Results 5,781-5,800 of 7,765 for speaker:Maurice Cummins

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Maurice Cummins: The Health Service Executive is rolling out its service plans throughout the country at present. This is really Hanly by the back door. That is what they are introducing.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Maurice Cummins: In a city the size of Waterford, we only have 72 long-stay beds for the elderly. This covers south Kilkenny and part of south Tipperary. There is a proposal, as has been stated, to take 19 beds and close St. Brigid's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital, which is ludicrous. There are proposals for a 50-bed unit to be built on the site. This has been a priority for the past ten years, and the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Maurice Cummins: We are not prepared to accept lectures on responsibility at this time. What is being shown on the other side is far from responsibility. Even yesterday the Taoiseach refused to brief the leader of the Opposition on what was going on. That side is now looking for co-operation. It is an absolute disgrace. People should know the Government is doing things its own way, as it has done for the...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Maurice Cummins: I commend the motion so ably and passionately proposed by Senator Norris, as it is necessary. I also commend him on using a Private Members' motion to raise concerns about human rights and the decimation of a number of agencies that deal with them and equality. In December 1948, the United Nations adopted one of the most profound documents in the history of humanity, namely, the Universal...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2009)

Maurice Cummins: Last week I raised the underfunding and insolvency of some private pension funds, with particular reference to Waterford Crystal. Little did I know the receiver would go in a couple of days afterwards, close the doors and sack 600 people without any prior consultation with the workers or their union. Negotiations are going on with two companies, Clarion and KPS, about purchasing the...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2009)

Maurice Cummins: Businesses, and the tourism industry in particular, will suffer severely if anything happens to that visitor centre. The resolution to that cannot be found until the pensions situation is rectified, and it must be rectified. Yesterday I spoke to a man who had worked in the company and paid his contributions for 44 years, and has been told he will not get a penny of a pension. That is wrong.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2009)

Maurice Cummins: That would not happen in a banana republic. Something will have to be done. There will have to be some inquiry to find out what went wrong with those pension funds and how it can be rectified. Anybody working and paying into a pension fund for so long is entitled to some pension. That should not be tolerated. The national pension fund is being raided to bail out the banks and we cannot...

Seanad: Economic Issues: Motion (28 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: Senator MacSharry referred at the end of his speech to being positive but earlier he mentioned entering a great depression. In the Great Depression in the United States, 25% of people were unemployed. Is he suggesting that this is what the people of Ireland can expect from this Government's policies? It does not give much hope to people. I commend the motion so ably proposed and seconded...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: Last evening the House was to discuss the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2009 but at the last minute the Bill was withdrawn. The Leader explained that there was a technical reason for its withdrawal and that he would inform the House this morning about the nature of the problem. I note the Minister appointed two Green Party councillors when he was precluded from doing so in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: They need their own television channel.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second and Subsequent Stages (28 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: I welcome the Minister of State. As we accept that the errors made must be rectified, we will support the legislation. It is important to note that we are rectifying mistakes. I wonder what is wrong with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, and his Department in terms of their ability to assess legislation. That is what we are talking about....

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second and Subsequent Stages (28 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: My party will support the Senator if he wishes to change the position.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: Or to get a decision out of the Taoiseach.

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (27 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: I listened to the Taoiseach speaking on the Order of Business in the Dáil today. I could not believe the arrogance he displayed at a time when he is asking for the co-operation of the Opposition and all sides on the economy. The best he could come up was to ask the Opposition to state their ideas. We have been giving him our ideas for the past six or seven years and more and not one of...

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (27 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (27 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: You will have to say it anyway.

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (27 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: As it is now 7.30 p.m., I must ask the Minister of State to conclude.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (27 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: We were only with the Leader and the Minister approximately four minutes ago. What happened in the past four minutes that this Bill will not be introduced in the House tonight? Are there other difficulties? Did it not pass through the other House? What is the reason for the delay? I have no problem if it is to correct mistakes in the Bill. Will the Leader confirm that we are adjourning...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (27 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: I accept fully what the Leader stated. It is better to get the legislation right. There were two mistakes already which caused us to come into the House this evening to rectify them.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jan 2009)

Maurice Cummins: Pension funds in many companies throughout the country are either insolvent or seriously underfunded. In my own city, Waterford Crystal is in a precarious position. Workers who have paid their pension contributions for 20 and 30 years are being told there is not a penny for them at the end of that time. That is a disgrace. It is criminal that pension funds should be allowed go in such...