Results 461-480 of 566 for speaker:Niall Ó Brolcháin

Seanad: CAO Applications and College Places: Statements (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Haughey. This is a good and timely debate. I see Senator Mullen is leaving the Chamber. I was going to say the Galway——

Seanad: CAO Applications and College Places: Statements (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I apologise.

Seanad: CAO Applications and College Places: Statements (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: Certainly not.

Seanad: CAO Applications and College Places: Statements (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I had noticed the Galway contingent of Senators Healy Eames and Mullen and myself. The CAO is based in Galway and every time I walk down Eglinton Street and see the CAO offices at the top level, it strikes terror into my heart because I remember the days when I was in the position myself. The letters CAO struck terror into many hearts. I grew up during the last recession at a time when the...

Seanad: CAO Applications and College Places: Statements (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I am more interested in the students——

Seanad: CAO Applications and College Places: Statements (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: ——and their parents. Education is about students. There is a noticeable decrease in other areas such as apprenticeships and other methods of entering employment after leaving school. Senator Quinn alluded to this. Going straight into college is not the best route for all trades. Unfortunately, apprenticeships are dwindling and we need to examine this. An arts degree is not...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I support the calls by many Senators for a debate on mental health. It is important that we do not politicise the issue of mental health. We must all fight together on this issue. There has been much talk about institutions, but it is clear that the foundations of mental health are laid at a very young age — when children are born, in fact. It is a community-based issue and one we must...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: We need a debate as soon as possible. On the issue of directly elected mayors, there is a wider debate with regard to local government reform. It is important that we do not look upon the establishment of a directly elected Dublin mayor as an end in itself; we must also consider mayors for cities such as Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick, as well as greater regionalisation and local...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: Senator White may be looking for a job, but I am not seeking the job of Lord Mayor of Galway again. Finally, I support Senator Paschal Mooney in his comments about the tourism industry. Going green is a great concept, but it is important on St. Patrick's Day that we focus on the tourism potential of this country rather than encouraging people to leave and go to other countries. It is...

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: Agreed.

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I thank the Senator for his kind interjection. It is now a few years later and Galway City Council vehicles have 5% bio-fuel. Waste vegetable oil in the city has been converted into bio-fuel. A waste product has become a bio-fuel and is useful. It is hoped that it will be increased to 10%, which is in line with the Minister's target. I hope we exceed that target before 2020. I received a...

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I welcome the Minister. This is a good Bill and the Minister is going about this in the right way. I note the target is to have 10% renewable by 2020 which would include renewable electricity in terms of electric cars for transport in Ireland. I was disappointed to hear Senator Quinn state the green movement uses fear. Neither the Minister nor I is involved in that. We are not about...

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: The Minister constantly asks for all sides of the House to come together on energy policy because it is so important for the nation. Transport policy in particular is a very difficult issue for us to resolve from the point of view of energy security for transport. It is great to discuss the free availability of diesel and petrol. In the 1970s, when I first got interested in politics, the...

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: We do not have control——

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: He is terrified of the Minister also.

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: We do not have control over our own fuel sources. It is important that we find alternative fuel sources to help us in emergency situations to be able to provide a certain level of security, in particular for transport. If we considered it strategically, indigenously produced bio-fuels would help us to have a certain level of transport in difficult times. When I first became a member of...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I support the call by Senator O'Sullivan for a debate on the food industry and horticulture. The way he put it was fantastic. He is talking about having a positive debate on something which is important to everyone. There are so many things going on around us. Everyone is talking about certain things such as George Lee and NAMA, as well as other dreadful things.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: It is important for us to have debates in the House on positive issues such as food and water. We will have a debate on biofuels later this afternoon. If we dwell on the positives, we will not become self-obsessed or obsessed by the media. We should be leading the people by having debates on important and positive issues.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I echo the call by Senator O'Sullivan.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: The Green Party is obtaining great publicity as a result of comments made by Members on the other side of the House this morning, which is something I welcome. I acknowledge the points that have been made in respect of water. I ask the Leader to assist in facilitating a debate on the issue of water. I wish to put the record straight of a number of points. I support arguments relating to...