Results 11,561-11,580 of 11,812 for speaker:Denis O'Donovan

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: I was speaking on that amendment. Does Senator Donohoe want to——

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: This goes back to the issue of consultation on which I spoke at some length in the previous debate. I concur with my colleague in that regard. I am deeply concerned that the consultation promised by several Governments in the past 30 years has not happened, particularly in regard to the port of Bantry. We can refer to various reports, including the KPMG report of June 1999, a...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: Not entirely. I have some more letters to read into the record that I received since the last debate. I am merely making the point that there has not been consultation. If I were to go through all the material available to me it would take me a week. It is all about consultation. With all due respect, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, the issue of consultation is referred to in various reports. I...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: It feels as if someone is putting a gun to my head. This is unfair and brings to mind the argument that if one puts enough smoke into the beehive, one will smother the queen bee. I feel a little smothered. I will return to the issue of consultation but before doing so, I record my disappointment. A sos should have been provided for from 1.30 p.m. to 2.15 p.m. to allow us to have a cup of...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: The thrust of the amendment tabled by Senator Donohoe on the issue of consultation, consultants and related matters is connected to the issue of having consultation before a proposal is made to have a harbour board subsumed into or taken over by another port authority. I have spoken on this issue previously and will speak on it again. I refer to the report, A Review of the State Regional...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: Yes. It is about consultation. It is critical to any proposed liaison or marriage, whether it is a shotgun wedding or something else, that the two parties meet. We are not going back to the old days of match-making, when the first time people met was on the day of the wedding.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: There was no consultation. There is some match-making going on here without any courtship, consultation or negotiation. Consultation is the important issue. A commitment was given on the amalgamation of Cork and Bantry. There was to be prior consultation. An operation for due diligence was set in place, which was never completed. I do not know why there is a rush. The simple solution,...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Denis O'Donovan: Certainly. I would be glad of a break.

Seanad: Gun Crime: Statements (18 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: At 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Gun Crime: Statements (18 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: This is a very important debate on the subject of gun crime. Crime of any description, especially murder, is deplorable. The catalyst for this debate was the unfortunate murder of Mr. O'Kane in East Wall. I live in a very peaceful location in the Mizen peninsula and at this time of Christmas I always ponder the appalling, high profile murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier which occurred half...

Seanad: Water and Sewerage Schemes (16 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise the ongoing saga of the Castletownbere sewerage scheme and treatment plant. I became a member of Cork County Council in 1985, which seems a long time ago, and it was already an issue at that time. It might be wrong to use the word "fudged", but it is one of the schemes in County Cork which has been kicked to touch. There have been more...

Seanad: Water and Sewerage Schemes (16 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I eagerly anticipate his visit to our neck of the woods to launch the scheme officially in 2009. I appreciate his response, which I hope will bring some clarity to the issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I would welcome a debate on the workings of the Equality Authority, the Equality Tribunal and the human rights commission. It is worth putting on record that the Equality Authority was set up in 1997 with a budget of €378,000. In the 11 years since then €47 million of public funds has been spent. The human rights commission was set up in 2001 with a budget of €278,000. Since then,...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Admissibility of Evidence) Bill 2008: Second Stage (10 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: It was a delayed reaction.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Admissibility of Evidence) Bill 2008: Second Stage (10 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister to the House and welcome the introduction of the Bill by Senator Regan. Before I move from the analogy of Senator Norris concerning the fruit of the rotten tree, I wish to say that from my limited knowledge of horticulture, rotten trees bear no fruit and should be avoided.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Admissibility of Evidence) Bill 2008: Second Stage (10 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: The fruit must be rotten, so.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Admissibility of Evidence) Bill 2008: Second Stage (10 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I compliment Senator Regan on the personal effort he has put into this Bill. The Minister was complimentary in acknowledging the thrust of what the Senator is endeavouring to achieve through the Bill and I am glad he will now have a close look at the issue to see what can be achieved. I accept the point made by the Minister and by the committee chaired by Dr. Gerard Hogan who is probably...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Admissibility of Evidence) Bill 2008: Second Stage (10 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I thank the Senator. My understanding of the judge's remarks, when put in layperson's terms, is that he was deeply concerned that a balance on this rule was not being achieved. In other words, he expressed a strong view in this case and regardless of whether one can call it obiter dictum, any view of an eminent judge in this regard must be taken on board. I also was interested to note the...

Seanad: Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (10 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I compliment him and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Smith, on taking effective and stern action on this major crisis. The Minister of State's hope that organic food producers are recognised for their work and that restrictions on them are lifted as soon as possible is welcome. Organic farming is close to his heart and...

Seanad: Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (10 Dec 2008)

Denis O'Donovan: I compliment the Minister of State and the Department on their work. We are on the road back from an awful crisis. We will learn from it and the food industry will become stronger.