Results 4,521-4,540 of 20,695 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: Deputy McNamara has the floor.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: Please Minister. You have made your point.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: Anois, an chéad slot eile is the Independent Group. Tá fiche nóiméad ag na Teachtaí Connolly agus McNamara.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: Yes, I have that covered.

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I begin by wishing my sincere sympathy, and that of my group, to any family which has lost a loved one to Covid and to anyone who has been seriously debilitated as a result of it. I also wish to praise An Garda Síochána and condemn last nights' incident. I thank the Garda, front-line staff, hospital staff, nursing home staff and all the people. The meitheal spirit came back in...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I do not agree with this. This Bill emanated from the Seanad on Monday, as we know, with a vote taken at the time. I understand there is no pre-legislative scrutiny when a Bill is initiated by the Government or anybody in the Seanad. It is shocking. There are to be three different legislative measures on top of what we had in the Health (Amendment) Acts. The lockdown has been the longest...

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: On a point of clarification, that is the first I have heard of a briefing. Representatives in the Rural Independent Group were not invited to any briefing. The first I heard of that was just this minute, which is scandalous. The people in rural Ireland elected us and we are meant to be acknowledged as a group. The Ceann Comhairle has always done that but this is not good enough. Not only...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: A two-year delay.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: On 25 February, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Hackett, announced Project Woodland, a new strategy to address the licence crisis in the forestry sector. Despite the fanfare to date, Project Woodland has not delivered one additional licence. Farmers in the industry cannot wait any longer, nor can the construction sector or people who want...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I salute and support the brave members of An Garda Síochána and wish them well in their recovery. Ireland has become a country of the establishment. In Ireland, citizens, that is the voters, are consulted every four or five years at the time of a general election. However, institutions that are part of, or close to, the State have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I accept that multinationals came here back in the 1980s and 1990s; they were in Clonmel. Merck Sharp and Dohme and other companies are doing great work. I am saying that 40 years on we need to review taxation. Why is the ordinary worker only paying 26% in Germany and 52% here? There are no tax havens for those multinational companies in Germany because they respect its people. We had a...

Independent Beef Regulator: Motion [Private Members] (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I thank David Mullins, Brian Ó Domhnaill and Deputy Nolan for their hard work on this motion. I am perplexed by the Government. I did not hear anyone move an amendment. The Government seems to have adopted a habit recently of allowing these motions to pass to let its backbenchers off the hook. Government Deputies can stand at the factory gates with the farmers and say they are with...

Independent Beef Regulator: Motion [Private Members] (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I know it is. The IFFPG knew before that committee meeting that large amounts of contaminated plastic were being returned from Turkey. It telephoned the businessman in question one hour before the committee meeting to discontinue his contract. It has learned from the beef industry and is setting up cabals to exert control, regardless of farmers. We are proud people of the land and so...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (26 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: 84. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason learner permits have not been extended when most learner drivers have been unable to complete their EDT or sit their driver tests; the reason these learner drivers now have to pay €35 to renew their licence while they wait for the full resumption of driver lessons and tests; if he will have this matter reconsidered;...

Annexation of Palestine: Motion [Private Members] (25 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I, too, issue my comhghairdeas to the Sinn Féin Party and, indeed, to Deputy Martin Kenny for bringing forward this motion. I know the Deputy has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to try to get as much support and achieve as much unanimity as possible. We had that, or as near as possible to it, in a debate here last week. As I said then, since independence, Ireland has had a proud...

International Travel and Aviation: Statements (25 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I do not know what kind of a death wish the Minister of State and the Government have on rural Ireland especially. During a Zoom meeting last Friday I listened to the heartfelt pleas of wonderful and long-serving staff from Shannon Airport. It was heartfelt fear at the sheer abandonment of the airlines by the Government and both Ministers responsible. This is at a time we should be trying...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: Christmas is coming.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: I believe in the old adage, Tús maith leath na hoibre. What is going on with the Road safety Authority, RSA? It is under the aegis of the Department of the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. Some 100,000 people are waiting for driving theory tests and cannot get started on the road. The Minister of State came into the Chamber to reply to a Topical Issue matter,...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: Give them the other test.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 May 2021)

Mattie McGrath: It is not happening.