Results 1,241-1,260 of 2,118 for speaker:Michael Mullins

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: I, too, support the call for an inquiry into the death of Fr. Niall Molloy, if we are to have total confidence in the justice system. There were glaring difficulties in the case which need to be addressed. I also support the call by my colleague Senator Colm Burke for the Minister for Health to clarify the position on junior doctors in advance of 1 July. There is obviously a concern that...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: I wish to raise a matter of health and safety. It has been brought to my attention that commercial interests are promoting the sale of gypsum products for use as animal bedding in slatted units and other holding facilities. Gypsum, when washed into slurry pits, will break down in the anaerobic conditions in a pit over time, thus releasing the extremely toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. The gas...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospice Services (5 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White. If a promise had never been made to Galway Hospice Foundation for funding I would want to support a call that the facility be adequately funded and that the moneys required for its expansion would be made available as it provides an incredible service, with limited resources, to the community and surrounding areas. We all know families...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: At 10.30 tomorrow morning.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: Mr. Adrian Kavanagh, the political scientist, has suggested women candidates may be successful in the newly enlarged constituencies based on evidence from the last local elections. This is to be welcomed because it is the Government's aim to increase the level of female representation. It gives me pleasure to support the Bill. No doubt there will be difficulties and teething problems for...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (5 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: I also welcome the Minister of the State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to the House. The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012 was introduced on foot on the publication of the Constituency Commission report in 2010 and is part of the Government's programme of political reform. The Bill proposes, for the first time since 1980, a reduction in the numbers of Members of Dáil...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2013)

Michael Mullins: I want to raise an issue that emerged in an RTE documentary entitled "Generation Sex" last night, on which some of today's newspapers have reported. It was indicated on the documentary that children as young as nine or ten years of age were viewing online hard core pornography and that shocked parents had absolutely no idea how to control what their children were viewing. Professor Roche of...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Emer Costello, MEP (28 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: I join others in welcoming Ms Costello. Her political experience and achievements go before her and they are well known among everybody involved in politics here over the past number of years. She was successful as Lord Mayor of Dublin and she was responsible for many achievements. She referred a number of times to the ¤2.5 billion in Union aid for the most deprived and she is rapporteur...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Emer Costello, MEP (28 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: Senator Moran has never met her before.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (28 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: Like my colleagues, I welcome the good news on the jobs front in recent days. I hope these are positive green shoots that will grow significantly during the coming year. The number of people at work is 1.85 million, which is an increase of 6,500 in recent months. It proves the Action Plan on Jobs is beginning to pay dividends. I would like the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: The Case of Mr. Sergei Magnitsky: Discussion (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: I, too, welcome Mr. Browder. Like everybody here, I am horrified by this case. As parliamentarians, we certainly want to do everything we possibly can to get justice for Mr. Magnitsky. I have one question. I am really intrigued as to how Mr. Browder succeeded in getting documentation from inside the prison to prove that Mr. Sergei Magnitsky was so badly ill-treated and denied access to...

Seanad: Magdalen Laundries Report: Statements (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: Spokespersons have eight minutes within which to make their contributions and all other Senators have five minutes.

Seanad: Magdalen Laundries Report: Statements (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and call on her to address the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: I am interested in the cover of the documentation which shows a demonstration in Dublin on the property tax and other taxes. I am curious as to why Amnesty International would show such a demonstration on its cover given that the taxes and charges were approved by Government and are part of Government policy. As I would have expected Amnesty International to be neutral on the political...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: It would not be premeditated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: That is one question I wished to raise. In regard to the nine cases the witness highlighted, I presume these are carried over from a previous presidency. Has significant progress been made on any of those cases in the six months prior to the Irish Presidency and is it expected that progress will be made during our Presidency on any of these cases?

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: Maybe we could have the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform come to the House?

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: I join Senator Healy Eames in welcoming the fact that the Government is to introduce legislation to reduce some of the exorbitant pensions paid to retired Oireachtas Members and public servants. I hope the figure will be higher than the reported one of 5%. Those who were involved in the negotiation of the new public service agreement are to be complimented on their efforts to ensure those...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Library Projects (26 Feb 2013)

Michael Mullins: I thank the Minister for taking this matter relating to the new library project in Ballinasloe. The public library service in Ballinasloe has suffered because the existing library building in the town, which opened in 1971, has not been satisfactory due to poor location and poor design. The physical condition of the building has deteriorated considerably in recent years and there has been...