Results 941-960 of 1,000 for speaker:John McGahon

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: Going back to the subject matter, which is not about the best Opposition ever provided in the history of the State, I find it is important that I personally turn up to all briefings about topics like this to ensure that I am well-informed so that when we debate specific matters, I can discuss them. That is what I am doing here. Retail has more or less been sorted this afternoon. However,...

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Health): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: I want to focus on three issues in my remarks. The first is what I would describe as a public relations strategy that will combat vaccine scepticism. We have seen reports in the past week alone that one third of Irish people are wary about the vaccine. A total of 12% of people believe they will not take it. If a vaccine were to be introduced into Ireland that had, say, a 90% effective...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Establishment of an Independent Public Inquiry into the Murder of Pat Finucane: Motion (26 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: Will I come back in later and let Senator Currie in now, if that is okay?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Establishment of an Independent Public Inquiry into the Murder of Pat Finucane: Motion (26 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: It was nice to meet John Finucane properly last year. I must hold my hands up and say that my lack of knowledge of what happened to his family and father was slim to none compared with what I have learned this week. There is no point in me trying to say otherwise. I was not even born when John Finucane's father was so cruelly taken away from him. I was hanging on every word of John...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: I seek a discussion on the concept of the vaccine strategy and the roll-out behind it.There has been wonderful news every Monday for the last three weeks about the strength of the vaccines. Yesterday, the Taoiseach said that he wants to present the roll-out strategy to the Government on 11 December. Perhaps we should consider inviting the Minister to the House before Christmas for...

Seanad: Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: As there is no one from the Independent group, I call Senator Casey.

Seanad: Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Credit Union Restructuring Board (Dissolution) Bill 2019: Second Stage (24 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Further and Higher Education Sectors: Discussion (19 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: It is hard not to get jealous, given I come from Dundalk, when we look at how well Letterkenny and Derry are doing with this type of co-operation. Perhaps DKIT and Dundalk, which is the largest Border town, missed out on a real opportunity to try to get some sort of collaboration, such as is being done here. From a personal perspective, I look at it like that. The witnesses mentioned a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Shared Island Unit: Department of the Taoiseach (12 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: Deputy O'Dowd and I would be delighted to welcome everybody to the Narrow Water bridge project in north Louth. It would be very remiss of me not to mention the former councillor, Mr. Tommy Elmore, now long dead, who put the concept of the bridge on the map. It was his brainchild and he was pushing it in the 1980s and 1990s, long before any of us came along. It would be remiss of me not to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (11 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: Thank you for your condolences, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. My cousin Niall McGahon famously won an FAI Cup medal in 1958 with Dundalk FC at the age of 18 years, so I appreciate that. I submitted this Commencement matter today on urban regeneration funding because it is such an important issue for the north end of Dundalk town. The Bridge Street and Linenhall Street area has essentially been a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (11 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: I thank the Minister of State for all his support for this application in recent weeks. While Dundalk is the largest town in Ireland, the Minister of State's home town of Mullingar has similar issues. He knows the issues at stake here, therefore. He is right to state that this is transformative funding. It has the potential to unlock previously unimagined ideas. Much urban regeneration...

Seanad: Recognition of Irish Military Service at Jadotville in 1961: Statements (11 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: I thank Senator O'Reilly, the Fine Gael spokesperson on defence, for allowing me to lead in this debate on behalf of our party. Before I get into the merits of this debate and why I believe we should have these medals awarded, I pay tribute to individuals, like Senator Craughwell and former Senator Gabrielle McFadden, who were lone voices in the wilderness for so long. They are now being...

Seanad: Disability Day Services: Statements (11 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: Five minutes is more than enough. I would just like to make a couple of points, my remarks will be brief. I spoke to some parents yesterday in preparation for and anticipation of this debate, to get a fuller sense of some of the issues they are facing. I will talk about some of the issues today. The common theme I got from a number of parents yesterday is, essentially, that every single...

Seanad: Political Donations: Motion (11 Nov 2020)

John McGahon: Tonight's Private Members' motion is linked to a €4 million donation provided to Sinn Féin which, according to the estate of William Hampton, is "for the political party in the Republic of Ireland known at this time as Sinn Féin". I really believe Sinn Féin has some real questions to ask itself and a chance to look at its moral compass, if one even exists, and decide...

Seanad: Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: The Railway Accident and Investigation Unit, RAIU, is the independent railway accident investigation organisation for Ireland. It deals essentially with investigations of incidents and accidents on the national railway network, including the DART, the Luas and industrial and heritage railways. An investigation is carried out for the improvement of railway safety thereafter, establishing the...

Seanad: Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I was discussing the issue of high-speed rail between the two largest cities on this island, Belfast and Dublin. There are eight direct trains now between those two cities whereas, in comparison, places in the UK involving similar distances, like Liverpool and Manchester or Edinburgh or Glasgow, have between 22 and 32 trains a day. The first train to leave Belfast is at 7 a.m. It arrives...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: As the Minister has to come back in at 1.14 p.m., we have exactly 56 minutes for our seven speakers who have asked to contribute. I ask them to stick to their speaking time of six minutes to ensure that everyone will get in. I call Senator Fitzpatrick.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I apologise to Senators Warfield and Moynihan for calling Senator Byrne before those two spokespersons.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: We have 16 minutes remaining and a number of speakers indicating. Senators Cummins and Kyne have kindly agreed to share time, with three minutes each. Are Senators Crowe and O'Loughlin also willing to share time with three minutes each?