Results 1,121-1,140 of 7,765 for speaker:Maurice Cummins

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: Some will sink and others will swim as a result. Senator Mullins welcomed, as do I, the good news that 80,000 more people are at work. People have been calling for a debate on jobs and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, will be with us next week to discuss the Action Plan for Jobs. Senator Mullins and Craughwell referred to guidance teachers and...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on flooding, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business and conclude not later than 1.15 p.m., with the contributions of all Senators not to exceed six minutes and the Minister to be called on to reply not later than 1.10 p.m.; and No. 2, statements on foreign affairs - an update on developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, to be taken...

Seanad: Participation in Sport: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: I welcome the Minister of State who is always welcome. He is not here often enough. We will have to have him here more often to speak on sports subjects, in particular. Like music, sport transcends all barriers and is a unifying force. I compliment the Minister of State on the restoration of sports grants. I know the work that went into this decision and that the Minister of State had to...

Seanad: Participation in Sport: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: Of course, we are going to hear about Dundalk and County Louth, but we will all be wearing our own colours. Katie Taylor has been mentioned. She is probably one of the best sports people ever to come out of the country. I heard Michael Carruth speak on radio recently about the facilities for boxers. He mentioned, as did Senator Paschal Mooney, that prior to the games in South Korea, the...

Seanad: Tourism Industry: Statements (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: I will be very brief because I know the Minister has other engagements. The success of our tourism product was not by accident but because of Government policy. Consciously deciding to have a 9% VAT rate and eliminating the travel tax were policy decisions made by Government that have yielded tremendous success over recent years, and long may it continue. Senator Conway mentioned the Wild...

Seanad: Terms of Reference of Inquiry into Banking Crisis: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: I move: (1) The Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis appointed by Order of Dáil Éireann of 14th May 2014, and Order of Seanad Éireann of 14th May 2014 shall conduct an inquiry under section 7 of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013 (hereinafter referred to as “the 2013 Act”) in accordance with this Terms of...

Seanad: Amendment of Orders of Reference of Joint Committee of Inquiry into Banking Crisis: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: I move: That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the Order of the Seanad of 14th May 2014 relating to the Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis is amended by– (a) in paragraph (1), the deletion of the words “, having regard to section 12 of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013 and Standing Order 103C,”; and...

Seanad: Report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on the Proposal for a Banking Inquiry: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: I thank all the Members who contributed to this debate. I respect the position of those opposing the motion, especially as they contribute to the consultation and consideration we are obliged to have. Notwithstanding the opposition from some Members, I commend the motion to the House. I thank our legal staff and all involved in assisting us to bring this proposal before the House.

Seanad: Report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on the Proposal for a Banking Inquiry: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: I move: That Seanad Éireann, pursuant to Standing Order 103J, shall consider the Report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges (Seanad Éireann) entitled Relevant Report on the Relevant Proposal for a Banking Inquiry under Standing Orders and the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges and Procedures) Act 2013, copies of which were laid before Seanad Éireann on 19...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: Senator Darragh O'Brien raised the question of discretionary medical cards. We will try to get the Minister for Health to come to the House for a debate on the issue. A number of Members raised the question of medical cards. The new enhanced assessment process takes account of the burden of an illness or a condition, which is to be welcomed. The greater exchange of information between the...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: As long as they do not take Senator Leyden's seat.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: The Order of Business is Nos. 1 to 4, motions to facilitate the request by Senator Fergal Quinn to remove four Private Members' Bills from the Order Paper, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 5, a motion regarding the relevant report of the relevant proposal for a banking inquiry under Standing Orders and the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries,...

Seanad: Water Sector Reforms: Statements (25 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: People say the Government did a U-turn on water charges. Yes, we did. We listened to what the people were saying and responded accordingly. The Government announcement last week brought clarity, certainty and predictability to the pricing regime that will apply to domestic water charges. With these objectives in mind, the Government has decided on measures such as the Minister has...

Seanad: Water Sector Reforms: Statements (25 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: The Senator is playing to the gallery.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: The Leader of the Opposition, Senator O'Brien, spoke on conservation and metering. That is certainly very important and I am sure we will have a very comprehensive debate this evening on that matter. Conservation is still very important because we found out that there were about 22 houses in the country that were metered that had a leakage of over 1 million gallons a day, which is...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on water sector reforms, to be taken at 4.30 p.m. and conclude not later than 6.30 p.m., with the contributions of all Senators not to exceed five minutes in each case and the Minister to be called on to reply to the debate not later than 6.25 p.m.

Seanad: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training: Motion (20 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: Senator White spoke at length on water fluoridation in Ireland and the benefits which have accrued to people as a result of it. As has been stated, we have had a number of debates in the House on that matter previously. I take on board everything that Senator White has mentioned. Senator Bacik spoke about the clarity and certainty that now exists on water charges and inquired when Committee...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: The Irish people, irrespective of their politics, do not take kindly to threats, bomb threats and violence against elected representatives or anybody else. I thank the Members for their comments in that regard. Senator Mooney mentioned that issue, and also the fact that Senator Leyden had raised the question of the murders in Jerusalem. Senator Healy Eames rightly pointed out that it is the...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2014)

Maurice Cummins: Several Members have asked that we stand for a minute’s silence at 11 o’clock in memory of all the women murdered in Ireland.