Results 13,141-13,160 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: This tells local people that the Government is treating them like mugs. It thinks they are stupid and that they are not able to interpret what is happening.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: To return to the tourism slogan, this issue might actually shed some light on why it is different up there – the Government acts differently there compared to here.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Capitation Grants. (26 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have called on the Minister for Education and Science to outline the plans in place to increase the capitation grant to voluntary secondary schools to meet the cost of insurance. I have raised this issue because I have been contacted by the management of the Catholic Secondary Schools Association and by my local secondary school, Loreto College,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Capitation Grants. (26 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: Good news is rarer than hens' teeth at the moment.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Capitation Grants. (26 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: Níl mé an-sásta. There is something amiss here. Last October, I received a letter from representatives of all voluntary and Catholic schools, while last November, I also received a letter from a secondary school. The Minister of State digressed when he referred to what he described as the unbelievable increases in funding to this area since 1997. The voluntary schools seek an increase of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: There are positive aspects in terms of better local government, but also many shortcomings, such as in planning, which both sides of the House raise as a very important urban and rural issue. Planning at local authority level is under-resourced and under pressure at the moment. We had a public announcement by the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party after the Ard Fheis, at which the Cathaoirleach...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: —about addressing planning. Another of the party's Ministers, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, got 20 minutes on the "Six One News". Bryan Dobson travelled to Galway to talk about how they were going to address the problems in planning, especially in rural areas. However, I am bemused by the recent stealth tax announced by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: Ordinary people in rural and urban areas will be waiting up to a year and a half to get their planning through.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: We are restricting, not encouraging planning, which is completely against the Taoiseach's announcement.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: On a point of information, I am still a member of the local authority.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: It now takes two years to get planning permission.

Seanad: National Development Plan Mid-Term Evaluation: Statements. (5 Nov 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. From the point of view of my constituency and its general hinterland, the BMW region, the ESRI report does not really affect us. The people in this region know there is wastage and that there are problems regarding value for money and general spending. General expenditure is tilted towards the east of the country. We did not need the ESRI report...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Oct 2003)

Joe McHugh: Regarding the sentiments expressed yesterday by Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú on illegal Irish immigrants in the US, post September 11 these people, who have been there for perhaps ten or 15 years, or even longer, without green cards are living in fear of being returned home. They cannot come home to weddings and they live in fear of their parents getting sick or dying because they cannot go...

Seanad: Order of Business. - OECD Education Report: Statements. (16 Oct 2003)

Joe McHugh: The OECD report has to be broadly welcomed and congratulations are due to those in our excellent teaching profession who have to work under certain stresses in terms of limited resources in some situations. A major factor in the mathematics score being so low is the large class sizes at primary school level. In an ideal world, a class of 12 would be appropriate, but we should aim towards...

Seanad: Fishery Policy: Statements. (15 Oct 2003)

Joe McHugh: Salmon fish farming has been an economic success story in County Donegal, specifically on the Fanad peninsula where the hydro fisheries have been developed under Norwegian influence. Fish farming has made the local community vibrant, as well as helping local people to remain in the region. The fish farming sector is concerned, however, that lice is a major problem. Only two products are...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: I support Senator O'Toole's call for a proactive debate on agriculture. On the last occasion on which we discussed this matter the debate was similar to a tennis match at Wimbledon; it was merely a point-scoring political exercise. Farming is in trouble and I am a little concerned – perhaps the Senator opposite received prior notice – at the commendation and the praise being heaped on the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: What about the SAC categories which come under the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government?

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: About which there was no debate.

Seanad: Military Neutrality: Motion. (25 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House for this enlightening debate. It seems that neutrality is back on track again. Our neutrality was shown to be non-existent during the recent Iraqi war. That is probably the reason we are here tonight contributing to this debate. Deputy Gay Mitchell must be complimented on his forward thinking. He took a political risk. I recall my first radio...

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: Last week, I welcomed the decision of the European Parliament to vote in favour of the preservation of the Irish Box. However, it transpires that the bureaucrats of the Commission in Brussels are working hard to further reduce the Irish Box north of Galway. This is a serious issue and it is important that the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, keeps his eye on the ball in negotiations at the...