Results 621-640 of 1,799 for speaker:Luke Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Prospecting Licences (19 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: 397. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 465 of 19 February 2013 if he will confirm to which specific work programmes proposed he was referring; if he will also confirm what was so unique about the nature of these work programmes which precluded him from granting petroleum prospecting licences to the onshore licensing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Prospecting Licences (19 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: 398. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the fact that companies (details supplied) have been granted onshore licensing options since 1 March, 2011 the reason he has not issued failure notices to the companies to hold a petroleum prospecting licence; the reason his Department has not recovered the appropriate penalties from the companies concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Prospecting Licences (19 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: 400. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of his decision not to award onshore petroleum prospecting licences due to the failure by companies (details supplied) to comply with the work programmes as set out by his Department and that the companies having vacated their position, if he will confirm that until the licensing options are put out to tender...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Prospecting Licences (19 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: 401. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parlimentary Questions Nos. 463, 464 and 465 of 2 February 2013, in view of the fact that there is a requirement on the part of companies (details supplied) to hold a petroleum prospecting licence during the full period of a licensing option under the licensing terms 2007(13b), if he will explain, following...

Local Government Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: To add to what Deputy Wallace said, when they are screwing us I can guarantee the Minister that they will not be wearing any protection. We have fought for centuries to get independence and since we got independence we seem to want to do nothing else but give it back. It is easy to understand why it took us so long to get it in the first place, given that since we have got it we appear not...

Local Government Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: Hear, hear.

Report of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications: Motion (8 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: And there is no one in the Chamber for it.

Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) (Repeal) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: What about Deputy Stagg?

Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) (Repeal) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: That must be going on here.

Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) (Repeal) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: I congratulate Deputy Brian Stanley on bringing forward this very important Bill which I will support. Having listened to the Deputy and read about the so-called expert group on fluoridation, I am reminded of a comic from the 1980s and 1990s called Viz. Every now and then it would carry an advertisement showing a child with a stick of lard in his mouth with the caption "Lard is good for...

Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) (Repeal) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: A policy document stated: "Fine Gael believes there are sufficient grounds to point to serious health risks from cumulative amounts of fluoride in our piped water supply system". It stated there were deep environmental concerns about the current programme of fluoridation of the country's water supplies aimed at reducing tooth decay. I wonder what has changed. At the time less than 2% of...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: We are told cannabis causes psychosis and schizophrenia. This new argument was produced when all other arguments had been beaten. It is the latest version of what could be described as the "reefer madness" argument. In 2009 a study led by Dr. Martin Frischer of Keele University - perhaps he might be invited before the committee - examined the records of 600,000 patients aged between 16 and...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: What happened during the period in question? Researchers found no increase in the diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders and some of the data even suggested the incidence of these conditions had decreased during the period. In the past two weeks the director of Schizophrenia Ireland, Mr. John Saunders, stated cannabis use did not cause schizophrenia but that he would advise...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: I am disappointed that the line Minister with direct responsibility for this issue could not be present. He criticised me for not dealing with the health effects of cannabis use. I am sure he is aware that my speech on this motion is broken into two parts and that I will be delivering the second part - in which I will discuss the issue to which he referred - now. Sadly, the line Minister...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: Yes, but he criticised me for not dealing with the health effects of using cannabis and now he is not present to hear what I have to say. Those are the facts. The first thing I want to do is to thank Deputy Dowds and, in particular, Deputy Paul Connaughton, for making what was the bravest statement I have yet heard in respect of this issue. I am in a position to put the motion before the...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: Another issue that arises is that, apparently, cannabis blocks up the lungs. If the latter is the case and if smoking cannabis causes lung problems, then perhaps people should use another method of ingestion. Calling for a ban on it on that basis is similar to requesting a ban on spuds. If one chops potatoes up into chips and cooks them, they become unhealthy. The problem is not the...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: The brain damage argument is based on what is termed the Dr. Heath/Tulane study. As part of this study, rhesus monkeys were strapped into chairs, had gas masks placed over their faces and were given the equivalent of 63 Colombian-strength joints in five minutes, losing no smoke. That one always gets a laugh. After smoking this cannabis, the monkeys ended up with brain damage. What the...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: Deputy Eric Byrne has changed his tune since he begged me for a vote in the Seanad.

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: Might I have a bit of order, please? In a subsequent study of 1,318 people carried out over a 15-year period at the highly reputable Johns Hopkins University - the Minister will be familiar with it - in Baltimore, researchers reported no significant differences in cognitive decline between heavy users, light users and non-users of cannabis. This was Johns Hopkins University and not the...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Luke Flanagan: The myth that cannabis is a gateway drug is the one that never seems to go away. We will work on that now.