Results 681-700 of 3,241 for speaker:Brian Ó Domhnaill

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: -----from the points of view of health and safety, child protection, education policy, etc. We are talking about only five schools that are being left behind. For example, Scoil Náisiúnta Inis Meáin has nine pupils enrolled for September. Half of the pupils speak fluent Irish, but one pupil, who is from Belarus, speaks very little English and some of the other pupils speak...

Seanad: Seanad Public Consultation Committee Report on Farm Safety: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I welcome the Minister. More important, I commend my colleague, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Denis O'Donovan, and his team of colleagues who compiled the report. They spent many hours engaged in public consultation and in assessing all the submissions made and considering this important issue of farm safety. Some 30 people lost their lives on farms in 2014 which, as Senator Denis Landy...

Seanad: Seanad Public Consultation Committee Report on Farm Safety: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Can I mention the essential secretarial and support work given by Martin Groves to the committee?

Seanad: Seanad Public Consultation Committee Report on Farm Safety: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I would also like to mention Senator Conway, who acted as rapporteur to the committee. I congratulate the committee on the report, which is an excellent piece of work. Reports like this are often forgotten unless they are taken by the scruff of the neck by a Minister. As the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is very proactive, I am sure he will implement at least some of these recommendations.

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Like others, I am delighted to have an opportunity to raise this issue. My colleague, Senator Mary White, has been pivotal in raising the matter on the Order of Business day after day in the Chamber. She set up a campaign and championed the issue, and she will contribute to the debate in a few moments. I have listened to the Government try to defend this during the debate, and to be honest...

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Many of them come from lone parent families. This represents approximately the population of the five seat constituency in Donegal. In the Republic, the number of children living in consistent poverty is the same as the population of the constituency of Donegal. This is a shame. I am not throwing political snowballs across the room, but all of us collectively need to stamp it out. One...

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: That is an outrage. We have to decide where we spend our money, how we spend our money and how we spend the taxpayer's money. We have to decide whether we want to bring in policy decisions on spending that are going to bring about massive cuts to lone parent payments. I will give an example of the impact of the loss of the one-parent family allowance on a family unit of one parent and one...

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Even at this late stage, I appeal to the Minister of State, Deputy Humphreys, to do something about this. It is not right. It is just wrong. The money can be found somewhere else. There is wastage and there are inefficiencies in the Department of Social Protection that could be addressed.

Seanad: One-Parent Family Payment: Motion (15 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Buzz Lightyear.

Seanad: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit anseo tráthnóna fosta. I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this legislation which deals, in particular, with housing provision. I listened to what he had to say and I have read the legislation. I agree that the Bill does some of what is required but in my view this is a mere drop in the ocean in the overall scheme of...

Seanad: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: In France, 25% of social housing is provided through the private sector. In Belgium, that figure is 20%. In Spain, it is 30%. We are reducing it to 10% from 20%. We are going from four or fewer units to nine or fewer units. We are benefiting one group of people, namely, developers. We need them to build houses, but not at the expense of the taxpayer because of poor public policy. The...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Sheepmeat Sector (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I welcome the Minister of State to the House for a debate about the sheep sector which is one of our domestic agricultural sectors. This sector is of vital significance to many parts of rural Ireland. In her brief as Minister of State with responsibility for rural development and rural affairs, she will be very aware of the sheep sector's importance in many rural parts of the country where...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Sheepmeat Sector (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I thank the Minister of State for her reply and I appreciate that prices are fluctuating but the reality is that the costs are much higher this year compared to last year and prices have dipped. In my neck of the woods in the north west region, prices are significantly below the figures for this time last year. The fluctuations appear shallower than is actually the case because the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I agree with Senator Conway's point about the need for a debate on the EU, the euro and where we are at the moment as the fallout in Greece continues. The future of the European project is very much in doubt, especially in light of the role the euro has played in the debt crisis in Ireland and other countries in Europe. We see the weakness of the euro project in Greece. We saw it in...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Cuirim m'urraim leis an méid atá ráite ag go leor de mo chuid chomhghleacaithe i dtaca leis an mBille seo. Is dócha an chéad rud ná fáilte a chur roimh an Minister of State to the House again today. This Bill started out as one which everybody would probably have welcomed. It was making general alterations to environmental legislation and providing for...

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: We know what is going to happen with the sunset clause. If the people on the Government side of the House were honest about it, they would say they know exactly what is going to happen. If those in Fine Gael and the Labour Party are in opposition in a few years time, they may be criticising Sinn Féin, the Independents or Fianna Fáil - whoever is in Government - if the charges are...

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: Crazy.

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: On a point of clarification-----

Seanad: Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Jul 2015)

Brian Ó Domhnaill: I did not want to interrupt Senator Mulcahy-----