Results 11,321-11,340 of 11,433 for speaker:Michael Kitt

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jun 2003)

Michael Kitt: Everybody will get it. We have not got it yet. I compliment all those involved in finalising the process. I agree that Opposition spokespersons need resources. Senator Higgins and Deputy Howlin have spoken about their own legal issues. In recent years there was considerable difficulty for Senators and Deputies who, after speaking as the chair or vice chair of a committee, were served with...

Seanad: Council Regulation on Procedures for amending the Sirene Manual: Referral to Joint Committee. - Health Service Reform: Statements (Resumed). (25 Jun 2003)

Michael Kitt: I join my colleagues in welcoming the Minister of State to the House. I am delighted to take part in this important debate. I attended an interesting launch this morning by the Minister on the nursing home subvention scheme which was reviewed by Dr. Eamon O'Shea from the NUI in Galway. He was fair in his comments about the scheme. He said there were many ways it could be reformed, but he did...

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael Kitt: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann," and substitute the following: "notes (i) the Standards in Public Office Commission's report of 11 June, 2003 on Election Expenses Statements and Statutory Declarations received from election agents of candidates, national agents of political parties and other persons at the Dáil General Election held on 17 May 2002; (ii)...

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael Kitt: We are talking about the Standards in Public Office Commission.

Seanad: Adjournment Debate. - Schools Building Projects. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael Kitt: Brierfield national school is one of 289 projects at the early stage of architectural planning in the Department of Education and Science. I understand it is in band 3. The school has no cloakroom, hot water or toilets. That is a serious situation when one has a three teacher school with 63 pupils. There are several young families in the area and every indication numbers in the school will...

Seanad: Humanitarian Issues in Post-War Iraq: Statements (Resumed). (11 Jun 2003)

Michael Kitt: With the permission of the Acting Chairman, I will share time with Senator Mansergh. We will have five minutes each.

Seanad: Humanitarian Issues in Post-War Iraq: Statements (Resumed). (11 Jun 2003)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister of State. I particularly welcome the allocation of €5 million announced by him in humanitarian aid for Iraq. Other Senators have spoken in regard to the media coverage of the war in Iraq. While they were most responsible and provided good coverage, both on television and in the newspapers, it is regrettable that the coverage has not been as good since the war. The...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I support calls for a debate on health and the comments on the reports leaked to the media. The Government provided €11 million to purchase Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe from the Franciscan Sisters. It also provided funds to buy a site in Tuam for a hospital. It is, however, regrettable that there is so much bad publicity about these projects which should be supported. The Government...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (28 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I have tried several times to make a contribution.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003 [ Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil ] : Report and Final Stages. (28 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I am the Fianna Fáil Party spokesman on the environment and local government. I am delighted to be able to make a contribution on this Stage and I welcome the Minister of State. I understood this to be a simple matter. The Local Government Bill 2003, which abolishes the dual mandate, was superseded by another local government Bill dealing with bridge orders. For this reason, we must now...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I support the call for a debate on the Hanly report on the future of hospitals, including the Brennan and Prospectus reports. I hope we might have the Tánaiste here for a debate on the future of the community employment schemes. This is the time of year when people complete their participation on these schemes. Some people who may have done three years have been told they will not be going...

Seanad: Strategic Rail Review Report: Statements (Resumed). (21 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Callely, to the House. I am pleased the House has the opportunity to discuss the strategic rail review. I compliment the Minister and the former Minister, Senator Mary O'Rourke, on their investment in the rail infrastructure. I am a member of the western inter-county railway committee which was formed some years ago. The honorary secretary is Father...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I wish to raise the issue of the difficulties for students in getting visas, particularly J1 visas, to visit the United States. A number of people have contacted me this matter and there are articles about it in today's newspapers. I understand there could be a backlog of six to seven weeks in the processing of J1 visas. Will the Leader indicate whether we can make direct contact with the...

Seanad: Health Service: Statements. (13 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I am very glad of this opportunity to contribute to the debate. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, and also congratulate the Minister, Deputy Martin, on his address to the Seanad. The Minister was modest in his quotation from the Irish Society for Quality in Healthcare survey. In the correspondence I received there was a reference to...

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. In relation to the amendment proposed by Senator Bannon, I understand there was coverage of this issue in the media recently. There was also a debate held in Westport among fire officers on the question of fire fatalities and the level of expenditure. The Minister of State when replying might comment on that. Senator Brady gave us the example of...

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the principle of the amendment and the need to look at the actual amount being levied in fines. If the fines are not index-linked, we will probably have to return with further Bills to increase them as the years go by. Will the Minister of State indicate if this will happen or if some other Minister will bring in legislation? On a number of occasions in the Dáil I raised the issue...

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: Buccaneers Rugby Football Club has a good day out ever year at Kilbeggan.

Seanad: Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages. (7 May 2003)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Minister of State for coming before the House to deal, in such an efficient manner, with the Bill. I am glad he has responded to the issues of fatalities from fires and the level of investment in fire services, which I raised earlier. He has outlined the amount of money which has been provided for fire services. The county managers and chief fire officers in every county will...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I also want to raise the transport issue. Some months ago other Senators raised the issue of the dismantling of the rail signal at Athenry. I now hear reports from the County Development Board in Galway on the proposals of Iarnród Eireann to dismantle the rail signal at Gort, County Galway. It is very sad at a time when the Minister for Transport, Deputy Seamus Brennan, has been positive...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Apr 2003)

Michael Kitt: I wish to raise the issue of SARS. I endorse the remarks of Senator Henry that vigilance is important. I have had some correspondence from the Representative Office of Taipei in Ireland concerning Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organisation, even if only with observer status. It is important that any country with a busy transport hub should be included in the WHO and I hope that...