Results 1,001-1,020 of 4,085 for speaker:Dan Boyle

Seanad: National Insulation Programme: Motion (18 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: I believe I have finished doing that today.

Seanad: National Insulation Programme: Motion (18 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: I second and commend today's motion. It must be acknowledged that we live in difficult fiscal times and difficult decisions have been made to pare back very important public expenditure programmes. The Government has made a conscious decision that one area where additional expenditure will be and must be made available is in home insulation. As other speakers have commented, there are...

Seanad: Middle East: Statements (18 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: Last week, I spoke at a debate in the Trinity Historical Society as a last minute substitute against the motion that Israel's actions were acceptable. I shared a platform with Steven Weinberg, a Nobel prize winning physicist. He is a nice man but he argued that Israel is a liberal sector democracy. Unfortunately, the effect of Israel's living in a constant state of siege and belligerence...

Seanad: Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Second Stage (18 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: Sadly we now live in a society where the phrase "a person's word is their bond" has less currency than it once did. Many who held exalted positions in our society by reason of their profession must, justifiably, earn such respect because of society's breakdown and the controversies that have reduced the effectiveness and reliability of such professions. One reason for this is that the type...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: In common with many people in this county, my family background includes people close to me who are adopted and others who have become adoptive parents. This has allowed me to understand the experience of adoption in this country. There has been much legislation on this issue from the 1960s, this Bill being the most recent, despite its long delay in terms of years in reaching the Statute...

Seanad: Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Statements (12 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: A successful, viable financial banking system needs a number of attributes, chief of which are trust and confidence. It is quite clear that Irish banking, at this time in our country's history, is sadly lacking in both. In dealing with the effects of the failure of trust and confidence, the political system needs to deal in candour and honesty. I must admit I am at a stage where I do not...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: It is good and proper that the House should have an opportunity today to discuss the developing situation of the recapitalisation of the banks. I am aware that the Leader is making every effort to arrange for the appropriate Minister to come to the House to respond. If this proves possible, then the House should have such a debate. The last sitting day of the week is always more difficult....

Seanad: Child Poverty: Motion (11 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: My background, both professionally and voluntarily, is in community youth work and I disagree with little in the intent and aspirations of the motion. Part of my voluntary career was spent with the National Youth Council of Ireland, which is part of the child poverty coalition, and I am glad a number of my former colleagues are present to monitor the debate. No Member is uncommitted to the...

Seanad: Stabilisation of the Public Finances: Statements (5 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: We have heard of the unpalatable choices that have had to be made in the past week. There seems to be an expectation, fostered by many on the Opposition side, that everything that can be done should be done now. I am not sure whether that is an acceptable economic strategy to be following. We are dealing with an immediate situation where cuts of €2 billion are required owing to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: Tomorrow this House will have an opportunity to speak on yesterday's announcements in the other House. It is the first in a series of difficult and unpopular decisions by the Government and there will be more such decisions. Each of those decisions, as they are made, will provoke a response from the Opposition that it is the wrong decision. That is the nature of government. This year our...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: In this House we will debate the bank recapitalisation, how the political system will feel the pain the people are feeling, the added numbers who are unemployed and the changes in the public sector. If the Opposition is serious about dealing with the economic crisis, it is time to come up with common solutions and stop making cheap jibes.

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: A problem I have with this evening's compendium Private Members' motion tabled by the Independent Members of the House is that seven items are directly referred to in it but, with only eight minutes in my time slot, it is difficult to divide my time accordingly. However, I will make a valiant attempt to do so. I am on record in this House as having expressed concern and unhappiness about...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: We cannot be churlish about that. The point concerning the abandonment of the people of Tibet in the interests of trade is an issue on which I share many of Senator Norris's concerns. At the time of the Olympic Games last year there was an international impetus to force the Chinese Government to engage in negotiations with representatives of Tibet, but how sincere they are and how that...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: I am not afraid of using platforms like that to remind people of human rights obligations. It was also fair, even though he digressed slightly from the motion before us, that the Minister of State spoke about our having a policy in regard to stateless people here and how we support them. The example of Burma was excellent. I had the privilege of being the only Member of either House of the...

Seanad: Gas (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (3 Feb 2009)

Dan Boyle: This Bill is simply intended to allow the borrowing capacity for Bord Gáis Éireann to increase from €1.7 billion to €3 billion. There is an onus on the Government and the Houses of the Oireachtas to allow all State agencies, particularly those in the semi-State sector, to perform to the best of their abilities. There is obvious concern in increasing a credit capacity at a time when as...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (29 Jan 2009)

Dan Boyle: This Bill is narrow in focus. It does not go anywhere near meeting many of the commitments in the programme for Government on electoral and democratic reform. There is already a clear commitment to establish an independent electoral commission and I look forward to that legislation. There is also a commitment to local government reform and democratic reform in general. The Minister will...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (29 Jan 2009)

Dan Boyle: ——and not having two three-seat constituencies in County Donegal. It should be whatever the population demands. I would like to see County Donegal having five or six seats and I would like to see County Kerry having five to six seats. North-east Dublin has three three-seat constituencies and I would like to see two constituencies of five seats and four seats as this would better...

Seanad: Economic Issues: Motion (28 Jan 2009)

Dan Boyle: The Private Members' motion was introduced in what appeared to be a spirit of inviting co-operation in regard to the Opposition's——

Seanad: Economic Issues: Motion (28 Jan 2009)

Dan Boyle: I said seven words.

Seanad: Economic Issues: Motion (28 Jan 2009)

Dan Boyle: I find my speeches read better in the arguments I make when they are constantly interrupted by Senator Buttimer. I constantly tell my constituents to read the Official Report on foot of that. In moving the motion the main Opposition party appeared to be saying that a contribution must be made in acknowledging and contributing to the type of decisions that have to be made in the midst of what...