Results 1,201-1,220 of 1,677 for speaker:Ned O'Sullivan

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: When people have a drink or are giving guests a drink, they will know exactly how much they are pouring. If people wanted a second drink, they would be more than welcome to get one. This is a good idea. One of the cheaper scotch whiskys used to do it via a screw-off top that was actually a British measure, which was slightly smaller than ours. Perhaps Irish distillers might take up this...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I again call for a debate on the horse racing industry in Ireland during this term. As everybody will be aware, the horse racing industry in Ireland is worth millions of euro to our economy. However, as is the case in many other sectors it, too, is suffering as a result of the recession. The recent scare in regard to the use of horse meat in burgers triggered a great deal of media reports...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I sincerely thank Mr. Mitchell for coming before us today and for giving a paper which was quite interesting and compelling. I also commend the manner in which he dealt with the subsequent corollary questions. As Senator Mullen said, he is very much in command of his brief. He has had a long and successful political career and has been quite a strong performer at elections. To a certain...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I put it on the record before. I can assure the Leader that I am fully cured. In response to an earlier question, Mr. Mitchell contrasted the different styles of parliamentary activityvis-à-vis the Dáil and the European Parliament. We inherited the confrontational politics from the mother of parliaments in England and there is a more consensus type approach in Europe. Are there aspects...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Do not push it too far.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Second Stage (23 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House and commend him on being, as he said, the first Minister to initiate two items of legislation in the Seanad within as many months. That is a way of identifying the positive uses of the Seanad. We can be an important vehicle, if the Minister will pardon the pun, for legislation and if other Ministers took a leaf out of the Minister's book it...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I said that.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Fair play to the Minister for steamrolling them. After 22 years as a town councillor, I never thought I would be in Leinster House singing the requiem for town councils. It is regrettable and very sad. Pining for town councils is in no way backward looking. They gave fantastic service and what I liked most about them - I was also a county councillor - was the manner in which the urban...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: All my neighbours are in business and are very concerned that the advantageous rating position they had vis-à-vis the county will change. When the Minister talks about harmonisation, we all know what that means. It is a dangerous word. If there is harmonisation, somebody is coming up but somebody is going down. More than likely, the town council rates will go up. The Acting Chairman...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: There must be something going on there. The Minister stated that the new electoral areas will follow the existing ones as far as possible. At the same time, they will be based on the town centres. Tralee is one centre and Listowel is another while there is a sizeable village of Ballyheigue-----

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Ballyheigue is four miles from Tralee and is in the Listowel area, from which it is 25 miles. Do I infer from this that Ballyheigue must be in the Tralee area? Could the Minister comment on that? I was involved and had a good time in partnerships, which have a role. Local authorities must be paramount. There is more accountability in local authorities than in any voluntary groups.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister back to the House. He is a Minister who gives great value when he comes here because he is prepared to engage and spar with us.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: It brings life to the debate whereas many debates are just set pieces where the Minister says A, we say B and out the door with us.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: As long as the Minister is prepared to do that, we will certainly accept and welcome it. I will not make a long speech as I have spoken on this on a number of occasions on the Order of Business, on Second Stage debates and so on. However, I am stunned that the Minister had the ability and courage to be able to drive through the abolition of town councils against such ferocious opposition...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister back to the House. He is a Minister who gives great value when he comes here because he is prepared to engage and spar with us.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: It brings life to the debate whereas many debates are just set pieces where the Minister says A, we say B and out the door with us.

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements (22 Jan 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: As long as the Minister is prepared to do that, we will certainly accept and welcome it. I will not make a long speech as I have spoken on this on a number of occasions on the Order of Business, on Second Stage debates and so on. However, I am stunned that the Minister had the ability and courage to be able to drive through the abolition of town councils against such ferocious opposition...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage: Fee-Paying Schools (20 Dec 2012)

Ned O'Sullivan: Under Standing Order 62(3)(b), I ask that the division be taken again by other than electronic means. As it is Christmas, we should have a waltz through vote.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2012)

Ned O'Sullivan: The old age pension?

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2012)

Ned O'Sullivan: I have great respect for Standing Orders, but with the Cathaoirleach's indulgence, I hope he will allow me to acknowledge the death of a great Kerry hero, Páidí Ó Se, who is being buried today. It is no boast that he was a personal friend of mine because he was a personal friend of everybody in County Kerry and loved and respected the world over. Something has left the hearts of Kerry...