Results 12,841-12,860 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 May 2005)

Joe McHugh: My point is that while Donegal has had the special privilege of these visits, the people of the county are not interested in a decentralised Cabinet on tour en masse but in decentralised jobs. I look forward to the debate on decentralisation and to the comments of Senator Dooley and the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, who is the boy we want up in Donegal.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second and Subsequent Stages. (5 May 2005)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister to the House. Fine Gael will support this Bill because it is technical in nature. I thank civil servants for bringing it to our attention yesterday and briefing us in anticipation of today's debate. The real issue here is rushed legislation. I do not have the experience to decide whether rushed or unrushed legislation is better but history shows that rushed legislation...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 May 2005)

Joe McHugh: I agree with Senator White who raised a very relevant point with regard to the long-term sustainability of indigenous industry. Our economists can only forecast as far as 2006 regarding predicted growth of 5.5%. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to know that we will have that growth because 12% of all investment resources are tied up in the construction sector. We must examine the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 May 2005)

Joe McHugh: We should facilitate the people who are currently tied up in the construction sector by offering them training programmes for the future post-construction sector. We need a debate on this issue in the short term.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (4 May 2005)

Joe McHugh: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (4 May 2005)

Joe McHugh: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (4 May 2005)

Joe McHugh: I also welcome this legislation, as is proper for anything that deals with safety on the sea. I did not have an opportunity to speak because my colleague Senator Feighan took this Bill through the Seanad previously. As good as this legislation is from bureaucratic and administrative points of view, there is a serious problem with people who are now preparing for the summer by purchasing jet...

Seanad: Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines: Statements. (28 Apr 2005)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister to the House. I acknowledge his contribution in accepting that there is a tradition of dispersed planning patterns in rural Ireland. Rural people want to continue to live in rural areas. Particular areas have suffered greatly from population decline in the last 20 years. In Glenvar, where my mother was born, the national school has closed down and there has been severe...

Seanad: Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines: Statements. (28 Apr 2005)

Joe McHugh: Certainly not. I was under strict instructions to mention it. I feel there should be increased resources to planning departments, especially in areas where many decentralised offices are up and running.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (27 Apr 2005)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I raise this issue on the Adjournment with more than passing interest. I have a personal interest as Scoil Eoin Baiste, Carrigart, was the school in which I started my education, in 1975. I spent eight years at the school. From my vague memory of entering the school in 1975, I recall that it was one of the finest — if not the finest — national...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (27 Apr 2005)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State for his response. The school staff and board of management intend to lobby hard to achieve this. The Minister for Education and Science will be hearing from them as their lobbying will be a very professional operation.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (27 Apr 2005)

Joe McHugh: The Minister of State is absolutely correct.

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: As many people in this House will be aware, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, Rory O'Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell and the Maguires of Fermanagh, along with their families, left Ireland forever in an event known as the flight of the earls. The date was 14 September 1607 and the place of departure was Rathmullan, County Donegal. This was of major importance to Ireland as it drew a symbolic line...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: A health and safety audit has been carried out on a national basis in most general hospitals over the past two weeks. The main objective of this audit is to determine whether hospitals are in breach of health and safety guidelines. Can the Leader ask the Tánaiste on what basis these hospitals were selected? Why was Letterkenney General Hospital not selected? I have a sneaky suspicion that,...

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: There should not be a debate tonight. We have in our company Senator Mansergh who is a skilled and experienced debater but there is no issue about which to argue the toss. It is a black and white issue. We are talking about children and young adults under 18 years of age who are not allowed buy a lottery ticket or to go into bookmakers' offices because there is a legal age limit in place. We...

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: Perhaps the Cabinet is to be decentralised to County Donegal. We have had nothing but Ministers in the county over the past six months. I appreciate that I have digressed. Many Ministers, including the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, are familiar with the work of the Donegal Youth Council, which is a democratically elected body of young people between the ages of 16 and 18 who represent...

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: When is Senator Leyden going to get to the point?

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: The Senator is suggesting that we should not concern ourselves with matters affecting young people.

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: The line should be drawn at 18 years of age.

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

Joe McHugh: They could carry identification cards.