Results 4,661-4,680 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: Primary Education: Motion. (11 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: He was right to do so.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Report and Final Stages. (5 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: The American system does not apply to this sort of appointment. It applies to ambassadorial and other significant political appointments and would not be in order for an appointment to a tourism board. Even if the principle is arguable, it is being applied at too low a level.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Report and Final Stages. (5 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: Five years is the term of the Oireachtas.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Report and Final Stages. (5 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: Now that we are returning to the practice of Governments lasting for a full five year term, there is a great deal to be said for leaving it at five years.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Report and Final Stages. (5 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: At the start of any committee one is on a learning curve and five years is a more sensible term.

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy: Statements. (5 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the Minister. Everyone broadly welcomes the concept of the national spatial strategy. It contains a message to anyone, to Dublin-based Departments, agencies and so on that there is more to Ireland than the greater Dublin area. I am not anti-Dublin in any way. I have lived and worked here most of my working life. The development which has taken place here is wonderful, instead of the...

Seanad: National Spatial Strategy: Statements. (5 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: A great deal of An Taisce's thinking emanates from south-east England. I can understand why one would not favour one-off housing in south-east England, where there is enormous over-crowding and a tremendously large population. Such ideas, however, are totally inappropriate for a country like Ireland. If one flies over Ireland and ignores the greater Dublin area, one will notice that we have...

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome this budget. It is a good budget in difficult circumstances that looks after the least well-off. It is the role of the Opposition to play devil's advocate. The same debate is going on in Germany, where the election took place in September and the SPD and the Green Party are being accused of having deceived the electorate.

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: The reality is that in elections all parties paint best case scenarios and after elections we are back to choices and hard day-to-day realities. Many Ministers for Finance would be only too glad to be able to announce a budget which has a borrowing requirement of only 0.7% next year and a decline in debt as a percentage of GDP to 34%. Senator Higgins is wrong to minimise global influences....

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: This budget maintains and consolidates Ireland's economic strength. If we want social partnership to work and our infrastructure to develop, we must maintain confidence in the economy. The measures are not on the scale of the 1980s but confidence will help the economy to expand more quickly. One economist referred to this as "expansionary fiscal contraction". There is not even any...

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: When the time comes, I hope ways will be found to help the film industry. The state of schools has been raised and I hope the PPPs will help in that regard. I warmly welcome the welfare increases, which are fully in line with or slightly above inflation. In the past child benefit was the first thing not to be increased. As recently as 1995, I recall a 2.5% increase, including old age...

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: And the cider industry.

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: It is not being implemented.

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: We are borrowing.

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Dec 2002)

Martin Mansergh: I ask the Leader to urge the Minister for Finance, on the next occasion he attends an ECOFIN meeting, to congratulate his Swedish counterpart on his Government's courage in organising a referendum on the euro, which it is uncertain of winning. Completing the spread of the euro is of great importance to people in Ireland and to others on these islands. Perhaps if the Swedes are successful,...

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Martin Mansergh: The point under discussion is a tiding over mechanism until the institutions can be restored. Although the North-South Ministerial Council is no longer in existence, or at least is in suspension, it would be difficult to get anybody to work in them if there is a stop-go situation. I wish to use this opportunity to express my support for all the people who work in these Implementation Bodies...

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Martin Mansergh: I wish to add clarification to what Senator Brian Hayes said. There is a legal grey area, to put it at its mildest, in our interpretation of to what degree exercise of the power of suspension is compatible with the operation of an international agreement. We have decided, while entirely reserving our legal position on that, to be reasonably pragmatic in practice in the interests of the...

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Martin Mansergh: De facto according to us is probably de jure according to them.

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Nov 2002)

Martin Mansergh: Unlike Senator Ryan, I am grateful to Iarnród Éireann for bringing me to the Seanad in good time but I agree with his comments on the lack of enforcement of the law on under age drinking. I wish to raise an equality matter. Perhaps on an appropriate occasion the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will come to the House to discuss the enforcement of the Equal Status Act. I am glad...

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid: Motion. (27 Nov 2002)

Martin Mansergh: Senator Bradford made a very telling point about who is leading the international war against poverty and AIDS. I thank and congratulate Senator Henry and her colleagues on putting forward this important motion in a way in which we can all unite around it rather than divide. I have always believed that overseas development assistance is important to our-self respect as a nation and an...