Results 1,001-1,020 of 1,760 for speaker:Aideen Hayden

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (29 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I welcome the Minister of State and Government Chief Whip to the House. It is good to see him here for this particular debate. I welcome also that we are having this debate and congratulate Senator Zappone and her colleagues for putting the motion before the House. I am clear that when the Irish people voted on 5 October they voted to reform Seanad Éireann. There is no doubt that...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I am rarely surprised by anything that happens in this House but I must admit I was somewhat surprised by Senator Rónán Mullen's intervention. I fully expected him to rise to his feet to condemn Senator Bacik's comments on religious teaching in primary schools. Instead, he applied himself-----

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: He applied himself to the matter of pylons, which makes me wonder who is in election mode around here.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: It seems the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, is damned if he does and damned if he does not. I welcome the appointment of the expert panel, chaired by Ms Catherine McGuinness. It will inspire confidence regarding the location of the interconnector and electricity circuits.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I took pleasure yesterday in attending the launch of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown county sports participation strategy for the years 2013 to 2017. I am happy to state Dún Laoghaire exceeds the national average in every category of activity. What is important to note, however, is that Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown has a higher average age than the rest of the population. I wish...

Seanad: Youth Justice Policy: Statements (28 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I welcome the Minister. This debate was postponed on a number of occasions and it is good to see it finally take place. I have copies of a number of speeches the Minister has made on various matters relating to children and youth affairs. Will she give feedback to her administrators? The font is so small that one need a magnifying glass to read them. If she could, for future reference,...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I had reason today to publish a report which indicates that the number of people presenting as homeless to services in this country has more than doubled in recent years. I understand a reference was made to me, perhaps not directly, by Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. I will not respond to it because I was not here when it was made. I will say, however, that I am proud of the fact that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Role of National Parliaments in European Semester and Annual Growth Survey 2014: Secretary General of European Commission (23 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I welcome Ms Catherine Day and Ms Barbara Nolan to the meeting. I have two questions. There is a good deal of support in Ireland for the idea that we would have more robust monitoring of our economic performance at a European level. There is a much greater realisation in Ireland than perhaps in some of the other countries of the importance of Europe to us into the future and its role....

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: Senator Bacik would make an admirable ambassador to the Holy See given that she is a fair and equitable person in everything she does. I welcome the statement by the Tánaiste that a banking inquiry will be established as quickly as possible. It appears the inquiry will take place in the next number of months. Like many others, I do not believe the country will move on from the banking...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Tom Arnold (16 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I ask for a minor indulgence as I must make a statement in order to ask a question. I would also like to welcome Mr. Arnold and his team and I thank them for the work they have done. I am proud of the fact that the convention started as a Labour Party initiative arising from the speech of the Tánaiste, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, to the Labour Party conference in 2010. It was then adopted...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: -----and in fact managed to secure a small increase in funding for homeless services. We have seen a doubling in the number of people presenting as homeless in the greater Dublin area. There is a change in the category of people presenting as homeless. Now, we are seeing more people presenting as homeless because they cannot afford to secure housing. Given that the Government did not...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I reiterate my call to the Leader for a debate as soon as possible on homelessness. I also call on the Leader to provide for a debate on home repossessions. A recent Department of Justice and Equality expert group report on repossessions has advocated improving the structure to make it easier to secure repossessions of homes. I have sincere reservations about how repossessions are...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Aideen Hayden: I wish colleagues a happy new year and I hope we have a productive Seanad session. I also wish a happy new year to colleague, Senator Jimmy Harte, and his family. I hope he will be back with us soon this year. I know that he remains seriously ill. I ask the Leader to pass on our best wishes to him. I congratulate the Fine Gael and Labour Party councillors on Dublin City Council who last...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I am shocked that we are only spending €1 million on it. I would have thought in this day and age any decent respectable secret service would need more money than that.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I am also surprised that the Property Registration Authority is being voted some €32 million. I would like to see a cost-benefit analysis on the amounts being spent on each of these subheads against the amounts of money being taken in. Similarly it would be quite interesting to see a cost-benefit analysis on the Revenue Commissioners which cost us almost €323 million. As the...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Aideen Hayden: Like other speakers, I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House at short notice. I also thank the Leader for acceding to Senator Byrne's reasonable request, which perhaps will set a precedent for future years. While the powers of the Seanad in respect of financial matters are limited, this Bill is more interesting than it appears on first reading. Senator Byrne referred earlier...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Aideen Hayden: -----given that the overall appropriation amount for supply of services is almost €44 billion. In the past Departments had a tradition of handing out the remaining moneys like snuff at a wake. Moneys were not being properly spent because they were trying to get it out the door before the end of the year. I agree with the comments made on the headline figures, some of which surprised...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

Aideen Hayden: Do they have nothing to do with Fianna Fáil and the construction and banking crises?

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

Aideen Hayden: It is admirable that Senator Darragh O'Brien went quietly to the Garda to give the evidence he has, although a cynic might say he should have gone to the fraud squad in the first place. To give some good news, there has been a reduction in the number of calls to the Samaritans, which they say is because of increased hope in the country. It is worth noting that. We all feel for people who...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2013)

Aideen Hayden: I have.