Results 5,261-5,280 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan
- Seanad: Dairy Industry: Motion (24 Jun 2009)
John Paul Phelan: The backbone of rural Ireland is the family farm. It affects every other aspect of rural community life whether it is the local shop, school or pub. Every social facility in a local rural community stems from the fact that people are employed on the land and can earn a living from it. As prices stand, dairy farmers cannot earn a living. The average price paid for milk is half what it was...
- Seanad: Dairy Industry: Motion (24 Jun 2009)
John Paul Phelan: Did the Senator even read our motion?
- Seanad: Dairy Industry: Motion (24 Jun 2009)
John Paul Phelan: Hear, hear.
- Seanad: Dairy Industry: Motion (24 Jun 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I thank Senator Bradford for allowing me to sum up on this important debate and I thank all Senators for their contributions to it. I am involved in some relief milking at home myself, so if I were not here I would probably be in a milking parlour.
- Seanad: Dairy Industry: Motion (24 Jun 2009)
John Paul Phelan: Instead, I am glad to be here for this serious debate on the future of the dairy industry.
- Seanad: Dairy Industry: Motion (24 Jun 2009)
John Paul Phelan: While this House and others often play lip service to rural development, the most effective key to development is to keep as many viable family farms in operation, as Senator Healy Eames pointed out. It is regrettable the Government is not fully supportive of family farming.
- Seanad: Education Funding (7 May 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I want to give a few moments of my time to Senator Twomey.
- Seanad: Education Funding (7 May 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I welcome the Minister. I am sorry that the Minister for Education and Science is not here to discuss this very important issue which has raised its head in recent months. For the sake of a saving which is paltry in the context of the current crisis, the Minister has taken a course of action that will disproportionately and deeply affect a particular community. In the haste to cut and run,...
- Seanad: Education Funding (7 May 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I realise the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, does not deal specifically with this issue but was answering the question today. I do not accept a word of what was said. The reality is that the Protestant community is small and spread throughout the country. The majority of communities in Ireland do not offer Protestant education. I speak in particular about an area I know, Kilkenny....
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I welcome the Minister for this important discussion. The Government's decision in the mini-budget to remove the Christmas bonus is very short-sighted and there is a great level of anger about it. I was on the campaign trail in Senator Twomey's home area of Wexford over the weekend and it was an issue that was continuously raised with me by people who were directly affected. It is...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: The provisions of the Bill make it clear that the Minister has an ear to listen to the pensions industry rather than those people who are losing their long-term pension entitlements, such as those who worked for Waterford Crystal. In recent years the Government has granted additional tax write-offs up to, I believe, approximately â¬50 billion for people who want to pay into private pension...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I remind the Minister of a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs in November 2005 where Patrick Burke, then vice-chairperson of the Irish Association of Pension Funds, said: There is cause for the Oireachtas and the State to support the defined benefit system. We have made some recommendations in that regard, which the joint committee will see in the material...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I will finish on this point. I saw no commensurate measures being taken for those who are not in a position to provide private pensions for themselves. The Bill does nothing to address that anomaly.
- Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I support Senator O'Donovan's call for a debate on fisheries. A review of the Common Fisheries Policy is under way at present. It would be useful to invite the Commissioner to the House to discuss the serious issues facing our fishing industry. I hope the Leader will be able to accommodate the Senator's call for that debate. I agree with my colleagues who raised the ESRI report and the...
- Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: -----and a Government backbencher said the Tánaiste is not up to the task of being Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Serious questions arise over her position and it would be useful to have her in the House-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: -----as soon as possible.
- Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: With the permission of the House, I wish to share time with Senator Twomey.
- Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: On the whole, this was a good debate. I listened to most of the contributions and there are a couple of matters I want to mention. I am not familiar with the ICTU document that has been referred to by previous speakers.
- Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: I must get a copy. I understand Senator MacSharry will lay it before the House, and I must take a quick look at it afterwards. I agree with the view expressed by Senator O'Toole about the Government's amendment. It is disappointing it contains no proposal whatsoever. It is completely negative. It expresses opposition to the Fine Gael proposal but provides no positive Government suggestion...
- Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)
John Paul Phelan: Senator Callely was supportive, but he spoke about the Government's policy on the knowledge-based economy, about which I have heard a great deal but the delivery of which I have not seen. This Fine Gael document at least is something that proposes concrete changes that would lead to an improvement in our economic position. We have not yet seen any of that from Government. I urge the House...