Results 5,421-5,440 of 6,020 for speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I join other Senators in commenting on the banking situation. I agree with many of the sentiments expressed on all sides of the House about the behaviour of the banks. However, I find one element quite perplexing, which is the role of the banks' public interest directors. On the one hand the banks' chief executives tell us that public interest directors' first responsibility is to the bank...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: Unless there is absolute clarity on the role of the public interest directors and the areas of public interest they are obliged to serve, their positions are untenable and they should resign. I call on all banks' public interest directors to consider their positions and resign because clearly they are not serving the public interest.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: Well said.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Regulation of Tobacco Industry (28 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. I feel very strongly about this issue. As in many other countries, smoking in Ireland is a serious public health issue and one that quite often does not attract the attention it deserves. Among the general public it certainly does not receive the respect it should, given the dangers it causes. In addition, the cost to the taxpayer arising...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Regulation of Tobacco Industry (28 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I thank the Minister of State for his response. Having said that, however, I believe that further regulation is necessary in the immediate term. Such regulation should cover: the sale of single-item tobacco products; the availability of packs of 20 and 23 cigarettes - there should be only one pack; banning cigarette companies from offering financial incentives to retail staff to promote...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I welcome the commitment from the Government that it will have decided on its option from the expert group report by Christmas. That is the type of timeline and clarity we need. Between this and then, I would appeal for cool heads on this issue to give the Minister and the Cabinet the time to make the correct recommendation and to go with the correct option. I request a debate on Shannon...

Seanad: National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy John Perry, to the House again. He is a frequent visitor and is always most welcome. I welcome the all-party support for this critical legislation for child protection. The people recently voted in favour of inserting the rights of children into the Constitution. This was ground breaking, necessary and important. It was an accurate and fair response...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I agree with Senator Darragh O'Brien regarding the leaking of this important report, for which we waited a long time. I appeared on local radio this morning with a colleague of Senator Darragh O'Brien and I was in full agreement with him on the appalling nature of the leaking of the report. I described it as treason to do that to our democracy. The most appropriate place to have debates on...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I, too, wish to comment on the meeting this morning between Oireachtas Members and members of VECs throughout the country, especially with regard to student grants from SUSI. At one time the third level grant applications process was overseen by the VECs and local authorities. In the months of the year when the pressure was on and applications had to be processed, staff were redeployed from...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister. This legislation is a significant step forward in dealing with the financial difficulties of many thousands of people. The programme for Government set out clearly that this issue needed to be addressed through legislative measures to ensure a fair and realistic deal could be procured on behalf of persons in financial difficulties, many of them have been suffering...

Seanad: Transport (Córas Iompair Éireann and Subsidiary Companies Borrowings) Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: It fluctuates.

Seanad: Transport (Córas Iompair Éireann and Subsidiary Companies Borrowings) Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: Indeed.

Seanad: Transport (Córas Iompair Éireann and Subsidiary Companies Borrowings) Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: Excellent.

Seanad: Transport (Córas Iompair Éireann and Subsidiary Companies Borrowings) Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: Correct.

Seanad: Transport (Córas Iompair Éireann and Subsidiary Companies Borrowings) Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I also welcome the Minister of State back to the Seanad. He gets quite an amount of cross-party support simply because he is doing a good job. He is dealing with a difficult, technical and problematical situation. In the past, CIE's hallmark has not been solution driven, but it must be so in future. I travel by public transport all the time. I travel to Dublin every week by train and I...

Seanad: Transport (Córas Iompair Éireann and Subsidiary Companies Borrowings) Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: It has improved out of all measure in the past year. I should add that one can also get the daily newspaper on the train, so things have improved. The elephant in the room, however, is that it is losing a substantial amount of money, so it has to become competitive. Some areas have improved, and well done to them, but there are significant areas where substantial improvement is required....

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: Like previous speakers, I am also concerned about reports to the effect that a doctor infected with hepatitis C continued to practise despite the fact that he had received a diagnosis. Doctors are supposed to make people well; they are not supposed to make them sick. I am extremely concerned with regard to what has emerged in this case. A report into this matter must be compiled as soon as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Operations: Discussion with An Garda Síochána (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Commissioner and congratulate him on his reappointment, which is a vindication of the work he has been doing. At the start of his presentation he referred to approximately 25 criminal gangs. Are they primarily based in Dublin or are they peppered throughout the country? There is considerable public discourse about the RTE drama series "Love Hate". Does the Commissioner...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Operations: Discussion with An Garda Síochána (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I have no doubt.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Operations: Discussion with An Garda Síochána (21 Nov 2012)

Martin Conway: I will put my question another way. Is it helpful for a programme to depict the reality and the level of violence? I am in two minds. It can be helpful in giving the general public an idea of what the Garda is dealing with.