Results 481-500 of 1,451 for speaker:Michael Finucane

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: All right, I shall leave out that part. I abhor what happened over the weekend. It was extremely unfortunate, it was terribly wrong and no man deserved that type of publicity. We all know the defamation laws do not apply if a person dies but in this case a terrible injustice has been done to his family. I am appalled at what happened.

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I am glad Senator Leyden expressed concern for the hard-pressed taxpayer but I would like him to express concern to the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs regarding a change in a scheme. An imaginative scheme, the scheme of community support for older people, was introduced in 1997. It assured elderly people, particularly pensioners and many people living alone in rural...

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: It was sneaky to reduce to €300 the funding for that scheme. The Minister responsible has an abundance of funding available through the dormant accounts fund etc. I want him to increase the funding for this scheme to 90% and to put in place an emergency-type fund whereby if a person applies for this service, satisfies the criteria and is eligible for it, the security alarm can be fitted...

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: The Senator would not have brought it to his own attention or to that of the Minister responsible.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I raised the matter of the urgent necessity for a new primary school in Kilfinane, County Limerick, previously in the House and also when I was a Member of the Dáil. There was great excitement in the Kilfinane area when a new school was promised during the last general election campaign. However, there is now bitter disappointment as in excess of three years has elapsed without the project...

Seanad: Salmon Fisheries Report: Statements. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I wish to first acknowledge the work of the Chairman of the committee, Deputy O'Flynn, the members of the sub-committee and of the committee in producing this report. It was a comprehensive exercise. In order to establish the findings, they examined 45 submissions and met many interested parties. It is not the first report to be produced on the salmon resource. I am concerned that the issue...

Seanad: Salmon Fisheries Report: Statements. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I accept that the package catered for other fishermen as well. The former Minister, Deputy Woods, was hailed as a hero in Donegal a few years ago because of his achievement in getting additional funding to add more vessels to the fishing fleet.

Seanad: Salmon Fisheries Report: Statements. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: After a few years, the situation changed again. Fishermen were encouraged at that time to fish for deep sea fish. They began fishing for deep sea fish but quotas were introduced at EU level so a contradictory state of affairs exists. People are waiting for decisions on the salmon issue. I am disappointed that the Shannon Estuary's spokesman was not appointed to the National Salmon Commission,...

Seanad: Salmon Fisheries Report: Statements. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: Is this a geography lesson?

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: Especially councillors.

Seanad: Salmon Fisheries Report: Statements. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I wish to share my time with Senator McHugh.

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: Amen.

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: The death of Mr. Patrick Walsh has resonated throughout the country. Many people are extremely concerned at what has happened. They are concerned on the basis that the Health Service Executive now administers the system. By eliminating the various health boards we gave rise to the possibility of potential conflict between the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive....

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: What is Government policy?

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I welcome Senator Mansergh's raising of the quality of life issue as it is nearly a year since the Tánaiste promised 20,000 extra medical cards. Despite her promise, there has been a reduction of 10,000 in the number of such cards.

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: Yes. She promised 200,000 special doctor-only medical cards. Negotiations were delayed as a result of talks between the Department of Health and Children, the Health Service Executive and the Irish Medical Organisation. We thought recently that the matter had been resolved but the IMPACT trade union is now holding it up on behalf of its members. I cannot understand why, if the Department had...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: We now have the farcical situation of the matter being held up again despite the commitment to introduce the cards. Parents are currently neglecting their health. While they take care of their children and bring them to doctors, in many instances they cannot afford the same expenditure on themselves. Will somebody get off his or her backside and resolve this issue, once and for all?

Seanad: The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act: Motion. (11 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I welcome the Minister to the House and am aware of his interest in this matter as we have recently received various statements from him regarding it. There is no doubt that the events of 11 September 2001 changed America profoundly, especially in respect of security awareness. It plunged many Irish illegal immigrants, as they are classified in America, into a twilight world of uncertainty in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2005)

Michael Finucane: I am a member of the sub-committee of the relevant Oireachtas committee that produced the report on salmon fishing. Much work was done on the report by the sub-committee. I agree with most of the findings, which were based on consensus. Like Senator Dardis, I, too, would have placed a ban on drift net fishing. If the enthusiasm exists at Government level to respond to the recommendations in...