Results 5,321-5,340 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I would be grateful for an opportunity to engage in dialogue with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on a number of issues recently drawn to my attention. I would like to hear from the Minister what the Government proposes to do in regard to the ferry contract to Inishmore in the Aran Islands. While this may appear an unimportant issue to some people, the failure of the...

Seanad: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the Minister to the House. I also welcome the Bill and it provides for a sensible change. From my contact with people working in the area of social work, I know there is a clear advantage from is proposed in the Bill. It will provide more certainty for a child and he or she will be more likely to know what is happening. The idea of an eight-day period seems to be more of a...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Fallout.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I mentioned yesterday that we should have a discussion about the media and their relationship with the Garda Síochána on occasion. Leaks are not helpful to the cause of protecting the right of people to their reputation. Another area of the media that interests me is their use of opinion polls. Shakespeare once said that the Devil can cite scripture for his purpose. It often occurs to...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on how the media conduct themselves on serious issues. In 1997, The Irish Times ran a headline stating there was more than 70% support for limited abortion rights. The story presented by the newspaper last weekend was misleading.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: What we noticed in 2002, five years after the original survey, was that we had a very evenly matched debate in that year's referendum, which almost passed. When people are asked whether they support continued protection for the unborn consistent with all necessary medical care for women, a majority are found to be in favour of that position. It is time newspapers of record examined their...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business. The Senator has raised an issue that will not go away. Anybody who is in touch with ordinary folk will know how much such a debate matters to them. People throughout Ireland, especially older people, do not feel the security they deserve to feel in their own country in terms of proper policing in their community. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: A public representative is not in a different position from any other member of society but the damage to a public representative is particularly severe when there is any kind of suspicion about his or her acting with propriety.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Yes. I would be grateful if we could have a discussion with the Minister - as this not just a matter for the Garda ombudsman - about what the Department is doing to ensure that gardaí are acting properly. If there is any kind of nexus, on a financial or other basis, between gardaí or any kind of vendetta mentality towards certain politicians because of certain other things they have done,...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I ask for a date when we will have a debate on the excellent report on the Magdalen laundries by the former Senator, Martin McAleese. As well as discussing the report, we will want to record our thanks to former Senator McAleese for a report that is characterised by fairness and truthfulness. We should have a further discussion on this matter very soon. I know the Government has given a...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: We might have a discussion on another day about the appropriateness of discretionary payments for events like first holy communion and so on. Tacaím leis an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir Darragh O'Brien maidir le seirbhísí póilíneachta agus an suirbhé faoi phátrúnacht sna scoileanna. Fuair mé litir le déanaí ó duine a chuir in iúl dom go raibh lochtanna sa suirbhé sin a chur an...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I do not think that is a point of order.

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I would welcome an opportunity to debate these issues with Senator Bacik. We could introduce a greater balance to the debate and hear the voices of those who see denominational education as a great source of education for their families and children.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Mairead McGuinness, MEP (29 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: We still love it.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome Mr. Mitchell and thank him for his excellent speech. His responses to questions showed his mastery of the brief for which I congratulate him, in particular for the work he is doing in development. Almost every time we have had a referendum on a European treaty, the issue of abortion has come up and has been a very controversial and sometimes complicating issue, sometimes not for...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: The Senator is still running.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: What about social messaging and cultural education?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the speakers. I am very struck by the disparity there appears to be between women's and men's stories. When one listens to presentations from Ruhama and others who work with women in prostitution, one does not have to look long before one hears stories of misery and exploitation. I wonder if that is because organisations such as Ruhama are dealing with people at the level of...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Go raibh mile maith agat a Leas-Chathaoirleach. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. The Water Services Bill 2013 under discussion here today is to be commended as a first step in an attempt to deal with several key areas that have required urgent attention for a number of years. It is in line with the EU Water Framework Directive 2000, which aims to promote sustainable water use based on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I thank Dr. Freedman, and I am sorry I was not able to be present for his presentation. In the course of proceedings he may have answered some of my questions. I ask him to forgive me in advance for that. It might sound discourteous to ask a question which the doctor has already answered. Dr. Freedman made reference to the idea that were we to criminalise the purchaser of persons for...