Results 1,101-1,120 of 1,253 for speaker:John Crown

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

John Crown: On a point of order, two of six consultant oncologists in St. Vincent's Hospital are female. For many years neither of the two consultants was female. There will soon be a female majority.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I must admit that I am incandescent with rage to discover that we live in a "banana-pleanála republic", which is what we now have as a result of the catastrophic decision about the national children's hospital. I know others have raised the matter but a couple of facts must go onto the public record. There were very fine arguments to be advanced in favour of developing the Crumlin Hospital...

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

John Crown: Go raibh maith agat. At this stage the Minister must think I have some type of unrequieted hero worship for him because I stated previously that he has the most important job in the public service when he was wearing his energy hat. His role in this area is critical as well. I am asked frequently about the major side effects of the treatment we provide for the disease I deal with as part...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I am sure that other Senators have heard the sad news of the deaths this morning of Remi Ochlik and Marie Colvin, although most would probably be more familiar with her as a writer for The Sunday Times. She was well known and iconic. She lost an eye and wore an eye patch. She died violently in Syria this morning with Mr. Ochlik. They were two brave journalists who covered many conflict...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2012)

John Crown: The Cathaoirleach should excuse me if I seem a little disoriented. When I first arrived in the Chamber I heard Senator Norris talking about the defeat of Xerxes at Thermopylae and then heard Senator O'Donovan telling us that our fish had been taken by the Pharaohs. I thought for a moment that I had strayed into a class on the classics, until I realised that he was referring to the Faroes,...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2012)

John Crown: Over the past year there has been intermittent but considerable outrage at the issue of the personal assets of people who are in debt to NAMA and in turn to the same Irish taxpayer whose health and social services are being depleted to meet the terms of our external financial requirements. It appears that has been a policy of individuals attempting to hide their wealth by transferring it to...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2012)

John Crown: -----and 100% disclosure of all donations of any level made to any political entity. This is pure and simply the way we should do it.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I have a specific question for the Leader and I beg the indulgence of the Cathaoirleach. Pending this, will the Leader bring to the attention of the Minister for Finance this awful conundrum we see this morning whereby people gave huge amounts of money to political parties on all sides of the House and not just the party we normally associate with this type of donation.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2012)

John Crown: In the spirit of good citizenship the parties should reimburse the State any donations they received from any entity that is currently in NAMA which I believe were attempted bribes.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2012)

John Crown: What about the reimbursement of the moneys paid by NAMA creditors?

Seanad: Food Wastage: Motion (15 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I welcome the Minister. I am sorry if it sometimes seems like I am trying to make very profound statements from these poor, Independent, academic benches, but the Minister and his ministerial colleagues who have responsibility for energy and water policy have the most important Departments. Long after the penny drops that our future as a species is not wrapped up in things like the embassy...

Seanad: Food Wastage: Motion (15 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I was going to mention them, but as they probably intersect with the supply of water, I decided not to leave myself open on that issue. That was my first ministerial heckle; my mother will be very proud. Worldwide, the trend is towards food shortages. As has been mentioned, we have the ability to feed ourselves many times over, as well as a sizeable number of our neighbours. That puts us...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2012)

John Crown: While listening to a radio interview the other evening I heard the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, in somewhat of a Freudian slip, refer to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as the Minister for Howlin. I must admit that I am howling now myself about something that has been brought to my attention. At a time when we are undergoing a public service embargo,...

Seanad: HSE National Service Plan: Statements, Questions and Answers (14 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I thank the Minister. That means I have about three minutes to think of what I am going to say for the other two minutes. I am sorry but I did not realise I had such generous speaking time. I compliment the Minister on his vision for reform of the health service and I wish him well with its implementation. The challenge of implementation will be very difficult and, as I have said to him on...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I bring to the attention of the House and note the sad passing of Professor Gerry O'Sullivan, the founder of the Cork Cancer Research Centre, who was a true visionary, not only in the world of cancer research but also in terms of having the ambition to set up something where nothing had been in place before, in the process earning a huge international reputation for his native county and...

Seanad: Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Feb 2012)

John Crown: The paths of the Minister and I crossed slightly on the last occasion he was before the House. I will take a slight liberty in bringing up another issue we discussed when the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, was substituting for the Minister. As I have stated, strategically the Minister's Department is perhaps the most important of Government because he has executive control over a branch...

Seanad: Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I welcome the Minister to the House. I also welcome his presence in the Department as he brings to it the zeal of a reformer, something sadly overdue in the health service. We look forward to supporting him in his efforts to forge real reform. I welcome this important Bill because there was a problem with the structures for entrance into general practice which was having negative downstream...

Seanad: Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Feb 2012)

John Crown: Yes. General practice in Ireland answers to the principles of social democracy but is not intensely bureaucratised. General practitioners run their own practices, get paid by the Government for their public patients and answer to the various agencies of the Government and their profession for the standards which they bring. This is vastly different from the way we run the hospital system....

Seanad: EU Fiscal Compact Treaty: Statements, Questions and Answers (7 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. To say that the pact is not an austerity budget reminds me of Big Vinny, the debt collector. When Big Vinny comes to one's house, he just wants his money. He does not tell one how to get it, or whether the kids should go hungry or not have health care. He just wants his money. To be honest, we are now being told to get the money. I am not an...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (1 Feb 2012)

John Crown: I thank Senator Quinn, first for sharing his time with me, and second for making such a sensible, well-informed, non-hysterical, non-headline seeking, non-populism tickling set of recommendations for what we need to do. I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, when I say I regret that the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, has left. I know the Minister of State will convey our...