Results 5,761-5,780 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Ba breá liomsa freisin fáilte a chur roimh an Aire and fáilte a chur roimh ár n-aíonna. I wish to be associated with the welcome to our distinguished guests because it is always a very good sign when members of the public and people who have thought a lot and contributed a lot to public debate on issues are present when matters such as these are debated in the House. However, I hope to...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Go raibh maith agat. I think this Bill aspirates where it should not and fails to aspirate where it should. The big missed opportunity-----

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: The following text is of interest: Do I feel bad about living on benefits? Certainly! I don't want to live at the Government's cost, which is why I treat this help as an opportunity to start my own business." This is an accurate report of comments made by a lady called Magda, who we all heard about yesterday. It appears an article in a Polish newspaper was seriously misrepresented in one...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Incidents like this one contribute to a lack of trust in the important institution that is our media. There is a crisis in many of our institutions. We should reflect on the need not to knock our institutions but to build them up through constructive criticism. In light of this latest event, I would welcome that debate on media standards in this House. It is useful to note also a very...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I am asking the Leader and the deputy leader whether they agree with me. I have written to Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who is Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on Education and Skills, and I have had a courteous response from him. He says he agrees with the report, which surprises me, although he disagrees with that statement. He makes the excuse that the statement is ironic. At one...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: This is a serious issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Ceist an-láidir í seo. Baineann sé leis an leas poiblí agus leis an dearcadh atá ag daoine i leith ghrúpaí éagsúla inár sochaí. This is about the attitude to different groups of people in our society.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I did not hear what Senator Keane said. This is about attitudes to different groups and sectors in our society. Political parties, like the media, need to show responsibility in their public utterances. That is why this is a relevant issue which I bring before the House this morning.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Yesterday, I stated it would be a good idea for the Attorney General to give her opinion sooner rather than later, but it would not necessarily decide the issue. All we know from the revelation by the unnamed official is that our European partners ensured that nothing they required would force us to have a referendum. This leaves the question open as to whether the provisions of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I had not noticed it.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: One question is whether the provisions of our Constitution require a referendum to permit participation in such a treaty. There is another argument for holding a referendum, namely, democratic legitimacy. This morning, the Technical Group in the Lower House indicated its intention to avail of Article 27 of Bunreacht na hÉireann if the Government did not seek to proceed via referendum....

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Yes. The Technical Group is to be commended for claiming it will seek to the have issue put to the people regardless. I can support the idea. I will reserve my position on the treaty until I have had a chance to consider it, but it should be possible for people to favour a referendum and a "Yes" vote. I will support the Technical Group's petition should it come to this House and I...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I will not take up too much time because we have already had this debate. Although it seems to be very stark and the reverse of joined up thinking I accept the Minister's bona fides in this matter and I believe in the need for good administration. However,it looks too much like the Department of Education and Skills washing its hands of responsibility. Sometimes one must keep a hand in,...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I listened with great interest to the Minister and to my colleagues. To some degree, we are already engaged in a debate that relates to several of the amendments I have tabled. The Minister is talking a very good talk about patrons being flexible and teachers not being so dogmatic as to refuse to be deployed from a panel into a school which may or may not be their first choice. The word to...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I move amendment No. 9: In page 5, line 43, to delete "Minister," and substitute the following: "Minister after consultation with and with the agreement of bodies representative of patrons, recognised school management organisations and any recognised trade union or staff association representing teachers, or other staff as appropriate and". All of these issues are related but essentially, we...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: That was a misunderstanding. I was referring to trusteeship bodies.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I thank the Minister for his response which was very thoughtful and informative, if I may say so, and I am grateful for it. It is not that late so I do not have that excuse for saying I did not quite follow one objection the Minister raised with regard to the wording of section 24(10) relating to suspension or dismissal. We are clear that what we propose does not draw in the requirement for...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I move amendment No. 12: In page 6, to delete lines 7 to 34. We are back to the discussion on the issue of redeployment, the concept of which is not defined legally in the Bill or elsewhere. A lack of precision in legislative drafting will only set the stage for future disputes and possible judicial reviews, resulting in further costs to the taxpayer. The word "redeployment" is used by the...

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Yes.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 Jan 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Yes, this is an amendment about redeployment.