Results 1,161-1,180 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Can I make a brief point? The Minister of State alluded to it earlier and it would be good to hear the Government response to the Coroners Society letter. The Government is of the belief there is no issue in terms of the independence of the coroner's role. Is the issue here that they were permanent employees previously or had permanent contracts and now that is being changed? Is that the...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: What is the reason for-----

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Sorry. I would like clarification on why we are changing from a full-term to a fixed-term contract.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: No problem.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: On the amendment, I would like to hear the Minister of State explain the rationale behind this. Why is it being proposed to switch from a full-time position until retirement, effectively, to a five-year term? Senator Ward does not have an issue with reviewing people's position and that is fair enough. The fear is some people at the moment are doing their job well and unless something goes...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Will the Minister of State respond to the point I made about the rationale behind going from permanent employment to fixed-term contracts?

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I welcome that. I acknowledge that the Minister is not here due to a sad personal circumstance. I am sorry to hear that. After the conclusion of the Bill in this House and before it gets to the Dáil, and notwithstanding the pressure of the Dublin situation in the middle of this month, it would be helpful and important if there would be some engagement by the Department with the...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Now.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Now.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Feb 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I thank the Acting Chair for expediting this Bill, which is important because the deadline is looming. I thank, in particular, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond. While he is a capable Minister of State, he is not normally a Minister of State in the Department of Justice. He may not be as familiar with this legislation as others and he has done a good job to steer it through the House...

Seanad: Family Carers: Motion [Private Members] (31 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Based on the time we have left and the number of speakers, not everybody will get in. I am counting Senator Higgins in already. If everyone takes a minute off, everybody will get in, but if everyone goes for six minutes they will not. Is it agreed we cut their speaking time to five minutes for everyone else? Agreed. I now call Senator Lombard, followed by Senators Malcolm Byrne, Kyne,...

Seanad: Family Carers: Motion [Private Members] (31 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Our next contributor is Senator Regina Doherty who has five minutes.

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Order for Second Stage (30 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (30 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I have up to ten minutes. As I say when I am in the Chair, consider it a maximum, not a target. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, for being in the House once again. I appreciate that this is a very technical Bill. However, we also appreciate the incredibly valuable work the coroner does and we are talking, too, in terms of the fact the senior coroner for Dublin is currently...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (30 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Next Thursday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Capital Projects and Operations: Iarnród Éireann (24 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: The purpose of today's meeting is to engage with Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail and be provided with an update on its capital projects and operational activities. I am very pleased to welcome Mr. Jim Meade, chief executive, Mr. Paul Hendrick, director of capital investments, and Mr. Barry Kenny, corporate communications manager. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Capital Projects and Operations: Iarnród Éireann (24 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: That is only about one third of them. I have a load more.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Capital Projects and Operations: Iarnród Éireann (24 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I would not go that far. We will try.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Capital Projects and Operations: Iarnród Éireann (24 Jan 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I have Sligo-Longford queries. I have Galway queries. I have Limerick-Ennis queries. I have Kerry queries. I have Cork queries. It is almost like Iarnród Éireann's arterial network. I have got queries from people about all those lines, and then from some people who do not have lines but want lines.