Results 4,841-4,860 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I wish. (Interruptions).

Seanad: Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003: Second Stage. (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Can the Minister of State ensure that the detailed responses are available to the Members before Committee Stage commences?

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: It would be churlish not to commend the Minister. Speaking with my political hat and sharing a constituency with him, I am happier when his halo is a bit tarnished. It is not to my political advantage to have his halo reinstated. Nevertheless, the smoking ban was and is a good day's work. The Minister showed commendable bottle by not wavering. Others may have wavered but I do not think the...

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I have some local knowledge on the matter.

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: So have I.

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I did not know there was any other wing.

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Do not push me beyond the concept of a movement.

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: This debate was characterised by a profound depth of feeling. There is agreement about the scale of the disaster we allowed to fall upon our society. I do not blame anyone in particular for this, but we failed as a society. The amount of emigration that took place was neither necessary nor inevitable. Political debate, however, is not the place for a group catharsis of deeply held emotions....

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: The Government will not support the agency because it will not provide the funding.

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: The Senator should ask the agencies.

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I move: That Seanad Éireann condemns the decision by the Government not to set up the agency for the Irish abroad recommended in the Report of the Task Force on Emigration. As a matter of detail, may I presume the debate on the motion will continue until 7.17 p.m.?

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I thank the Cathaoirleach. There are a couple of things to be said about emigration from Ireland. It was perhaps the greatest generator of excuses for failure that this country ever had. It was a failure that for most of the last 80 years, until about 20 years ago, we collectively tried to excuse and that was not confined to one particular political party. We collectively grabbed on to...

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: It is since Professor Lee produced his analysis that we developed the confidence in ourselves and the willingness to take responsibility for ourselves that produced the extraordinary economic performance. It was also due to the bedrock laid by the extraordinary achievements of the 1983-7 coalition Government in sustaining education in the teeth of a mess created by Fianna Fáil which produced...

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: The Minister of State might be missing something. I spent two summers abroad, working in north west London in Harlesden. Even as a young person and knowing I was coming home in September, one could not but notice the gradually ageing isolated Irish community. If one went to Mass on Sundays and saw them dressed up in the style of dress I associated with my youth, shiny Sunday suits, it was...

Seanad: Agency for the Irish Abroad: Motion. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: So did Deputy Stagg.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Fianna Fáil will not be in Government to deal with it.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Senator Norris is not currently in the Chamber but earlier he was giving us lectures about not being too political concerning these matters. Given his capacity to politicise the most extraordinary things, however, I am not sure about that. I accept the movement of people within the European Union, particularly the expanded EU, is an issue that needs to be sorted out but it deserves to be done...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Is it under the EU treaty?

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (24 Mar 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Will the Minister explain that?