Results 581-600 of 3,241 for speaker:Brian Ó Domhnaill

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Dec 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: What?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Dec 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I want to react to what the Minister of State has said. I welcome where she is coming from and appreciate that she has come in here with a response. I also appreciate where the returning officers are coming from. Unfortunately, returning officers are given leeway in legislation to allow them five days to ask for a change of polling day. The returning officer acts on behalf of the State....

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Dec 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I would argue that they are for the following reason. What if the general election is held on a Friday? The last election was held on Friday, 25 February. The electorate could have voted on the previous Monday. What if major issues relating to a political party arise on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday? The good or bad news could influence the outcome of that election.On that Monday...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Dec 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I cannot accept the Minister of State's last comment. In saying that, I am not having a go at her. She should ask some of my colleagues in the other House, who represent constituencies where island voters live, about this. There is no basis to indicate, nor is it a scientific fact, that island voters prefer to vote early. That is not the case. Research has not been conducted by the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Dec 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Yes.

Seanad: Education (Welfare) (Amendment) Bill: Second Stage (11 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I thank the Labour Party Senators for introducing this Private Members' Bill. Fianna Fáil will be supporting its passage through the Houses but will be tabling amendments to it on Committee Stage. There is merit in this legislation in the context of the many issues currently affecting our young people. Countries across the developed world are increasing the age in respect of which...

Seanad: Education (Welfare) (Amendment) Bill: Second Stage (11 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: The career guidance offered at the time certainly did not include politics, but my point is the provision of career guidance must also be considered. If kids are to be kept in school for longer, they should be given the proper career guidance they require. While there is much more I could say about this issue, this is a good Private Members' Bill that should see the light of day. All...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Yesterday a number of Members raised the issue of decisions taken by the Bank of Ireland. It has rowed back somewhat but in a meaningless way by identifying vulnerable customers and it has not rowed back on its decision to go cashless. Yesterday evening the Consumers Association of Ireland identified four retail banks that will follow suit. Such a move will have a major impact on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I support my colleague, Senator Mooney, on the important issue he raised. I was in the Chamber for the Commencement debate yesterday and heard the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, responding to the matter raised by the Senator. To put it mildly, the Minister was very flippant in his response to the Senator and to an adjoining matter I raised concerning the health sector. That arrogance and...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Eventually, we will be in a situation where elderly people who have small sums of money to deposit will have to keep that money in their own houses, which will encourage more burglaries. This problem relates not only to banking but also raises other societal issues. The culture of banking is changing, as Senator MacSharry noted, and is not being challenged or supported by the regulator....

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I welcome the Minister. I apologise for being a little late; I had another engagement. I concur with my colleague Senator Burke in welcoming this legislation. It is something that all general practitioners across the State will welcome because it will give them a certain level of protection. We have to recognise the Trojan work being done by GPs throughout the country, east to west and...

Seanad: National Mortgage and Housing Corporation Bill 2015: Second Stage (4 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: This is an important debate and I agree with everything that Senator Hayden said on this issue. This is the cutting-edge issue of our time. The debate has been initiated here this evening by Senator Barrett's excellent work. I attended the briefing session this morning and some of the statistics which were brought forward would in themselves suggest that something needs to be done urgently...

Seanad: National Mortgage and Housing Corporation Bill 2015: Second Stage (4 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Well done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Industry: Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (3 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I welcome the representatives here today to speak to a key issue facing the dairy sector and the 18,000 farmers, as the witnesses noted. There are two big issues. The first is what multinationals are paying for milk, and on the other side we have the international commodity markets. It is very difficult to deal with both. We can take Tesco Ireland as an example. Its financial statements...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Industry: Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (3 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Is this within the dairy sector or throughout agriculture?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Industry: Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (3 Nov 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: The rates are quite competitive but the interest is €80 million. If the rates are competitive, and I know some of the banks charge up to 10% for borrowings, perhaps there is a need for State intervention or a mechanism for lending to agriculture given its importance and Food Harvest 2020. Is there a need to look at this if the banks do not provide value for borrowing costs? I am not...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator John Crown to have the Seanad Reform Bill taken today. It is reforming legislation aimed at political reform and it should at least be debated in this House. We should all be afforded the opportunity to debate its merits or otherwise. There was a very good briefing this morning on the persecution of Christians in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Interns.