Results 1,101-1,120 of 1,591 for speaker:Eugene Regan

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I am laying the basis for the question.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: This tribunal has served the Government very well——

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: ——in diverting public scrutiny of these activities in these Houses. It has worked brilliantly. A clear picture is emerging and the question to the Leader is whether we have learned any lessons. Over the past year, having established the Mahon tribunal, we have had Ministers and the man holding the highest office in the land challenging the work of the tribunal.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: Have we learned any lessons? Is it any wonder that people do not follow politicians when they pronounce a view on important national issues such as the Lisbon treaty?

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: What about the IDA?

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I find it the height of political hypocrisy that Senators opposite can wring their hands, make speeches and disavow the policies pursued by Governments over the past 11 years despite having supported them at every turn. We have seen examples over the past year of Members protesting on the streets and voting otherwise in the House. This hypocrisy should be exposed. Last week a view was...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I have not yet introduced my question.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: A poll published in The Sunday Business Post suggested that support for Fianna Fáil stood at 26%, whereas Fine Gael was at 33%. I am aware this is only a poll but it dispels the myth that the political structures of this country obey a natural order. Many people feel disenfranchised because Fianna Fáil has led successive Governments for the past 11 years. Many organisations, including...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: My question for the Leader——

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: ——is whether he would accept, in light of last weekend's polls, that Fianna Fáil is not the natural party of Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: Take the blame.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: The budget was brought forward, there were no ideas but it built up expectations that there would be a budget which would deal with and restore order to the public finances and which, we were told, would be fair and balanced but tough. What we got was a budget that was essentially an attack on the young, the old and those on low incomes. As Senator Boyle stated, it was not thought through....

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: That is why it has fallen flat on its face. The budget is also based on assumptions of economic growth, tax revenue and expenditure which are faulty. The better course would have been not to have tried to pull this political stroke but to have introduced a budget at the standard time.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: This is my question for the Leader.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: It should have been at the standard time so that these issues could have been fully thought through and also that the November Exchequer returns would have been available. Then we would have had a budget that was based on proper assumptions and was properly thought through. I would ask the Leader, as distinct from the Deputy Leader, whether he would agree that it was a fatal error to try to...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: That is the job of the Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: It is for the Leader to respond.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: The budget was brought forward as a major initiative by the Government, and it was a political stroke which has turned sour.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: It was to buy time because it had not——

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: It is a preliminary remark to the formulation of the question.