Results 1,301-1,320 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Oct 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The previous Government did considerable work on climate change. Ireland is one of the few countries to have climate change on the Statute Book. I refer to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. The Act has two key elements. An independent advisory council was to be set up and each Minister was to have the responsibility to report annually to the Dáil about emissions...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I support Senator Grace O'Sullivan in regard to her comments and to offer my sympathy to the families of those who have lost their lives while cycling. It is one of the only sectors where investment has gone backwards in recent months in that we have seen funding cut for the design of two major greenways. Ministers were appointed on 6 May and, since then, nearly every Minister has outlined...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I very much support the efforts of the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, to speed up the supply and the announcement of the rapid-build housing. The Minister is talking about supplying 1,600 of them. It was reported in The Sunday Timesat the weekend that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, is to shut the door on tax reliefs for Airbnb....

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Senator knows that is about the Fine Gael leadership.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I second that.

Seanad: Protection of Employment (Uncertain Hours) Bill 2016: First Stage (29 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I second the proposal.

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Taoiseach is very welcome. It is welcome that he should come to the Seanad today albeit he should do so on a more regular basis.

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I would like to see the Taoiseach attend the Seanad at the beginning and end of each term so that we would see him back here before Christmas. The level of the debate so far today has been very good and informative and I very much welcome that. I do not think politicians, like the media, have short memories. The reason I ran the campaign to have the Taoiseach attend today was that the...

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The point I made is that the Cabinet has collective responsibility in that regard.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for selecting this Commencement matter for debate. I have raised this issue again out of frustration. Last June, I raised the issue of the National Maternity Hospital, which has been located in Holles Street since the 19th century. It was established as a hospital in 1894. It is now the largest maternity hospital in Ireland and one of the largest in Europe,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I hate to say nothing has been added to this issue but time and both parties have been afforded the time. There is nothing new about this project as it has been known about since 1996. As I stated, the announcement was made in 2013. Moreover, as planning permission was to be applied for the last quarter of 2015, there is nothing new about this. If both parties believe they can resolve the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I apologise but I am quite passionate about this issue. I have been working at this since serving on the board of the National Maternity Hospital since 1999 and having seen the outdated facilities in which women are meant to have their children. It simply is unacceptable and we must move on from that.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Cathaoirleach.

Seanad: Economic Growth: Motion (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: That is absolute nonsense.

Seanad: Economic Growth: Motion (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I came to the House with no great intention to speak because my colleagues argued the point very clearly. I have been sitting here frustrated as I listened to thinly veiled attacks not just on Dublin Bus but also on Dublin from Fianna Fáil. I was totally dismayed by that. There is a subvention for all public transport throughout the country and not just to Dublin Bus. Dublin Bus has...

Seanad: Economic Growth: Motion (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I am not twisting them. The Members heard it.

Seanad: Economic Growth: Motion (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Senator will stand corrected. I am totally disgusted by the attack on the city.

Seanad: Economic Growth: Motion (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Public transport has a very positive effect on our carbon footprint.

Seanad: Economic Growth: Motion (28 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: We need to invest in our public transport. It is a constant theme since the last general election that there is attack after attack by Senators or Deputies - whether from Donegal or elsewhere - on Dublin city and the workers there. We are part of Ireland as well and we contribute more in taxation than many other regions. We are entitled to a good service. The people providing that service...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Priorities for Department of Social Protection: Minister for Social Protection (7 Sep 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Everybody has been suggesting ways the Minister can increase expenditure but I will start on a positive note by suggesting a way the Minister can increase revenues for his Department. This relates to bogus self-employment, an issue on which the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Finance commissioned a report. Over the summer months I talked to many young professionals who...