Results 4,501-4,520 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: At this time of year people struggle and find themselves in very challenging situations. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of many charities which do fantastic work. It is important to recognise businesses that go the extra mile to do something different. I refer here to Hotel Doolin, which is located in County Clare and which normally closes for three days at Christmas. However,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Firearms Licences: Working Group on the Review of Firearms Licensing (17 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: Obviously a firearm is a deadly and dangerous piece of equipment. Does An Garda Síochána carry out random inspections of homes of people who have a licence to retain a firearm or firearms? Is there any process under which the Garda picks X amount of houses per year and gardaí knock on the door and explain that they have come to inspect the security of a firearm?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Firearms Licences: Working Group on the Review of Firearms Licensing (17 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I have a final question which Mr. Healy may be unable to answer. Does An Garda Síochána have any intelligence on how many unlicensed firearms there are in the country?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Firearms Licences: Working Group on the Review of Firearms Licensing (17 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: Does Mr. Healy think there could be a further 200,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Firearms Licences: Working Group on the Review of Firearms Licensing (17 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: How do we fare in the licensing of firearms compared to other countries per head of population? There are 200,000 firearms in a country with a population of 4 million. Are we well down the spectrum, average or above average?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Firearms Licences: Working Group on the Review of Firearms Licensing (17 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I thank the chief superintendent and his colleagues. This is a very interesting engagement. I differ from Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn. The reason we do not have a gun culture similar to that in America is we have a largely unarmed police force. Ireland is probably unique in that regard or among the few countries that have an unarmed police force. I fully support the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Firearms Licences: Working Group on the Review of Firearms Licensing (17 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: It would be helpful if Mr. Healy could provide the information for the committee secretariat. Approximately how many firearms have been repossessed or taken back by An Garda Síochána for one reason or another?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Higher Education Institutions (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I thank the Minister of State for his reply, although he is not the line Minister. He has been given a script and must respond accordingly. What I find most curious, however, is the sloping shoulders approach whereby the institutes are independent. The bottom line is that they receive a block grant from taxpayers' money. I note LIT's commitment, but access to education is important....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Higher Education Institutions (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I am asking it. Was any effort made to find a building that might not be as expensive in order to drive costs down and thus continue to provide this service? There may only be 16 students but the vast majority of them may not have had the opportunity to pursue such studies if this course was not available.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Higher Education Institutions (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: True.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Higher Education Institutions (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I will certainly convey that to the people who have contacted me. I will suggest to them that they become active in that regard. It is 16 students this year but it is actually 32 because there is a two-year course being provided there.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Higher Education Institutions (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I thank the Minister of State for his time on this matter.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Higher Education Institutions (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I would like to go back 20 years to the early to mid-1990s when a competition was run and sponsored by Eircom to establish an urban town as an information capital of Europe. Ennis in County Clare beat off stiff competition from about six or seven other towns to win that competition and it became an IT capital, certainly of Ireland. The intention was that an IT hub would develop in the town...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I would be inclined to agree with Senator O'Neill. Having said that, I totally understand Senator Power's motivation for tabling her amendment, especially given the recent history of NCTs. If the Minister was to commit, at a date in January, to issue a report to the media or even lay it before the Houses, not requiring this as an amendment in the legislation, it would be welcome not just by...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: Please bear with me because I wish to mention a couple of instances. I know of two different individuals who feel there is some sort of a personal vendetta against them by an individual who works in an NCT centre. Is there a mechanism for appeal in such an instance? Can people appeal a decision or highlight something that they believe is not right? Perhaps there is a solution available or...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: Enough time to go hurling.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I agree again with my colleagues in the Opposition on this issue. Last week, when the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, was in the House I articulated very same points which I will make now. I hate having to repeat myself, but unfortunately it seems to be necessary. I will vote with the Government on the recommendations but I assume and hope the Minister is listening because it is an injustice of...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: We will sit Saturday, if the Senator likes.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: I always regret a situation where large numbers of items of legislation are fast-forwarded to the last week of the session. We should be able to do business better.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2014)

Martin Conway: The Lower House needs to take a good look at itself because this is not the fault of this House or the Leader of this House. Whoever deals with such matters in the Lower House should have a good look at how they do business. Perhaps that is the question that should have been put to the people on the previous occasion, and not whether this House should be retained. An important project that...