Results 4,741-4,760 of 5,118 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. While I am pleased the review is taking place, tragically it will not affect children in a couple of cases of which I am aware because they will be affected this month. I hope the issue will have been addressed by next year. As it would not be appropriate to give details of specific cases in the House, I will submit to the Minister of State...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. The matter I raise is home-based July tuition for a special category of children. Children who qualify for this tuition receive one-to-one time with a qualified teacher for ten hours per week in the child's home, the teacher's home, a room in a local community centre or another appropriate location. This tuition provides...

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I join my colleagues in welcoming the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I appreciate his interaction with this House. I congratulate my colleagues in the Labour Party on the quality and appropriateness of this motion and its exposition. I await with interest the outcome of Senator Hannigan's survey for which I applaud him. I hope we will learn lessons from it when it is published. Over the years,...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: Has Senator Leyden read the IMF report?

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I wish to comment further on broadcasting content standards which I believe to be particular to group 7 of the amendments. I shall wait until they are being dealt with. In broad observation, I have no issue with the principle set out by Senator Walsh - if I understood him correctly - that there should be a high standard of political impartiality and a high ethical standard in the way news...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: As I did on Second and Committee Stages, I wish to put on record my strong welcome for the Irish film channel. I am sure that colleagues also feel this way. It is an excellent development and the fact that the Irish Film Board will be intimately involved is important. I welcome the Minister's acceptance of Deputy Coveney's amendment in the Dáil to allow advertising to fund the new channel....

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I second Senator O'Toole's remarks on religious advertising. The change in this regard is very good and enhances legislation we fundamentally welcome in its totality. There is no reason a religious event or charitable auction, for example, that is contributing to a good cause should not be advertised. The same standards should apply to religious advertising as to any other form. The...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: On a point of clarification, when I spoke about a deceased person I gave the example of a public representative but the point applies to every citizen who can be equally defamed or slandered.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: Ba mhaith liom aontú lena bhfuil ráite ag an Seanadóir Ó Tuathail. Tá seo iontach tábhachtach agus tá sár-jab déanta ag TG4 chun oidreachta na tíre agus an teanga a fhorbairt agus a choimeád beo. Aontaím go mór le seo. Tá TG4 tábhachtach do ghach duine sa tír. Ainneoin cén chaoi ina bhfuil cúrsaí airgid, tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh tacaíocht ann an t-am go léir don...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: It is important to ensure that independent productions are not victims of financial shortage. They provide important employment and are an important indigenous industry in their own right. They offer an employment opportunity for our graduates and this has a spin-off effect for the country. They also provide excellent objective material and contribute to our social and cultural heritage....

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: It is important to ensure the roll-out of digital terrestrial television, DTT. The potential provider, the Boxer company, has pulled out of the process. It would have paid money to RTE, which has already spent €40 million on DTT roll-out, with a potential further spend of €60 million. I urge the Minister to move to get the next company in line and to ensure the roll-out continues....

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: Fine Gael contends that the TV licence fee collection system is outdated and inefficient. It costs €12 million to collect €200 million, and that is too expensive. Many people now watch television programmes on their computers. Therefore, it is no longer valid simply to target television sets. There is also an issue that people who have a number of television sets have a liability for...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I want to record my satisfaction with these amendments. I had made much reference to this issue and proposed amendments on Committee Stage in the Seanad, particularly to protect the independent radio production sector.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank the Minister for his very refreshing, real and focused engagement with us on the issues raised, including the debate on the amendments tabled during the debate. We proposed a large number of amendments on Committee Stage and I acknowledge the Minister's role in facilitating us and the fact that several of those amendments, albeit in slightly modified form, have made their way into...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister to the House. It was encouraging and important that the Bill was initiated in this House, and it was addressed very well at that stage. I welcome the requirement of the Minister to identify the qualifications and suitability of candidates for nomination to the board and to indicate those suitabilities to the joint committee and vice versa. However, I still believe...

Seanad: Death of former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (17 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: The late Senator Michael Howard was one of the most rounded people I ever met. He was wise, intelligent, good-humoured, committed and very honest. He was a great colleague and was respected by one and all. When he spoke, people listened. He had a very real sense of the role of Parliament, specifically the Seanad, and took his responsibilities as a legislator very seriously and contributed...

Seanad: Information and Communications Technologies: Motion (17 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes. Amendment put.

Seanad: Information and Communications Technologies: Motion (17 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following: criticises the Government for its failure to adequately roll out next generation fibre optic broadband networks in Ireland which will be essential to attract additional foreign direct investment and to foster new enterprise start ups within Ireland. On a positive note I acknowledge the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Jun 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: On behalf of the Fine Gael Party, I warmly congratulate former Senator Alan Kelly on his election as a Member of the European Parliament. He will do the country, his party and himself proud and I have no doubt he will be as capable an advocate in the European Parliament as he was in this House. I wish him well in this important role and have every confidence he will serve the country well....

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I ask the Leader of the House to invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coughlan, to the House for a comprehensive debate on unemployment. The Leader is working very hard to maintain the relevance of this House and its responsiveness to important daily issues and no issue is more important in this regard than that 327,000 fellow citizens have no work...