Results 661-680 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: Absolutely.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: It is not affordable.

Seanad: Economic Growth: Motion (28 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: I welcome the Minister to the House and wish her well in her portfolio. This motion has several parts to it and I agree with the first paragraph. I welcome the official figures, according to which there are now more than 2 million people employed for the first time since 2009. That is an annual increase of 56,000. The forecasts are that this increase is set to continue. My constituency...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: With respect, this is becoming a two-way conversation. There are other members who wish to contribute. The Deputy has had ample opportunity to ask the question. The Minister should be allowed to move on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: I welcome the Minister and her departmental officials. As this is my first time to attend this meeting, for information purposes, I ask if the names of the individuals on the front row could be displayed in front of them as, sadly, with the exception of one of them, I do not know to whom I am speaking. The Minister's comments in her opening remarks are particularly welcome. We have had a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: It would be useful if the Minister could arrange for her officials to provide us with more detail on this. I might write to the Minister seeking further detail. All industries require the infrastructure that the Minister mentioned, namely, roads and so on, but some require additional power, clean water and so on. It would be helpful for members, including me, to have information on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: Like Deputy Donnelly, I also am concerned about research. I am concerned about Science Foundation Ireland and that there has been a 12.2% reduction in capital expenditure, which the Minister has highlighted in her report. That is a problem; it is not all positive by any means. In this area we talk about those up-going arrows, which are wonderful to see and a tribute to the hard work of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: Before we move on, I wish to ask about the measurement of outcomes. Is the Department happy about the actual outcomes that are being measured?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: I thank the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: I echo Deputy's Donnelly's concern. Red tape is a huge issue. Regulation is terribly important but we cannot have a scenario where people feel intimidated by serial inspections and this must be guarded against. I would be grateful if the Minister addressed that and outlined what is being done in this regard to encourage self-starts and small entrepreneurs to set up business while, at the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 32 - Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (22 Sep 2016)

James Reilly: I thank the Minister for the information she gave. I highlight the point she made about the number of serious accidents and deaths occurring on farms and the need to support farmers and educate them on the dangers. It is particularly timely during the week of the ploughing championships. The difficulty for farmers is that these are their homes and children naturally treat them as their...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: I share Senator Craughwell's concerns over the distinction between a physiotherapist and a physical therapist. It is important that when doctors refer patients, they are referring them to people they know have the competence and training to deal with their problems. Patients get confused between the two.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: I am sure physical therapists also have something to offer but it is a different qualification. Senator O'Reilly spoke about student accommodation. This is a serious problem for students and adds quite a burden on them in terms of the expense. While we laud the fact that third level education is so much more accessible now, accommodation can be a blockage to people going to third level...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: It is difficult to understand the logic behind this when one of the purposes of the Seanad was to allow additional expertise and competences into the Oireachtas to inform and participate in debate. When I look around the Chamber, I find it unbelievable that people with expertise such as Senator Black, in the area of addiction; Senator Kelleher, in the Alzheimer Society of Ireland; Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: And many others besides. The bottom line here is that there are 60 Members in this Chamber who have something to contribute. I know we cannot all be on the committee, which is fair enough, but an arrangement needs to be put in place to deal with this.I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange a meeting with the Minister to resolve this issue before the return of the House after the break. If it is...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: I commend Senator Lawless on his maiden speech. I will defend the right of every person in the Chamber to speak, be it scripted or unscripted. Most right-minded Senators would agree with that. I understand Senator Ó Ríordáin's concerns for the longer term and agree with him on the area-based childhood, ABC, school programmes. Early intervention is important. The early...

Seanad: Action Plan for Housing: Statements (20 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: I welcome the Minister and I also welcome the plan. As others have said, it shows real commitment by the Government and real leadership by the Minister in addressing this issue. It is an ambitious plan, with an annual level of residential construction of 25,000 homes and the delivery of 47,000 social housing units in the period to 2021 while, at the same time, making the best use of...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: I welcome the news we will have coding classes in primary schools. It is a very progressive. There is also a proposal in the programme for Government for an ICT course to be on the leaving certificate curriculum. Plans are afoot to develop a coding curriculum and I call for this to be expedited. Already St. Joseph's secondary school in Rush has a coding class. Although it is not on any...

Seanad: Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Motion (19 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: I welcome the Minister. I also welcome the motion and commend Senator Ray Butler for tabling it and Senator Joe O'Reilly for seconding it. Everybody who has spoken so far has acknowledged that self-employed persons are often entrepreneurs. They are risk takers and innovators. As Senator Ray Butler stated, they are also the backbone of the economy and communities. They create wealth and...

Seanad: Citizens' Assembly: Motion (15 Jul 2016)

James Reilly: I am sure those who have been mentioned in a positive light will not object. I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and I welcome this resolution. When I spoke on this matter last year, I did not ask for this specific approach to be taken, but I did call for a forum to be established to allow people to discuss a sensitive issue that has divided this country for decades. People need to be...