Results 5,361-5,380 of 6,055 for speaker:Frank Feighan

Seanad: Social Partnership Agreement: Motion. (21 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, and thank the Taoiseach for taking time out to come to the House. I welcome the motion, although I very much welcome the amendments to it put down by my party.

Seanad: Social Partnership Agreement: Motion. (21 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: When social partnership was launched, this country needed to tackle a number of challenges, including unemployment. A number of years on, the challenges which need to be tackled are much more complex and numerous. While social partnership has the capacity to address many of the issues, it needs the capacity to address many more. I do not wish to harp on about it but there was a slight lack of...

Seanad: Social Partnership Agreement: Motion. (21 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: It only deals with medium-sized industries and so on. My profession was not represented at the talks and I take great umbrage at the fact a body claimed to speak on my behalf when it did not. I am delighted the public sector is booming but we need to debate the fact that those working in that sector are much better off than those working in the private sector. Small retail businesses do not...

Seanad: Adult and Further Education: Statements. (21 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: I welcome the Minister of State. Adult education is an important topic and while I may not be as enthusiastic as Senator Fitzgerald, I will try to be measured in my contribution. Resources for adult education have improved. At the time when I finished school about three students from a class of 50 went on to do a university course, some went to technical colleges and others joined family...

Seanad: Adult and Further Education: Statements. (21 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: Senator Ormonde has already talked for Ireland.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (21 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: I support the call for a debate on the escalating costs of housing. Some issues have been resolved and the affordable housing scheme and the facility for councils to acquire up to 20% of suitable land have certainly helped. However, we must examine the role of health boards. It is now more lucrative for an investor to rent an apartment or a house to somebody on welfare than to a professional...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: What about the current Minister?

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: Last week I highlighted the fact that up to 100 drug dealers living in Spain appear to be untouchable. Resources must be put in place to deal with this issue and legislation must be enacted on a Europe-wide basis so that we can deal with these people. More drugs than ever are now coming into the country. Last weekend the killing occurred of a small-time player in the drugs industry. This was...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: I also welcome the national partnership agreement and congratulate all involved. However, not everybody is satisfied with the agreement. The Irish farming community seem to have been left out in ways.

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: Perhaps all the large farmers are satisfied, but the smaller farmers are not. We should have a debate on this issue. The way issues such as Greencore and the Irish sugar industry were handled show these people are taken for granted. I might laugh at myself, but I am a small shopkeeper.

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: Small businesses have been taken for granted. The land, which has been extremely vibrant, has seen an exodus. In the rush to congratulate ourselves, we must take into account that the self-employed farming community are not satisfied. I ask the Leader for a debate on small businesses and the Irish farming community, which need to be recognised as a serious issue.

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: IBEC does not have a role.

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: I welcome Senator Maurice Hayes's announcement that there was agreement on the Orange Order marches in north Belfast. This House should indicate that we welcome this co-operation. Politicians around the country can sometimes feel helpless when it comes to participation in decision making. Many decisions are now made by people within the health service who are answerable to no one. If we are...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Jun 2006)

Frank Feighan: A "Prime Time" investigation last night on RTE dealt with the tenth anniversary of the ruthless assassination of Veronica Guerin. It is harrowing and worrying to see that we have regressed in the fight against drugs. Up to 100 drug lords are operating from Spain with impunity. My heart goes out to the families, brothers, sons and daughters who must put up with the serious drugs problem all...

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 May 2006)

Frank Feighan: The Government has the numbers to vote it through.

Seanad: National Development Plan: Statements. (30 May 2006)

Frank Feighan: We must address infrastructure. If there are dual carriageways and motorways throughout the country, there should be some in the west and north west. I appreciate the road to Galway has dual carriageways and motorways but the west about which I speak covers counties Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Donegal. Senator John Paul Phelan referred to expenditure on broadband infrastructure, of which there...

Seanad: National Development Plan: Statements. (30 May 2006)

Frank Feighan: I welcome the Minister and the opportunity to speak on progress on the National Development Plan 2000-2006. The Minister is from a county in the BMW region and it was welcome that his county used every resource at its disposal last Sunday to overcome a much stronger challenge from another county. I suppose it epitomised the challenges faced by the BMW region.

Seanad: National Development Plan: Statements. (30 May 2006)

Frank Feighan: I meant no offence to the Acting Chairman. We have welcomed major projects over the years. One must always welcome €1.5 billion being spent on national roads in the BMW region. I refer to projects such as the M1, the Dundalk western bypass, the N4 and the N5. There are many major road projects under consideration. However, there is one area in which I have some difficulty. There are dual...

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 May 2006)

Frank Feighan: I join Senators in expressing my shock at the outcome of the Mr. A case, which places young people at risk. We need leadership and unity to ensure that this loophole is plugged, which is what we intend to do. I call on the House to ensure that we have unity and leadership. I claimed a few months ago that a certain cabal within the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government...

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 May 2006)

Frank Feighan: What does one do when they have gone out of control? What does one do when the Minister refuses to do anything about it?