Results 61-80 of 93 for speaker:Cathal Byrne

Seanad: Europe Day 2025: Statements (1 May 2025)

Cathal Byrne: As this is my first interaction with the Minister of State in the House, I wish him the best of luck in his role for the term ahead. I wish to address Ireland's upcoming EU Presidency and the opportunities it brings for Ireland. Specifically, I want to speak about three key areas, the first of which is the further integration of banking across the EU. It should not be the case that an...

Seanad: Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Bill 2024: Second Stage (30 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I will start my first engagement with the Minister of State by wishing him the very best of luck in his role. I sincerely hope he succeeds in his endeavours. I rise to support the Bill on behalf of my good friend and colleague, Senator Joe O'Reilly, who unfortunately cannot be here today. I am from a rural part of County Wexford. There is an opportunity underpinning this Bill to help to...

Seanad: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (10 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: Now.

Seanad: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (10 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I congratulate the Minister of State on the successful shepherding of this legislation through the Oireachtas. It is important to pick up on one of the points the Minister of State mentioned relating to the public. This service is a free service and it is important to stress that there is no levy or charge. This is a free service provided to make protection a key priority for financial...

Seanad: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (10 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: It is proposed to sit again at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 29 April.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Education (9 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to discuss this important Commencement matter. The reason I have raised the issue is the most recent census showed that in my county of Wexford, the proportion of people going to third level is 37%, which is 8% below the national average of 45%. Wexford has the fourth lowest level of third level education of all counties. The South...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Education (9 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for confirming that specific funding has been set aside within the Department's budget towards the cost of the site. I recently met Professor Veronica Campbell, the president of the SETU, along with my colleague, Councillor Robbie Staples. I commend the great work taking place on the current Wexford campus of SETU at St. Peter's College and the work being done...

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (9 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for accepting my invitation to visit Enniscorthy in the not too distant future to address the long-standing flooding issues that we have had in the town. I look forward to working with him in my role as Fine Gael's Seanad spokesperson on public expenditure and infrastructure. I want to highlight the sheer devastation I have witnessed, and I am sure the Minister...

Seanad: Prohibition of Advertising or Importuning Sex for Rent Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I thank Senators Harmon, Cosgrove, Noonan and Stephenson for introducing this Bill in the House today and commend them on doing so. It is safe to say I can speak for everybody in this Chamber in saying that anybody who chooses to perpetrate the practice of, or promote, sex for rent is abhorrent. It is completely and utterly against what good, decent Irish people stand for. It is only right...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I want to highlight the ongoing water outages on Whiterock Hill in Wexford town. My office was inundated again this morning with phone calls when the local crèche in that area of Wexford town was forced to close. This is the eighth outage Whiterock Hill has experienced since the beginning of 2025, which means that in the 13 weeks to date in 2025, the water has disappeared and the taps...

Seanad: Disability Services: Statements (8 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I thank the Minister of State, welcome her to the Chamber, congratulate her on her appointment and recognise the work she and her officials did with me on highlighting the need for more speech and language therapists in the town of New Ross. That is appreciated and it is hoped we will have further good news in that area shortly. I highlight again what has been highlighted already, which...

Seanad: Disability Services: Statements (8 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Childcare: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber and acknowledge the presence of Councillor Paddy Meade from Meath, who has joined us. I begin by highlighting the need for greater State involvement in the childcare sector. As somebody from Wexford, I am contacted every week by parents who highlight to me the fact that in many areas of Wexford, be it urban areas like Wexford town,...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: The Minister is most welcome to the Chamber today. We are both from the same town and it is a source of great pride in the town that he has been elevated to the Cabinet as Minister for housing. I know the Minister's family and know how proud his parents are of his role. There is a great tradition of public service in his family, with his grand-uncle, his father and now himself representing...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I want to raise the ongoing review of the national development plan, of which the House is aware, and specifically the Rosslare to Dublin Connolly rail route. At present there are seven services each day on the rail route, travelling from the port of Rosslare through Wexford town, Enniscorthy, on to Gorey and onwards to Dublin Connolly through Wicklow.I wish to specifically highlight the...

Seanad: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (1 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I speak in support of this amendment to the principal Act. It is important where a member of the public has experienced and been a victim of financial wrongdoing, the mis-selling of financial products or financial fraud at the behest of somebody who is regulated under the provisions of this Act, that there be the opportunity for an individual complainant or two complainants, whatever the...

Seanad: Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (1 Apr 2025)

Cathal Byrne: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Mar 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I raise the issue of roads funding for my county of Wexford. It was confirmed in the budget that Wexford would receive an allocation of approximately €23 million, including €12 million for restoration and improvement, €1.5 million for maintenance and €520,000 for safety improvement measures. I appreciate we had a debate on road safety matters in the House this...

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements (25 Mar 2025)

Cathal Byrne: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I will make a couple key points about road safety. I will make my contribution through my own experiences in Wexford. Obviously, the 4% decrease in road fatalities from 2023 to 2024 is welcome. In Wexford, however, we saw six fatalities in 2024 and three in 2023. Unfortunately, the statistics on this are clear, with seven in ten road...

Seanad: Common Agricultural Policy National Plan: Statements (20 Mar 2025)

Cathal Byrne: The Minister is most welcome to the Seanad Chamber today. I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of some Wexford farmers on some of the issues they have highlighted to me over the past couple of weeks.I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. Having somebody who is involved in the day-to-day of farming and who comes with the experience of having been the junior...