Results 521-540 of 996 for speaker:John Gerard Hanafin

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: Why did they vote against it in Opposition?

Seanad: Hunger Task Force Report: Statements (7 Oct 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I share the sentiments expressed by Senator Butler. It is easy to make a speech and then forget about it, but he has rightly reminded us not to do so. I am conscious of our own history, which was brought back to us recently in the television programme "Who Do You Think You Are?" In that programme, Mr. Eddie Hobbs spoke about the situation in...

Seanad: Hunger Task Force Report: Statements (7 Oct 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: Moneys were filtered offshore and the people were left to pay the bill. Instead of producing food for themselves and their families, they must produce cash crops to repay the loans. This is another devastating travesty for those people. The beauty of the Irish aid is that it comes so naturally. From the outset, we understand it. What has happened to us is written in our DNA. It started...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: Will the Leader arrange a debate on the economy with a particular emphasis on FÁS, not with reference to the difficulties in FÁS but rather the benefits of the community employment schemes and the need to extend them, and on the subject of training and retraining? I am conscious of the ESRI report published today which indicates that unemployment will reach 8% over the next few years. In...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I commend the Minister on his speedy response and on the introduction of the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008. There has been significant praise throughout Europe for the efforts of the Minister. The proof is that there is a strong indication that net inflows into Irish banks are looking positive. Last year there were long queues outside Northern Rock, a UK bank, and it...

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (30 Sep 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I was proud of the manner in which Deputy Brian Lenihan acted so quickly as Minister for Finance to deal with what was an emerging major difficulty. This was not the first time he has done so. His first act as Minister was to ensure that the €100,000 limit was extended to all account holders with the Irish banks. His second act took place...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I also commend the Minister on his speedy and necessary response. I am reminded that this is not the first time governments have bailed out banks with debts that were regarded as toxic. During President Reagan's era there was a serious problem with the Savings and Loans in the United States. The matter turned around for the US Government when it took over the loan book and it eventually...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I accept it is not the American Government or the American army. However, the military machination in America is privatised and there are many far right groups there. I would like to know whether they subscribed to Libertas. It is a simple question that needs to be answered to ensure we all have a level playing field. I do not for a moment suggest it was the American Government or army....

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I understand that in any court case the evidential burden will shift when one side has been heard and the other has not. Unfortunately, an unethical procedure in this House saw Senator Regan passing on evidence from one side of a case as a fact. As a senior counsel, this would be unethical behaviour in his own profession and it is unethical in this House. Under no circumstances, when the...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: Withdraw it.

Seanad: Economic Policy: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. There is no doubt that international events have impacted on Ireland's economy, not least the high price of food, the fact that the prices of commodities have risen by up to 40%, and the rise in the price of oil, which is now $137 per barrel, despite a 12-month low of $58 per barrel. We have seen significant changes. The American economy is...

Seanad: Economic Policy: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: In view of the emphasis on food production at the G8 summit, I ask the Deputy Leader for a debate on genetic modification. Whatever opinions one has on genetic modification, there could surely be no basis for objecting to genetic modification of bio-fuel crops, which are used solely for energy purposes, including the provision of electricity. In light of the current world food crisis, in...

Seanad: OECD Report on Integrated Public Service Reform: Statements (2 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I again welcome the Minister of State to the House and am pleased to welcome the OECD report on integrated public service reform. It gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves of the role the public service has played in Ireland's development. We have one of the finest public services anywhere. It was only in the 1960s when Dr. T. K. Whitaker and Seán Lemass began a process of developing...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader to request that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources come to the House. Oil has now reached $142 per dollar. We are now hearing from the markets that speculators are not causing most of the problems, that there is shortage in light of the demands coming from China and India, that we are into a number of supercycles of demand for commodities from...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: It is the age of Fianna Fáil, the natural party of Government, and those on the other side should reflect on why they can never make it.

Seanad: Situation in Zimbabwe: Statements (Resumed) (1 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. The speakers preceding me have outlined in great detail the difficulties in Zimbabwe. The major difficulty we face is the question of how to deal with the issue. If one examines the embargo on Iraq and the people who benefited and suffered because of it, it is obvious we must be very careful in determining how we act as a global community....

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader for a debate on the economy at the earliest opportunity although not today. It is opportune for us to have a debate because there is a misconception as to what is happening. A slowdown is taking place. There will be negative growth this year by a very small percentage. However, we have already seen two such slowdowns in the past ten years and have managed them very well....

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: While I would be slow to suggest regulation, I ask the Leader to write to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food because a pressing need has arisen in respect of bio-fuels, requesting that the food part of the bio-fuel crop should be preserved and that the plant extract should be used for bio-fuel. Ireland produces absolute surpluses, as do other countries, such as America, where...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2008)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome a debate on the economy following the publication of the report by the Economic and Social Research Institute. I am mindful that in the past decade there have been two downturns, one following the bursting of the dotcom bubble and the other after the tragedy of 11 September 2001. Very quickly the economy managed to turn the situation around. The report indicates that within 18...