Results 5,301-5,320 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (12 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: Amendment No. 9 is in the names of Senators O'Donovan, McCarthy, White, Ryan, Prendergast, Hannigan and Kelly.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (12 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: They arise from committee proceedings. Amendments Nos. 9 to 20, inclusive, are grouped. Amendments Nos. 10, 11, 16 and 20 are related to Amendment No. 9.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (12 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I am advised that the amendments, including the Government amendments, are grouped and they must be discussed now.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (12 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: The Senator's name will be synonymous with Bantry forever.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: It is called leadership and setting the tone.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I want to raise a couple of issues with the Leader. We had a full discussion in the House yesterday on the issue of Seanad reform, and I welcomed the opportunity to have that. Following on from a document produced by my party yesterday, we need to set that debate in a wider context of reform of the Oireachtas in general, necessitating the reform of the Dáil and Seanad as well as the...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I remind Senators that we are discussing amendments Nos. 25 to 36, inclusive and Nos. 45 to 48, inclusive. They will not be discussed further and may be moved later. Are there any other comments from Senators before I call on the Minister of State to respond on those amendments?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I join with colleagues in condemning in the strongest possible terms what has happened in the past few days in Northern Ireland. I agree with Senator Harris that in the peace process in the past ten, 15 and even 20 years, if one goes back to the Anglo-Irish Agreement, words have been very important in progressing matters. However, we have moved past words and in terms of dealing with these...

Seanad: Local Economic Initiatives: Motion (4 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: My God.

Seanad: Local Economic Initiatives: Motion (4 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I thank Senator McFadden for sharing time. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome the opportunity to say a few words on the motion. I find myself in a similar position to Senators McFadden and Norris in that I do not have a problem with the Green Party motion, as worded. However, it has been overtaken by events and what we have learned in recent days. Credit unions,...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: Covered by this.

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I welcome the Minister of State. Senator Norris raised a legitimate question regarding complaints against the Judiciary. The former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, explored mechanisms for such complaints. All Members of the Oireachtas receive complaints regarding members of the Judiciary, although 99% are of the excitable and conspiracy theory nature...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: He is in Monaghan.

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: He is a member of the Green Party.

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I have a slight interest which I did not declare. I concur with the Minister of State's view about how difficult it is to combine doing a job and the night course in the King's Inns because I have class at 5.45 p.m. so I hope we can expedite the rest of the Bill.

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Mar 2009)

John Paul Phelan: Does the proposal that the costs of the ombudsman be paid by the Bar Council and the Law Society relate to the entire cost, including the salaries paid to the ombudsman and all staff in the office? We have had many complaints recently about particularly high pensions being paid to people who have given up public positions. Will the pensions of the ombudsman and staff be covered by the levy...

Seanad: Farm Waste Management (25 Feb 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I thank Senator Coffey for sharing his time. Like Senator McFadden, I raised this matter on the Order of Business last week and this week I am seeking a full debate. Like the previous speakers I come from a rural constituency, Carlow-Kilkenny, and I know of a great deal of people affected by the Government announcement that the outstanding grants will be paid over a three-year period rather...

Seanad: Banking Sector: Motion (25 Feb 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I second the motion. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, who is a regular visitor to the Seanad, for this important and timely discussion. At the start of the week, a number of Senators, including Senator Hanafin, referred to the need for a debate on regulation and part of this motion deals extensively with that matter. As Senator Twomey pointed out, Ireland is at a grave...

Seanad: Banking Sector: Motion (25 Feb 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I think in particular of hundreds of people of my age who were sucked into construction in the past ten years and whose futures now lie in ruins. I remember a famous comment made by Deputy Cowen when he was Minister for either Foreign Affairs or Finance, to the effect that if we build enough houses, they will become cheap. While I distinctly remember him making this comment, I cannot recall...

Seanad: Protection of Intellectual Property Rights: Statements (25 Feb 2009)

John Paul Phelan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, and I welcome this opportunity to have this discussion on intellectual property rights. I did not realise that the Commissioner for Internal Markets and Services, Mr. McCreevy, is responsible for this whole area. The Minister of State praised the Copyright and Related Rights Act. Nevertheless, there is a body of opinion that there should be...