Results 5,261-5,280 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I understand that. However, people's genuine concerns were not addressed. We must learn from this——

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: ——if we are to move forward. The Leas-Chathaoirleach will be delighted to hear that I do not wish to get lost in Lisbon.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I call on the Minister for Finance to urgently consider ways to reduce the cost of doing business in this country. In that context, I refer, in particular, to the rising price of diesel and how this is impacting on business. I call on the Green Party to consider this matter. We must examine ways to reduce the excise duty on diesel in order that we might get the country moving again. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Leader should communicate the message to the Minister for Finance that we must urgently examine matters relating to the cost of doing business, particularly in the context of reducing the excise duty charged on diesel.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Senator McFadden did not get a response to her point of order.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I do not know if the Leader replied to my question on the issue of excise duty and request that he bring that matter to the attention of the Minister for Finance.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I thank the Leader for that.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It will work for the Green Party.

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am delighted that the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, is in attendance for this debate. It is great to have him in the House given his role in the formulation of the Lisbon treaty. There is no doubt that the rejection of the referendum represents a significant embarrassment for the Government. On this occasion, we were on the Government's side. It is not as if due warning had not been...

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: ——because it was slow off the benches.

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I was delighted to see in The Irish Times today that 80% of the people still believe in the European project.

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We have been in the Union for 35 years so we had better stay with it. However, there are many issues to address. A total of 75% of the people I met on the streets of Galway told me that they believed Europe is good for Ireland but 20% of that 75% — this is when I knew we were in difficulty — intended to vote "No" and another 20% were undecided. Those margins were critical in this...

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: This is a child's perspective on the Government campaign versus the "No" campaign.

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: He drew a little graphic for me which shows the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, saying: "Vote Yes right now", whereas the "No" campaigner was saying: "Let me explain how the treaty works".

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Like Senator Ormonde, I spent time explaining the treaty to people, but many more people from the Government side should have been doing so. Last weekend, I spent a day in a coláiste Gaelach in Ros Muc.

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: My son and other youngsters were doing an Irish drama. It was a drama about the Taoiseach in which he was saying: "Cá bhfuil Bertie?" and "Cá bhfuil Charlie McCreevy?"——

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Taoiseach was undermined by his Government because none of the Ministers campaigned. He was let down. Let us continue with what the young people said to me. Some said: "My mother voted "No" and I told her to do that because I do not want to be conscripted to an EU army". The issue of neutrality was not understood and people did not feel it was safeguarded. There is no doubt that due...

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: We did not address that matter.

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The listening should have been done before.