Results 4,881-4,900 of 4,905 for speaker:Diarmuid Wilson

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (5 Feb 2003)

Diarmuid Wilson: —defending an excellent record by an excellent Government over a long period.

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (5 Feb 2003)

Diarmuid Wilson: I also welcome the Minister's officials. I congratulate Senator Quinn and his colleagues on the Independent benches for proposing this very worthy and well-timed motion. It is worth debating sensibly. I welcome the initiatives brought forward by the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan. The introduction of the penalty points system has brought a revolution in the thought processes of all...

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (5 Feb 2003)

Diarmuid Wilson: I do not wish to use the lives of unfortunate people killed on the road as statistics. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that if 378 unfortunate people had been killed on our roads last year instead of 379, we would have achieved our target of 20%. I hate having to quote statistics in that way but as Opposition Senators chose to raise the matter I must point out the facts. Fear of being caught...

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (5 Feb 2003)

Diarmuid Wilson: Senator Quinn's suggestion that retired members of the Garda should form a traffic corps is excellent and I am glad to see the Minister took note of it. In the past few days we have listened to discussions about the Army being used as an aid to the civil power. I would also like to investigate the possibility of establishing a Garda reserve or auxiliary part-time force. This works in other...

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (5 Feb 2003)

Diarmuid Wilson: The signing, lighting and cats' eyes programme announced by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government will also play a major role in the road safety initiative. I am aware that the Minister is considering the metrication of speed limit signs. I ask him to give consideration to additional warning signs in the Border counties. Drivers from Northern Ireland can become confused when...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Public Transport. (5 Feb 2003)

Diarmuid Wilson: I welcome the Minister, who is having a busy evening. In recent years there has been increased use of the public transport services provided by Bus Éireann and private operators. More people are travelling longer distances to work and commuting daily. During the years private bus operators have provided a valuable service and initiated new routes where CIE was not providing a service. In...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: It is great to see a senior Minister taking time to remain in the House for the full debate—

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: —especially a Minister who is under such pressure.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: Part of the Minister's brief includes the family as well as social affairs. We have a clear vision of the type of family we want to build in today's Ireland. We cannot and should not go back to the old-style authoritarian family where children knew their place. However, we certainly do not want to see the excessive individualism that exists in some countries, where it is all based on selfish...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: The Senator may not care to recall events that far back, but Deputies Noonan and Quinn gave a family with three children a monthly increase of £7.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: Is Senator McCarthy now denying that the former Deputy De Rossa, who is a member of the European Parliament, is the president of the Labour Party?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: Fianna Fáil, in Government with our partners the Progressive Democrats,—

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: —has given the same family €127.60 extra per month in each of the last two years.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: To combat child poverty we have introduced the largest increases in child benefit in the history of the State, and we are proud of that. I welcome the €10 increase in pensions. In future, Fianna Fáil pledges to raise the old-age pension to €200 per week.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: We will also introduce a home-makers pension for pensioners' spouses currently in receipt of the qualified adult allowance, set at the level of a full non-contributory pension. People in receipt of old-age pensions are appreciative of the major improvement in the rates of payment in recent years. That is a fact. Anyone who is not afraid to walk the streets and meet the people, knows that. We...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (10 Dec 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, back to the House. It is good to see him here paying attention to what we are doing. I welcome the publication of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, 2002 and commend the Government on the manner in which it has dealt with the unsatisfactory situation of prescribed solutions which are more applicable to larger conurbations and do...

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

Diarmuid Wilson: I welcome the Minister of State. It is great to see a fellow Ulsterman here and I know the Department is in capable hands. I warmly welcome the publication of the National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020, it is about people, places and potential. Our people are the country's most valuable asset and all our planning should be about quality of life. I congratulate the Minister of State and the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits: Motion. (6 Nov 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: That is not correct.

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits: Motion. (6 Nov 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: If the Senator had paid attention to what was going on, he might have observed that the Minister could follow what was said. I am sure she had important business to which to attend.

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits: Motion. (6 Nov 2002)

Diarmuid Wilson: I am laughing at the pathetic state of Senator Coonan pontificating about nonsense.