Results 1,081-1,100 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Senator for his correction. I never got the opportunity to go to Trinity College.

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I am sure my English would have been much better if I had gone there.

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Thankfully, there is now access to Trinity College for people from the inner city.

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: She is much younger than me. I am sorry I started that. I should not try to correct the Senator. The agreement reached by Terence O'Neill and Seán Lemass was very much of its time. As the Minister has rightly pointed out, as a result of globalisation, it is now difficult to legislate and regulate. This attempt to move a good neighbour agreement reached in the 1960s into...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank my colleague, Senator Bacik, for the work she has done on this Bill. The legislation has great support within the Labour Party. I thank the departmental staff for their openness in how they approached this legislation. Senator Nash has described this legislation as unfinished business and a housekeeping matter, but it is important to a few people because it will have a huge impact...

Seanad: Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (22 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: We can see how much this country has moved on and changed. That is why I think this legislation, whether we call it unfinished business or a housekeeping matter, is so important. We must make sure we legislate to tackle anomalies but do so quickly. I thank the Minister for his openness and the assistance his staff have given to Senator Bacik in terms of this legislation. I hope we can...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Greyhound Industry (21 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I, too, welcome the children from County Wexford to the Visitors Gallery. The Minister of State is well aware of the shock and upset caused by the sudden closure of Harold's Cross greyhound stadium and the lack of consultation with dog owners on the issue. That issue must be dealt with over a period of time. A number of part-time workers have been in contact with me to say they are losing...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Greyhound Industry (21 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I ask that he looks at the plight of the part-time workers in Shelbourne Park and to see if something can be done to alleviate the pressures and the concerns of the staff for the viability of the sector. The longer the protest goes on the more chance that everybody may lose out. I welcome the mediation efforts. I know the Minister of State has...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Like everyone else, when I woke up this morning I heard on "Morning Ireland" about the families who so sadly lost their lives in the fire in Clondalkin. I express my deep sympathy and that of my party to those families and their extended relatives. It brings us back to Senator Devine's Commencement debate yesterday on the fire services and the need to ensure that a fire service is on-call...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: It is International Women's Day and there are many "why" questions. Why is there still such a large pay gap between men and women for carrying out the same work? The last real progress made was when Proinsias de Rossa introduced legislation on equal pay for equal work. At that time, it was resisted by many in society. Why did the Labour Party have to have its policy of gender quotas to...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I apologise to Senator Norris. I did not think he was old enough. There are many "Whys" in relation to inequality and discrimination against women in the State and we must keep battling to change that. The next major battle is to convince people about why the eighth amendment is so wrong. I look forward to joining, hopefully, many colleagues in the House, to try to win a referendum on the...

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I wonder can I ask the speaker to yield for one moment for a question. I am a little bit confused. He has been asking for a review. Is he speaking for the motion or against the motion?

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Both?

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Are you sure, because------

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: The speaker yielded. I asked the question and he answered it. There is no need for others to heckle me.

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister for his contribution. I have family members and many friends who have worked in the hospitality sector. When people started work in the sector they had an expectation they would earn enough money to be able to get a mortgage to buy a home and educate their children. This is no longer the case. People in the hospitality sector do not even know how many hours they will...

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: This is where we must start.

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I was in government when the 9% VAT rate was introduced and it was the correct thing to do. We needed to stimulate the market and it worked well. We created employment. We have moved on, and the Minister's figures have shown how well we have done. It is time to review it. This is why the Fine Gael motion makes no sense as it states to give it to the sector forever with no conditions. It...

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Motion (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I am not surprised. The Minister was allowed speak for over 13 minutes.

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (8 Mar 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I ask the Minister to be open-minded on this matter. Fishermen would not have gone to the Supreme Court lightly and exposed themselves to such huge costs if they were not sincerely concerned about this matter. Unfortunately, we have a history of throwing fishermen under the bus and destroying their livelihoods. That is not a criticism of any single party, it is just historically correct....