Results 4,961-4,980 of 5,327 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

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Joe O'Reilly: Fine Gael contends that the TV licence fee collection system is outdated and inefficient.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 Therefore, it is no longer valid simply to target television sets.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...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs. (2 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: Cuirim fáilte roimh an tAire Stáit. This matter relates to the proposed removal of a special class from St. Anne's primary school, Bailieborough, County Cavan. Up to now, 14 children have attended two special classes for mild general learning disability. These pupils would be hugely educationally, socially and emotionally disadvantaged if one of the classes was suppressed, as is...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs. (2 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The one hopeful aspect is in the third paragraph, which states that the Department officials will look at the case in hand. Children are coming in from a number of schools in the area. They have been considered in the normal allocation and the difficulty is that it is not a runner to have children aged seven and 14 in the one class. There is a...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I strongly agree with the sentiments of Senator Ó Murchú and others who condemned outright the call made by IBEC, which is absolutely reprehensible. That should steel us into moving forward. I ask that the Deputy Leader to ensure that any attempt to rectify national finances next week is predicated on the principle of equality, fairness and targeting of those who are in a position to take...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Apr 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: People want to remain in their homes, where they are happiest. I ask the Deputy Leader to make a statement on this matter and to bring our views to the relevant Minister and the Government. It is important we support our carers, in particular at a time of huge unemployment. Where will these people go if they are not employed as carers? Where would unemployed people be better deployed than...

Seanad: Forthcoming Budget: Statements (26 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I wish to share half my time with Senator Cannon.

Seanad: Forthcoming Budget: Statements (26 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Devins. I question some of the propositions of my good friend Senator Hanafin on the use of the benefits of the boom years. We doubled public expenditure without necessarily achieving good results. We were selling houses to one another, while our real exports were not faring very well. There was waste — we did not run a lean economy and tight...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: It is very clear that cutbacks and extra taxes must be matched by stimulation of the economy. In that context, I ask the Leader to bring the Minister for Education and Science to the House for a debate on the schools building programme. It should be obvious to anybody with the most simplistic knowledge of economics that, given the outrageous cost of prefabricated school buildings, the...

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (25 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (25 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following: "—recognises the critical importance of broadband services in the development of the knowledge economy nationally and regionally; condemns the Government for its failure to deal effectively with regional disparities in the provision of broadband services; and calls on the Government to: deliver...

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (25 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank you for your direction, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I join my colleagues in welcoming the Minister. Apart from being unduly exuberant, the Government is somewhat premature in congratulating itself on its success in the area of broadband to date, which is why we tabled a sobering amendment to give some balance to the discussion. I hope Senator Carty sees fit to accept the amendment. There...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Mar 2009)

Joe O'Reilly: I support Senator John Paul Phelan's call, which was seconded by Senator Coghlan, for a special debate today on the economy and establish the practice of having a rolling debate whereby we would allocate two hours per week to an ongoing discussion on the economy. Today, we should examine Senator Walsh's misunderstanding of Fine Gael's proposals on Oireachtas reform. It would be advantageous...