Results 821-840 of 996 for speaker:John Gerard Hanafin

Seanad: Competitiveness and Consumer Protection Policy: Statements (Resumed). (26 Apr 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Competitiveness is vital to our economy. We are a successful and very open island economy. We have also been very successful at redistributing that wealth. To ensure we continue to grow at the level of recent years means there is a need for competition which will assist us with innovation and value for money. Our inflation rate is currently at the average for the EU and the eurozone. Our...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Apr 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I join with those who want the Leader of the House to write to the Vatican to wish Pope Benedict XVI the best in his onerous duties. This House would benefit from a debate on competition. There is no doubt but that vigorous competition drives productivity, growth and innovation and provides value for all. On numerous occasions, I have requested a debate on the duopoly that exists between...

Seanad: Rights of Migrant Workers: Statements. (13 Apr 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to support migrant workers. The deliberate mistreatment of such workers is not done in our name and the Government will introduce the necessary legislation to ensure not only that these workers get their fair share but that they have a positive experience in Ireland and receive a céad míle fáilte. The demands placed on the workforce by the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Apr 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Some Senators have asked that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government attend the House. We have had a farce here this morning whereby the Opposition, which is so used to opposing matters, is against the guidelines even before they have been issued.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Apr 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: If the Minister attended the House we could also take the opportunity to ask him about better local government. Local councillors are, in theory, expected to pay a fee to consult planning details but in most cases the fee is dispensed with. It should be dispensed with in full, however. We could also examine the implementation of the special policy committees and how they should operate. We...

Seanad: Expressions of Sympathy on the Death of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II: Motion. (12 Apr 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: The world lost a great leader on the death of Pope John Paul II on Saturday, 2 April 2005. His was a unique papacy. It was an honour and privilege to live at the same time as him. When Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope the world was a very different place. His was the hour and he was the man, a man sent by God. Karol Wojtyla was cardinal of Krakow. This is interesting in that Krakow is very near...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I share the view that a debate on human rights must take place, particularly regarding the most essential right of all, the right to life. I would welcome the debate. It is poignant that, on International Women's Day, this right would be upheld and I ask the Leader to arrange this debate as soon as possible. Reaffirming that basic right could do no harm.

Seanad: Employment Policy: Motion. (23 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: The past is another place, and when we talk of the economy in Ireland we are certainly talking of a different place. The Buchanan report of the 1960s, which dealt with the economy, the demographics and the trends, showed an economy largely dependent on agriculture. It showed demographics out of synch with the rest of Europe. Many children were being born yet the number of people who remained...

Seanad: Higher Education Review: Statements. (22 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: Funding has increased by 102% for the institutes although student numbers have increased by only 28%. The level of research has also improved. Under the national development plan, €2.5 billion is being spent, with €605 million of that figure going on the programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI. One of the key proposals talked of was the idea of placing the institutes...

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: The Cathaoirleach is welcome back hale and hearty. I too share the calls for a debate on the peace process. At this stage it is apparent that Sinn Féin is not prepared to leave behind people who continue to carry out murder or other criminal acts. It is incredible that its members can continue with the peace process on the one hand and criminality on the other hand. They have a...

Seanad: Civil Partnership Bill 2004: Second Stage. (16 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I support the recent remarks of the Archbishop of Dublin, Most ReverendDiarmuid Martin, who stated: I recognise that there are many different kinds of caring relationships and these often create dependencies for those involved. The State may feel in justice that the rights of people in these relationships must be protected. Not only would this approach be more fair, it would also make...

Seanad: Civil Partnership Bill 2004: Second Stage. (16 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: The Employment Equality Act 1998 prohibits discrimination in employment on grounds of sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is defined in this Bill as meaning heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. The ground-breaking Equal Status Act 2000, which was also initiated by this Government, protects against discrimination outside the field of employment by prohibiting discrimination in the supply...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader for a debate on the workings of a press council in light of a number of issues that have arisen recently. One perennial issue is imbalance in the media not only here but in other countries where the media come down on one side of an issue and give a distorted view. We need only look at the elections in America, and not specifically the presidential election. An amendment was...

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I too support the call for a debate on transport, and call for a Luas connection from Abbey Street to St. Stephen's Green. I am also conscious that our third city, Belfast, does not have a direct rail link to Cork, our second city. That is a glaring anomaly. I also welcome developments such as the opening of the Midleton line and the proposed Shannon link. Development also follows the rail...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I call on the Leader to provide time for a debate on Iraq at the earliest opportunity, in light of the results of the recent election. The turnout and participation by the electorate was very high against all the odds, intimidation and threat. In that context I am reminded of a letter that appeared on the letters page of one newspaper which quoted from The New York Times in 1967. Reference...

Seanad: Future Development of An Post: Statements. (3 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, to the House. Why did 10,000 CWU workers turn out to protest in Dublin on 8 December 2004? It was the largest number since the tax marches of the 1970s. The reason for that march is clear. In the 12 years prior to the arrival of the current management in An Post, there were no major industrial relations problems. In recent years, however,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Feb 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader for a debate on the mobile phone market in this country. It is widely acknowledged, including by the regulator and the EU Commission, that Ireland is paying one of the highest average costs per user in Europe. The mobile telephone companies here are heading towards profits of €1 billion per year. It is accepted that where competition is in place the cost to the consumer...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jan 2005)

John Gerard Hanafin: I request the Leader to ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to attend the House to discuss matters at An Post. There are obvious industrial relations difficulties at An Post that are patently unnecessary and could be properly dealt with by management. I have also brought the House's attention to the EU directive to ComReg on the mobile telephony industry. A...

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Dec 2004)

John Gerard Hanafin: I request a debate on the communications industry, in particular the recognition by the regulator, ComReg, that there is a "tacit understanding", which in anyone's language means a duopoly, for a pricing arrangement between Vodafone and O2. It has been my opinion for some time that the Irish mobile telephone business is something of an Irish take-away. In the first instance, Vodafone...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Dec 2004)

John Gerard Hanafin: I, too, ask the Leader to arrange a debate on An Post. It appears turnover in the SDS side of the business will significantly exceed the forecast made by management. It seems the decision regarding SDS has been made, irrespective of the company's results and the commitments given to workers which the company was honour bound to keep and has not delivered. A serious question mark hangs over...