Results 721-740 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Order Of Business (12 Jun 2014)

Jim Walsh: Yes. I support the debate that has been called for. I will conclude on this point. In my opinion, it undermines the make-up of our Seanad. It highlights something I have argued for some time, that an in-built artificial Government majority in this particular House is unnecessary and certainly unhelpful for our democratic process. The sooner the 11 Taoiseach's nominations are abolished...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Situation in South Sudan: Concern, GOAL and Oxfam (11 Jun 2014)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the delegates and apologise for having to leave the meeting to attend a debate and vote in the Seanad. I was hoping to have an opportunity to speak to them in private on a matter about which I am concerned.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Situation in South Sudan: Concern, GOAL and Oxfam (11 Jun 2014)

Jim Walsh: Thank you, Chairman. Some of the other questions I intended to ask may already have been asked by colleagues. What do the delegates see as the likelihood of the situation in South Sudan rectifying itself and being brought under control? Will the delegates indicate how many staff their organisations have working in the country?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Situation in South Sudan: Concern, GOAL and Oxfam (11 Jun 2014)

Jim Walsh: That is fine, Chairman. I can speak to colleagues about what has transpired.

Seanad: Johnstown Castle Agricultural College (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Minister to the House. I am very happy to support the Bill that he has brought before us. Johnstown Castle is an amenity in our area and as the Minister pointed out the community has enjoyed this amenity for many decades. It also has been an amenity in the Wexford area as far back as the invasion of the Normans in 1169. It also has a connection with history during the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: We do not want our hospitals closed.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: We did not close any maternity hospitals.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: It is all obfuscation.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: It is not false information.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: We did not take the medical card off people.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: I agree with Senator Terry Brennan that there has been a lot of muscle-flexing by unions with regard to strikes. It is a pity that the very precarious position of the economy and the slim chance of recovery is being put at risk because of people trying to extract more from what is not there. Trade unions should be thinking about the people who are unemployed. Without the job creation that...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: I ask that the Minister would come into the House to clarify such comments. If it is the case that these reports were carried out by the hospital groups and are politically motivated, that raises serious questions about the capacity of the CEO of the HSE. There are already questions hanging over him and the Minister. I ask the Minister to come to the House to clarify the position. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: Surely that confirms everything that Senator MacSharry has been saying in this House over the last few weeks. The Minister started by dismissing it and then went on to confirm it. That is not the way for a Minister to act. The parties opposite did so poorly in the recent election because the people do not trust what they are saying to them. We need transparency, straight talking and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Situation in Nigeria: Ambassador of Nigeria (28 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: The issue of Boko Haram came up on the doorstep of a Nigerian national in New Ross during canvassing for the recent elections. Mr. Pwol mentioned the availability of arms to Boko Haram. Has Nigeria ratified the arms trade treaty which went through the UN last summer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Situation in Nigeria: Ambassador of Nigeria (28 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: I thank the ambassador for coming to share his insights with us on this matter. Obviously, all of our minds have been concentrated on the abduction of those unfortunate girls and, of course, we would wish that everything possible be done in order to get their safe release. It is something of a reflection on the UN and the Western media that the huge focus has only now arisen on this issue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Situation in Nigeria: Ambassador of Nigeria (28 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: Excuse me. Have the perpetrators of the murder of Mohammed Yusuf been brought to justice? It would appear the police were involved in that, given that he was in custody. Such issues breed the kind of radicalism we have seen arising-----

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: He was ranting.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: I second Senator Leyden's amendment, although I am surprised at his optimism if he expects the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, to come to the House and know what is going on in Roscommon or any part of the HSE or health services. That has become evident to everybody, including those in his own party, at this stage. I concur with Senator Bacik's comments about the Tánaiste, as he...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: I refer to the report on maternity services. I read it thanks to Senator Marc MacSharry making it available to me. While it deals with the western and north-western region, the principles that underpin it refer to units with fewer than 2,500 births.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2014)

Jim Walsh: It is looking for rationalisation of the maternity hospitals in the north west. That is clear from the report. By extension, this feeds into a national survey of maternity hospitals and my concern is our local hospital in Wexford. Over the years, there has been tremendous investment and it has a very good maternity unit. There have been discussions in the past and the unit was under...