Results 4,721-4,740 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (4 Jun 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I am asking the Leader to invite the Minister to come before the House and, rather than dismiss these concerns as simple operational matters to be dealt with under the covers by the HSE, tell us exactly what the audit found. Did the audit find that a conflict of interest existed or, alternatively, that problems existed in the tendering procedures?

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (4 Jun 2014)

Rónán Mullen: If there were problems with the tendering procedures around a contract worth €20,000, who pays? Are the people involved going to pay the penalty or does the taxpayer have to pick up the tab?

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (4 Jun 2014)

Rónán Mullen: It simply is not acceptable to use the euphemism of operational matters to deprive this House or the other House of clarity on what occurred in this matter. I ask that the Minister come before us to give further details. That is the least he could do in the circumstances.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (4 Jun 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I take this opportunity to congratulate former Senator Clune on her election to the European Parliament. As one who would be sceptical about the banking inquiry and the role of elected representatives in inquiries of this nature because of the potentially partisan nature of the engagements, I stress that someone like Senator Sean Barrett is ideally qualified and has proven himself to be an...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: If the Leader knows of anyone who might be interested, perhaps he will forward their details to me.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: Would it be possible for the Minister to come before the House?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: The Senator should not pooh-pooh my contribution. I am a country dweller.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: Senator Mooney should check my voting record. He is not sufficiently in touch with his constituency.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I join wholeheartedly in the tributes to Jody Blake. I thank her for her professionalism and courtesy to all of us over the years. Present company excepted, it is sometimes the fate of politicians around here to be forgotten but not gone. The opposite will be the case with Jody. Certainly, she will not be forgotten and we hope to see her as much as possible. I wish her good health and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I wish to address my question to our guests from Barnardos and the Children's Rights Alliance. I find it astonishing that organisations dedicated to promoting the rights and best interest of children apparently do not regard the circumstances in which children are brought into the world as matters in which children's rights arise. Their submissions do not appear to give primacy to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: Ms Brady referred to Article 7 of the UN convention. Apart from issues pertaining to registration after birth and the right to a name and nationality, that article also defines a child's right to know and be cared for by his or her parents. The preparatory documents from the convention indicate that "parents" mean a mother and father in the first instance, and the biological parents at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I echo what the Chairman said about the value of this process of scrutinising legislation in advance - looking at the heads of legislation - which has been practice. That said, there are aspects of this legislation that are so disturbing that I really look forward to debate in the Dáil and Seanad. I want to address my questions to representatives from Family and Life. Do they think...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I wish to tease that out. Under the Constitution, the State pledges to guard with special care the institution of marriage on which the family is founded. Is it fair to say that this proposed legislation really undermines any social preference for marriage as the context in which the State would prefer children to be brought into the world and brought up?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: Dr. Finegan mentioned in passing that this legislation is permissive by the standards of other countries. I know his time and our time is limited but could he talk about how it is permissive by the standards of other EU countries?

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I would like to know whether the Minister thinks that there is any point in consultation in the absence of the facts and figures. People are asking how much will all of this cost and will it make people poorer rather than look out for their health needs. We all want to see a system where everybody can access medical treatment equally but we are not reassured at the moment because the real...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I wish to express my satisfaction with the events occurring in England today. The state visit is a very happy occasion. It is great that we have arrived at this point. Farmers face challenges in respect of existing farm tax reliefs. Many of the reliefs are very generous but circumstances can arise where farmers face prohibitive tax bills on the death of a cohabiting sibling, simply because...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Report on Human Trafficking: Scoil Phobail Bhéara (2 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: The Senator is trying to bring Trinity up in the rankings.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Report on Human Trafficking: Scoil Phobail Bhéara (2 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: First, I join in the well-deserved congratulations to all the witnesses. I thank them both for their concern about this issue and for the amount of work they have put into this report. I also was delighted that my colleague, Deputy Mac Lochlainn, mentioned William Wilberforce. The witnesses have chosen the ideal exemplar, to whom John Newton's conversion was such an inspiration. William...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: I extend my sympathy to Senator Kelly and his family on the death of his father. Can the Leader say how the Taoiseach can tell the Dáil and the rest of us to have confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality when it is clear from his actions he has no confidence in him? When the going got tough he stepped in and instructed an official from the Department to visit the Garda...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2014)

Rónán Mullen: The Taoiseach had a hand in sacking the Commissioner without so much as even a recorded courtesy call to the Minister.