Results 801-820 of 996 for speaker:John Gerard Hanafin

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Last week the Taoiseach spoke in this House for the second time in a short period. It is an honour when a Taoiseach or former Taoiseach speaks in this House and I commend the Leader on making the arrangements for the debate. On this occasion the Taoiseach spoke on Europe and many issues arose from the debate. We should learn lessons from the debate on the proposed EU constitution and any...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Russia is a wonderful country and we seem to have the mindset of the Cold War. We should have first looked to the east. I welcome further debates in the House on the matter.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: From May 2006 to April 2007, €15 billion will enter the economy as a result of the maturation of SSIAs. If one adds this figure to the €2 billion that would have been invested in SSIA products, one sees that it is approximately 12% of GDP entering the economy in very short period. Will the Acting Leader ask the Minister for Finance to come before the House to discuss what will be done to...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (12 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Next Tuesday, 18 October.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (12 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I agree with the Minister of State. It is entirely appropriate that workers should be given every opportunity to access information and consultation in the manner outlined in the Bill. We all have to make conscious decisions about marriage, work and voting, etc. People are well capable of working towards targets. The Minister of State correctly said that people are much better workers when...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (12 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: The Minister of State's explanation, which is entirely clear, should be taken on board.

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I request that the Minister for Finance come before the House prior to the budget to discuss changing the situation with regard to agricultural and industrial diesel. We have white and green diesel and an opportunity exists for criminal elements to change the colour and, therefore, the value of the fuel. Would it be more appropriate to introduce a rebate system whereby a farmer or a truck...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Will the Leader request a debate, prior to the budget, on poverty in Ireland? We all take particular pride in the achievements of recent years. Economists have pronounced this to be the best country in the world in which to live. Our success was achieved with the help of friends in North America and the UK who, through the years, invested in this country and helped it develop. In later years,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to address the House in connection with comparative pricing. The director of telecommunications regulation, Etain Doyle, has done a very good job in ensuring competition, particularly in the mobile phone market. With the different types of offers that are available in the landline market, such as weekend...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, to the House and I also welcome the Employee (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005. It is particularly appropriate that we should be discussing this Bill in the light of the Irish Ferries dispute and what the Irish Continental Group is seeking from the workers. I have no doubt that if these employees were involved in the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Sep 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I would like the Leader to inquire from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform as to the possibility of introducing a gun amnesty. For some time we have seen reports on the television and in newspapers, on a weekly basis, of people having been killed. There is a distinct possibility that if a gun amnesty were introduced, as happened in other states, guns would be handed in that...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Jul 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader for a debate in the new session on stem cells, particularly the situation where somatic stem cells in adult tissue are not investigated by the international community despite having the most promise. This offers an opportunity for Ireland to lead the way. The benefits in the next few years will derive from adult stem cells and germ line therapy. I urge that this country lead...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I second the motion. The consumer strategy group is very important and I commend the Minister on his work in this regard. This agency ensures that, for the first time, the interests of consumers will be brought to the forefront of national and local decision-making in Ireland. The Minister announced that the board of the consumer strategy agency would be established immediately on an interim...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Jun 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I would welcome a debate on the recently issued guidelines of the Revenue Commissioners to lending institutions. It is often necessary for young people to have a parent supply some of the money required to purchase a property, notwithstanding the two possible arrangements which may obtain. If a parent in such circumstances becomes part-equity owner of the property, the decision is a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Jun 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: The Common Agricultural Policy is changing significantly as it is bound to in the context of world trade agreements and the stretching of the EU to the Russian border. While some very positive developments have resulted, there are a number of issues to address. If we support Third World countries, we must ensure the people in those countries benefit rather than the companies which own the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Jun 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: The power cut also meant the lifts were out of order, which could have caused the Government to lose a vote. Emergency power should be available to the lifts in the event of a failure of the electricity supply.

Seanad: Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (21 Jun 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: When discussing this Bill, it would be no harm to remind ourselves of the highest standards that prevail within the Civil Service. We must give credit to those civil servants for the great growth in our economy and the developments that have taken place here. The Civil Service has played a major role in ensuring that Ireland has become a fairer, more equitable and better place in which to...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Will the Leader arrange a debate on VRT? Allowances are made in cases of disability, wherein vehicles are allowed tax relief if they are fuel efficient in terms of using alternative fuels. In light of the number of people being killed on our roads, perhaps we should consider reducing VRT on vehicles that pass certain very high safety standards in order to incentivise the companies that import...

Seanad: Immigrant Workers: Motion. (4 May 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Given that it is 4 May and St. Joseph's Day, I welcome the opportunity to speak about migrant workers. I have difficulty with the apparent absence in the motion of any proactive system to prevent abuse and exploitation of migrant workers. There are a number of aspects to migrant workers. There is one aspect which is only in the remit of the courts and should be left there. If there was any...

Seanad: Immigrant Workers: Motion. (4 May 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: In the early 1980s, the Irish were not that welcome in certain countries because of the situation in the North. Given the treatment of workers who emigrated to the UK in the 1960s and took part in the development of that country's infrastructure, we should take a particular interest in the welfare of migrant workers. In no way should any wrongdoing be attributed to migrant workers. We should...