Results 1,301-1,320 of 7,581 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. My colleague, Senator McDowell, has already adverted to the strange situation where we get five minutes in which to make Second Stage contributions in respect of a Bill of this importance. It is in keeping with a pattern in recent years of less and less respect for the deliberative process in these Houses, in particular the Seanad. I regret that. I...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage may well be licking his wounds this morning after Independent Deputy, Carol Nolan, effectively went through him for a shortcut yesterday in the Dáil because of the way he answered her question about social cohesion issues that might arise from the combined challenges of the housing crisis, immigration and asylum issues and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: That is not what is being said.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I heard what Senator Moynihan had to say about the latest British abortion statistics and the number of women giving Irish addresses. What she did not mention, of course, is that the vast majority of abortions are now taking place in Ireland and that the figures for abortions taking place have vastly increased since abortion was legalised. Thousands more innocent lives have been lost. This...

Seanad: Annual Transition Statement: Statements (22 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I will try to stay within the allocated time as well. Having listened to Senator O'Reilly and the Minister of State, I was struck by their eloquence and the importance of what they have said, particularly what the former said about the most vulnerable people in the world. I empathise deeply with what they have said but I find myself feeling that there are things that I must say here because...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I am glad to see that the meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media where it was proposed to bring in representatives from RTÉ on foot of the discussion of transgender-related issues on "Liveline" is not now going ahead. Though I have often criticised RTÉ over the waste of public money and often raised questions about issues of fairness...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (21 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: Does the Senator fancy his chances?

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (21 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I want to kind of cut to a particular issue in relation to this Bill, which is the question of donations made for political purposes. The Bill proposes to make no change in terms of definition. As the Minister knows, a campaign is under way by some NGOs for the definition of “political purposes” to be loosened to ensure that their huge sources of private funding –...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (21 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: -----at any stage. Close the loophole.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: Go raibh maith agat. I will stay within my time, yes, yes, I will, yes, yes.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: On a more serious note, the recent horrific attack and mass murder of people in St. Francis Catholic Church in the Owo district of Ondo in Nigeria should horrify us all. We must have a debate in this House about the persecution of people for their faith worldwide, in particular the horrifying attacks that are going on against Christians in Nigeria. I took part in a very interesting...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I understand that. The Cathaoirleach might stop the clock for a moment as I want to make a point of order on that. I have no intention of criticising the President and I have no intention of seeking to hold the President to account, but it must be possible to say in this House on occasion “agree with this” or “don't agree with that”. If we lose the power to do...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I understand. I will bí cúramach. However, we probably need to get the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, CPPO, to decide how we interpret Standing Orders in a way that is rational so we do not have unnecessary obstacles here to reasonable context giving.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I will work on that from my side. To return to my point, part of the President's comment was very welcome and part of his comment the bishop described as far-fetched and unhelpful. When I spoke to the bishop, he was very generous about President Higgins and said “I do not really blame him.” However, the Nigerian Government is pushing an analysis that seeks to portray these...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Strategic Priorities for Horse Racing Ireland: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome all our guests. On the subject of gambling, I always feel a little conflicted about this issue given I was involved in bringing in the late, great Barney Curley to the Houses when we honoured him in 2015 for his wonderful charitable work for schools and hospitals in Africa. At the same time, it pricks my conscience as a legislator when I look at racing, generally on a Saturday...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Strategic Priorities for Horse Racing Ireland: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: Relative to other organisations, however, HRI is certainly in a very fortunate position to have a whole area of tax in the State ring-fenced for the purposes of its activities. Ms Eade would have to agree a lot of organisations would envy its position, as would the promoters of many other activities in the country. We will move on from that because I want to follow on from what Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Strategic Priorities for Horse Racing Ireland: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Strategic Priorities for Horse Racing Ireland: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Strategic Priorities for Horse Racing Ireland: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: I understand that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Strategic Priorities for Horse Racing Ireland: Discussion (15 Jun 2022)

Rónán Mullen: The public expects that when big revenue comes in, for example, in Croke Park, then that would fund what happens around the country in, say, Duggan Park, Ballinasloe, County Galway, but the opposite seems to happen in the horse racing industry. I accept that there is a bigger pie than there used to be but the HRI used to get 7%. As I understand it, the HRI negotiated a fee or fixture...