Results 13,161-13,180 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Adjournment Debate. - Credit Unions. (18 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State for taking the time this evening to come to the House. I express the fear felt locally in County Donegal, coming from Sheephaven Credit Union which is extremely worried about the new consumer credit directive and how it will affect, on a grander scale, the smaller, rural type of credit union. As Senators are well aware, credit unions have filled a gap for a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (12 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: On the home front, I want to add my weight to Senator Cummins's call yesterday for a debate on the future of our international sports stadia. There is strong speculation that the capacity of Lansdowne Road will be reduced from 44,000 to 23,000 under new regulations. I highlight the concerns today in the aftermath of the friendly carnival event in Lansdowne Road last night enjoyed by people...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: I want to add my weight to the call for an urgent debate on the open skies policy. I agree with the call by Senators Daly and O'Meara for the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, to come to the House urgently because it is important that we discuss this. Regional aviation is an important issue for industrial, economic and social development.

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Jun 2003)

Joe McHugh: In light of recent job losses, there is a worrying trend emerging in that most of the losses have occurred in the north-west, in the counties straddling the Border, including counties Fermanagh, Tyrone and Donegal. I ask the Leader to organise a debate on how – given that we have Senator Maurice Hayes as a representative from Northern Ireland – we can collectively use this House to come...

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: In 1990 it took about 25 minutes to get from Ashbourne to Dublin city centre. In 2003 the journey takes one hour and ten minutes on average. On top of this— (Interruptions).

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I will let the people of Ashbourne know that Fianna Fáil find this a laughing matter. Some 20,000 people pass through the town daily. All we want are bus lanes – two bus lanes on a boreen from Dublin to Ashbourne – and a long-term plan for a bypass.

Seanad: Adjournment Matter. - Special Educational Needs. (27 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I raise the issue of dyslexia, although not on behalf of any organisation. As the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera, is aware, the Dyslexia Association of Ireland is a voluntary organisation which relies very much on subscriptions and voluntary inputs from teachers. It has done tremendous work. With its workers, volunteers and all those involved, it would like to see the recommendations...

Seanad: Adjournment Matter. - Special Educational Needs. (27 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. Will she or her officials consider inspecting the good work taking place in the out-of-school workshops in Donegal, which are helping young people with dyslexia in a voluntary capacity? There is no funding for the teachers or the buildings.

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I wish to raise the issue of the 600 public health doctors who have been on strike throughout the country for the past six weeks. Will the Leader impress upon the Department of Health and Children the need for the Department to intervene as a matter of urgency to address the doctors' gripes regarding a report which has not been implemented as well as pay structures? The doctors are willing to...

Seanad: Strategic Rail Review Report: Statements. (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister to the House. I am delighted he indicated at the launch of this report that he was not handcuffed to it and that he reiterated that sentiment today. If one were a tourist from America looking at the initial map in the review, one would think no one lived in Donegal. One would think the county was a vastly depopulated area like the Sahara or the Kalahari desert.

Seanad: Strategic Rail Review Report: Statements. (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I am not using this as a political football and this is not a political bashing session. The Minister knows that 140,000 people live in Donegal and he knows its hinterland. He has three ministerial colleagues from there and he will have heard from them on the subject. I assume I am not telling him anything new. We have an opportunity in Donegal. Under the spatial strategy, the route between...

Seanad: Rural Development Policy: Statements (Resumed). (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: Is this a different debate?

Seanad: Rural Development Policy: Statements (Resumed). (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: What was the previous title? There is a different title this time.

Seanad: Rural Development Policy: Statements (Resumed). (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: Yes, that is fair. It is protocol.

Seanad: Rural Development Policy: Statements (Resumed). (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: On a point of order, I was unaware of the protocol in respect of this debate being resumed. It is such an important issue that the debate could have recommenced under a different heading. Planning and rural development are not static. Rather, they have changed to a large degree since February and our contributions and input are vital. Will the Minister revisit this issue before the end of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: Although the current peace process in Northern Ireland has reached somewhat of an impasse, the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement still prevails. There is enhanced political and cross-Border communication at local and business levels. However, there is one impediment to enhanced cross-Border co-operation at business level, namely, the "roaming" mobile telephone charges that are incumbent on...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill 2003: Second Stage. (14 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome this timely legislation. I also welcome the fact that all Stages are being dealt with in the House this week. I hope the Bill has a speedy passage through the Houses because sensitive redundancy negotiations are taking place in Letterkenny at the Unify plant, where 250 workers were laid off three weeks ago. Senator Mansergh asked where the cut-off point in terms of retrospective...

Seanad: Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption: Motion. (7 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: First, I apologise for Senator Feighan's absence. He wanted to lead on this issue tonight as it falls within his brief. I congratulate the Labour Party on bringing forward this motion. On smoking, there is no distinction between the types of substances smoked. I was in England a week ago where the major trend seems to be in the direction of smoking cannabis. Perhaps it has not hit here to the...

Seanad: Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption: Motion. (7 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: We have to look at the major reports and the push being made by the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Heart Foundation and be realistic, not romantic, in our notion of smoking in bars. I say this without being in any way self-righteous about the matter because I do not smoke. While smokers should have choice – I do not want this to sound like a cliché – they do impinge on others if they...

Seanad: Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption: Motion. (7 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: The Senator needed a drink.