Results 12,801-12,820 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: On the commission report, there are issues we can deliberate on in the future. It is an excellent report and the people involved must have put a good deal of effort into it. I congratulate the people involved, one of whom is the Clerk of the Seanad, Deirdre Lane. I commend the report and the people involved for all their hard work.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: It was very moving.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister and welcome the issuing of guidelines in the autumn. These will be presented to the joint Oireachtas committee. This is central to the democratic process. I am glad to be able to go home to Donegal and report to the three pensioners whose votes were intercepted in the last local election that there will be a full examination of the present system.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister. We have commenced the debate on this issue. I had intended to pursue a division but I acknowledge the Minister's frankness and openness in engaging in this debate and I will withdraw my amendments. However, local authorities are severely underresourced and do not have the personnel to maintain the electoral register. It is important to recognise this fact.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I hope this is not like the All-Ireland Championship in being a back-door system for electronic voting.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, before section 6, to insert the following new section: "6.—Section 6(2) of the Electoral Act 1997 is amended by the substitution of the following paragraph (b): '(b) each constituency shall return three, four, five or six if necessary, incorporating all of Leitrim and retaining its full constituency entity;'.". I have the pleasure of moving this amendment...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: Senator Bannon emphasised that this amendment does not affect the current boundary report. It is an amendment for the future to maintain Leitrim as a single entity. The people in Leitrim would prefer either a Sligo-Leitrim constituency or Leitrim-Roscommon.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following new subsection: "(2) In this Act, the 'Act of 1992' means the Electoral Act 1992.". During the last local elections and previously in the general election it came to the attention of many of us that there is quite an amount of fraud with regard to the electoral register. Two weeks ago a report in The Sunday...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: As I was not on the ticket I was not in a position to give him advice on that aspect, but I did advise him to vote only once. It is not illegal to be on the register so many times. I know the example I have given is an extreme one, but it does happen. We have an opportunity to change that today if we consider this sensibly. I discussed the matter with the Leader before this debate began. I...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: That is another example. I ask the Minister to give this matter serious consideration, in the interests of instilling confidence in the electorate.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I ask for the agreement of the House to share time with Senator Brian Hayes.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I welcome this independent commission's report on the redrawing of constituency boundaries. I listened to Senator Minihan's comments on county loyalties and recalled that in the 1930s west Donegal was in the same constituency as Leitrim. This is something people in Donegal would not understand today. We do not have a problem with county loyalty in Donegal as we have both Donegal North-East...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: Without mentioning the name of the child involved, I raise this matter in light of an individual case at Ballyheerin national school, County Donegal, of which details have been supplied. This child has been receiving one-to-one support through the facilitation of a resource teacher on an ongoing basis. The work that has been achieved to date, according to his parents and the school principal,...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. While I am not able to give forensic detail on whether the school applied to the SENO, as far as I am aware it did. If the case is not documented on the system this may be the opportunity for the school to do so. I will advise the board of management of the school accordingly.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Motion for Earlier Signature. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I am happy to support the earlier signature motion. Each local authority will be different, even those in Sligo and Donegal that have the same type of coastal zones. If there must be a consultation process between the Department and local authorities, an attempt should be made to liaise with jet ski users as they are the people who see the risks. I do not know if they have a network or...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I concur with the Leader of the House in regard to the grouping of the amendments which make the legislation straightforward. Other Ministers could do likewise because it makes it easier to work with legislation. Many small fishermen who operate one or two person boats have called for changes in the red tape and the constant bureaucratic...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: These amendments have been discussed in the Dáil and most found a general acceptance. The main concern of Members of my party when the Bill was debated in this House was that the enforcement of these laws will require substantial resources in terms of co-ordinating efforts between the Garda, harbour authorities and county councils. The latter may introduce by-laws and so on in this area. I...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: Will the Minister of State clarify whether the provisions regarding vessels less than 15 m refer also to jet skis? Are all mechanically propelled vehicles of less than 15m covered by these regulations?

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: The Minister of State alluded to this during the previous debate in the House and I welcome his commitment in this regard. Most of those who own jet skis are dedicated to partaking of the sport they enjoy in a safe and responsible manner. There does not seem to be an affiliated grouping for the sport but many experienced jet skiers have called for strict regulation in terms of the purchase...

Seanad: Morris Tribunal Reports: Motion. (15 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State and I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion tabled by the Labour Party. This is a most complex and difficult subject to speak on tonight both as a politician and as a Donegal man. Before dealing with the detail of the motion and the findings of the Morris tribunal, I wish to mention some of the personal human tragedies that were the outcome of what...