Results 441-460 of 704 for speaker:John Kelly

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: In the words of Senator Norris, "If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise". If you go down to the woods tomorrow you will be in for a bigger surprise because the trees will be gone and replaced by an 185 m wind turbines. That will destroy the landscape. Senator Darragh O'Brien alleged that a social welfare grant for communion and confirmation had been withdrawn. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: We are making it harder for people to stop receiving social welfare because they have always been given so many entitlements. The grant for communion and confirmation still exists if people cannot afford the expense.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: Like others I offer my condolences to the family of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe who was so brutally murdered at the weekend. I am from a town where a similar assassination happened in 1980 with the deaths of two gardaí, Henry Byrne and John Morley. I know the Morley family well and I know how it has affected his wife Frances and the family since. My sympathies to go to the wife and...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I had not intended to speak about wind energy until Senator Cáit Keane raised the issue. I would welcome any discussion with the Irish Wind Energy Association on how it will move forward with the delivery of wind energy here as it appears to be all hot air rather than wind. When the project in the midlands was first announced - I have the newspaper clippings to prove it - Eddie O'Connor...

Seanad: Community Development: Motion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I remind-----

Seanad: Community Development: Motion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I realise Fianna Fáil is taking every opportunity to vote against things that it supported initially, including the budget measures which, unfortunately, I did not remind them about at the time. In the budget the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, reduced the spend on social welfare by ¤500 million to ¤19.5 billion, but Fianna Fáil had signed up with the troika to reduce...

Seanad: Community Development: Motion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I would like to know because Fianna Fáil made a big play about taking ¤6 per week off the respite care grant.

Seanad: Community Development: Motion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: Where was Fianna Fáil going to get the extra ¤1 billion?

Seanad: Community Development: Motion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: When people initially support something they should not change horses in mid-stream.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State and will be supporting the Bill because when it comes to supplying water, I do not mind paying for it as long as it is a quality product. That is my biggest issue about water supply. Senator Cáit Keane referred to a particular county - I am assuming she was referring to mine - in which there was a problem with leaking pipes. We have a serious problem with...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: If the quality of water supplied can be improved, as a user, I would save money on bottled water which I have to buy in the supermarket, week in, week out. The quality of water supplied is so poor we cannot even use it to make a cup of tea. It is very important that people are reassured during the day and, more importantly, at night. It is also important that gardaí are in a position to...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I draw Members' attention to the 11% of cystic fibrosis sufferers who are being deprived access to a new ground-breaking drug which would significantly improve the quality of their lives. The drug's outrageous price of ¤235,000 per year begs the question of whether the cost of its research and development is being front-loaded onto the people who need it urgently. I ask the Leader to find...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: May I share time with Senator Walsh? I will try to finish in two minutes, less if I can get through it.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: Real reform is about giving councillors more power. We have had this discussion before and to a degree I agree with the Minister that while councillors have the power they are waiting for the next lollipop from the county manager. That is a fact of life. In local government at present the executive is running the councils, not the county councillors. The same situation is replicated at...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I am delighted to hear that. I cannot imagine how it would have panned out, given the rates in County Roscommon are ¤72 per square foot while across the River Shannon at Athlone they are ¤52. I compliment the Minister on introducing the grant for the septics tanks which is a good initiative. Fair play to him. Is that an 80% grant of ¤4,000, or is it a maximum grant? Can a lesser grant...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: Moving slightly away from the subject, I refer to ghost housing estates. Has the Minister considered demolishing some of these estates around the country? They may be owned by the banks or by NAMA. It is most certain that some of them need knocking.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: I offer my condolences to the family of the late Minister of State, Shane McEntee. In the few dealings I had with him I found him to be a gentleman. I offer my condolences also to Senator Deirdre Clune on the passing away of her mother. I support calls by Senator O'Brien for a debate on sentencing in the House as a result of what we have seen happen in recent days. It is outrageous that a...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: -----while last year we sent a man to jail for failing to pay import tax on garlic. There are inadequacies in the system that we must debate.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2013)

John Kelly: On the broader issue of criminal justice, in that debate we should examine an issue I raised in the House recently, namely, the availability of free legal aid to criminals. I called for a "three strikes and you are out" system here last year and I reiterate that. It is outrageous. There is no such thing as free legal aid. The bottom line is that we are paying for it. Serial criminals...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2012)

John Kelly: I was in my office looking at the monitor and watching Senator Darragh O'Brien's performance on home help hours. He is trying to raise doubt about the announcement made by the Minister for Health. He seems to be unconvinced the statement by the Minister for Health reflects the reality. I wish to clarify the position on the home help hours. On Thursday last during a meeting of the...