Results 11,261-11,280 of 26,021 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (20 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I want to welcome Rory's family and I acknowledge the large Fianna Fáil presence and the Progressive Democrats presence here today. I got to know Rory very well as he is from Feenagh, and people would know I spent my childhood in Charleville. We both went to the same secondary school, as did Eamon de Valera, which has been commemorated in the town. Rory was an institution in his...

Seanad: Transport and Sport: Statements (20 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Minister for coming into the House. Reflecting on the debate which has been centred on the lack of capacity, one of the successes in the area of public transport has been the train service. Most weeks I use the Limerick to Dublin train service twice. During the years capacity has increased exponentially in terms of the number of passengers travelling. The difficulties in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: RTÉ Financial Restructuring (12 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Bruton, and thank him for taking the time for this debate. He has a report that was delivered by the board, which is chaired by Ms Moya Doherty, and Ms Dee Forbes as RTÉ's director general about a restructuring model for RTÉ. Everyone accepts the need for a restructuring of RTÉ overall. Nevertheless, I seek clarification from the Minister...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: RTÉ Financial Restructuring (12 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Minister for his comments. I wish to make two quick points. When the Minister meets the RTÉ board, he should stress that it is critical that any decision should include a proper evaluation, particularly concerning the mid-west and Limerick. All options must be considered where Lyric FM is concerned, including the University of Limerick offer and an examination of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I wish to raise two matters.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: The first matter concerns an acknowledgement and the second is an issue I wish to raise. I acknowledge what Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell said about CareBright in Bruff. I went to school in Bruff many years ago. I know of the work of that care setting. Dementia is an issue that will be with us and it must be dealt with in a way that is caring in the community. Bruff is a special place....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: Just on that, is it?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: In Cork now.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Guidelines (6 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, for taking time out of his exceptionally busy schedule to take this Commencement matter. I represent Limerick city, where the number of apartments being granted planning permission is causing concern among my constituents. What plans does the Minister have to reduce the density guidelines for homes...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Guidelines (6 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is correct.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Planning Guidelines (6 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Minister. I look forward to welcoming him to Castletroy. My perspective on this matter is straightforward: we need to increase density in city centres and we need to have a mix. The problem is that it must be sustainable. Many planning applications that are submitted involve a combination of apartments and terraced townhouses but the local authorities are pushing on density...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I was not here yesterday for the expressions of sympathy on the death of Gay Byrne. I watched the special programme late last night and the one thing that came across, and it is a lesson for all politicians, was that his greatest skill was that he listened. He let people talk. I pay tribute to him. He was the greatest broadcaster of his generation by a mile but his main skill was that he...

Seanad: Report of Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Statements (6 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I welcome this report. It is the second time we have discussed it in the House. I want to speak from a personal perspective. Senator Ó Céidigh made reference to being self-employed. I established myself as a self-employed chartered accountant many years ago and was self-employed for about 12 years before I went into politics. SMEs, in particular startups, were my bread and...

Seanad: Report of Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Statements (6 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: Senator Boyhan is from County Dublin.

Seanad: Report of Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Statements (6 Nov 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: He is having sleepless nights.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Tracker Mortgages Report: Central Bank of Ireland (24 Oct 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: Anyone looking in will be astounded that the numbers that were eventually brought in under the trackers were double those with which the banks came forward initially. It went from 20,000 to 40,000, which is shocking. It was a cover-up by the banks. How would Ms Rowland define the type of regulation that the Central Bank engages in now with the banks? Does she regard it as light-touch in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Tracker Mortgages Report: Central Bank of Ireland (24 Oct 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: No, the type of regulation the Central Bank is doing. Does Ms Rowland regard it as light-touch regulation or how would she describe it? I was a member of the banking inquiry and certainly during the Celtic tiger years the term was "light-touch regulation". How would Ms Rowland define the type of regulation that the Central Bank now has over the banks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Tracker Mortgages Report: Central Bank of Ireland (24 Oct 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am sorry, I have limited time. The Central Bank did not regulate the banks correctly during the Celtic tiger era and part of the problem was light-touch regulation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Tracker Mortgages Report: Central Bank of Ireland (24 Oct 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Central Bank has done an immense body of work but it was not too long ago that it was before this committee. Certainly, I would have thought the Central Bank was slow in coming to the table in terms of moving on the issue of tracker mortgages. Once it commenced, it did a considerable amount of work but it was certainly slow in terms of really engaging in depth on tracker mortgages. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Tracker Mortgages Report: Central Bank of Ireland (24 Oct 2019)

Kieran O'Donnell: In summary, would Ms McEvoy regard it as light-touch regulation any more?