to request the Minister to come into this House - I appreciate he was in the House recently - to deal specifically with the horticulture industry. It is a very important part of the agriculture sector and...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome Senator Ó Clochartaigh's family to the Gallery. I have always found Senator Ó Clochartaigh to be a great colleague and friend. The first time I met him was at the famous count for the agricultural panel of Seanad Éireann. Senators Conway-Walsh, Ó Clochartaigh and myself filled the first three vacancies on the inside panel, which was unique in itself. Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I wish to raise three issues. The first is the annual report of the Data Protection Commissioner for 2017. The watchdog has clearly criticised Tusla over its record-keeping. I was particularly interested in reading an article about this today not because of Tusla, but because I was conscious and mindful of the Data Protection Bill that will come before us, which is a really important piece...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I will also be short and sweet. I thank the Minister for his comprehensive background to this issue. I note the Bill passed all Stages in the Dáil on 21 February 2018. It is a short Bill, as he said, that seeks to alter the current position that had the effect of barring an external candidate aged over 55 years from applying for the position of Garda Commissioner. That raises serious...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: The Minister set out the timeframe for that. I support the Bill and I know from speaking to my colleagues that they are very supportive of it also.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (27 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: The Senator could be Sergeant Buttimer.

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister here to discuss what is a very important topic. It is one issue of all the parts of this legislation that has exercised many people. I have had an awful lot of letters, telephone calls and emails in this regard. I have also had conversations with members of parties in this House and the other House who have grave reservations about the legislation. Some of them have...