Results 521-540 of 1,451 for speaker:Michael Finucane

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: I support Senator Ryan's statement on work permits. I welcome the fact that legislation has been announced by the Minister because it is timely to introduce changes in this regard. What has happened in Eyre Square in Galway is regrettable, the impact of which has been felt mainly by 30 Polish workers who were not aware that the project was closing down. What will happen to these workers? The...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: That certainly was a party political offering from Senator Leyden. The commission has a difficult job and must abide by certain parameters in regard to the optimal population per Dáil seat. The commission members try to do this job as best they can. It is worth bearing in mind that some constituencies are still significantly under-represented with a variation as high as -7.5% in one. In some...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: He is managing fine.

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (22 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: It is nice to see the Minister of State again. I was not allowed to raise this issue on the Adjournment yesterday but I believe there has been some good news on it. I will not say I was the catalyst for it as a result of raising it yesterday as I believe it was in the public capital programme. I am pleased there has been some positive news because I have consistently raised this issue. I...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (22 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: The original proposal was for a ten-bedroom unit which was modified to a 12-bedroom unit by the project team. I understand from the announcement that it has probably been scaled back to an eight-bedroom unit. The projected funding in 2002 was €1.7 million but it may have increased given the lapse of time. Although money for the unit would be provided through the public capital programme, I...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (22 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: Can the Minister of State give an indication as to the amount of funding that will be provided?

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (22 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: Will it be an eight-bedroom unit rather than the original 12 bedroom unit?

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme. (22 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: The Minister of State has probably got that information in his supplementary response and he can let me have it.

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: I support Senator Ó Murchú and compliment him on his tenacity on the issue. We all received documentation on the issue recently and it made for grim reading about the British system of justice. We recently attended a meeting with a deputation from the Catholic church that does tremendous work with prisoners abroad. It expressed to us the inadequacy of the assistance it is getting from the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: Politicians should be extremely concerned about an article that appeared in one of the Sunday newspapers that claimed that up to 800,000 polling cards were issued which were surplus to requirement. We should all recognise that the present system concerning local government administration and its approach to electoral registers has failed. Any Senator who checks the register in his or her own...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: My party is concerned about No. 2 on the basis it was not originally scheduled to be taken before the Air Navigation and Transport (Indemnities) Bill and our justice spokesperson has not had an opportunity to research the motion. Will the Leader consider taking the Bill first to give our spokesperson an opportunity to conduct some research into the motion? Yesterday reference was made to the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: It is more than seven years since the Good Friday Agreement. There have been many false dawns together with much frustration and fudging. David Trimble's political career is over and support for the SDLP has eroded while Sinn Féin's support has increased. The marching season is about to commence. I wish the Taoiseach good luck in London later where he will meet the DUP. He is focused on...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: When is it proposed to sit again?

Seanad: Water and Sewerage Schemes. (14 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: When I spoke on the Adjournment on 25 May last about the delays in the Kilmallock sewerage scheme, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government responded by saying he has "always been impatient of excessive bureaucracy and paper shifting". He indicated that funding is being provided "for more than 20 locations throughout County Limerick, where planning of new infrastructure...

Seanad: Water and Sewerage Schemes. (14 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: At least the Leader is consistent.

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: I support Senator O'Toole's call for a debate on the findings of the commission on alcohol. The commission did not report exclusively on café bars. There are many other components to its proposals and it would be worthwhile to debate them. I am glad the Minister has dropped the café bar proposal. The Fine Gael parliamentary party opposed it not just on the basis of vintners' representations...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs. (2 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: While I am disappointed the Minister for Education and Science is not in attendance, I respect the fact that the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, is here. He will have an appreciation of the matter I intend to raise. The Minister of State is well aware of the very active boards of action management group in County Limerick. The group was formed in...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs. (2 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: Does the Minister of State have anything to say about the children who had to wait so long for psychological assessment by the Department of Education and Science? There appears to be a freeze in regard to one-to-one tuition that should be provided for these pupils with special needs. Many of these pupils are losing 15% of their educational potential because this resource is not being...

Seanad: Disability Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (2 Jun 2005)

Michael Finucane: I would like to share time with Senator Coonan.