Results 13,261-13,280 of 14,090 for speaker:Marc MacSharry
- Seanad: Order of Business (9 Feb 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I ask the Leader to arrange a debate at an early date on the issue of higher education. Senators may be aware of a proposal from the institutes of technology in the north west in particular to come together as a multi-campus university of technology. This proposal is not getting the kind of attention it requires from the Higher Education Authority and from the Government and should be...
- Seanad: Investment in Education: Motion (8 Feb 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I join with others in welcoming the Minister to the House. While we are afforded many opportunities to score political points and to have a go at each other about various issues, I do not intend to use my few minutes today to do that. There are not many people in the Visitors Gallery, just as was the case last week for the motion on this issue in the Dáil, where the media refused to cover...
- Seanad: Investment in Education: Motion (8 Feb 2012)
Marc MacSharry: Give us the books.
- Seanad: Investment in Education: Motion (8 Feb 2012)
Marc MacSharry: What about value for children?
- Seanad: Investment in Education: Motion (8 Feb 2012)
Marc MacSharry: We could cut the electricity in rural Ireland while we are at it as I am sure it is expensive.
- Seanad: Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Feb 2012)
Marc MacSharry: The Minister is an exception in that regard.
- Seanad: Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Feb 2012)
Marc MacSharry: As always, I welcome the Minister to the House. He has a very difficult job. He is very busy and we are glad to see him here in person. That is not to say his Ministers of State are not very welcome here. Fianna Fáil, as the Minister will have heard from Deputy Kelleher in the Dáil, welcomes this Bill in principle and would like to assist in improving it on Committee Stage, if possible....
- Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I join other Members in seeking a debate on the motion. We will use our Private Members' time next week to discuss the rural schools, which is an important issue. Notwithstanding that these are difficult times and cuts are necessary, this cut is not necessary. The cost to society generally and to rural Ireland far outweighs any benefit in the context of savings in the Department of...
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I agree wholeheartedly with Senator Healy Eames. I would welcome such a debate. Next week, the Private Members' debate in the Dáil will give all Government Deputies the opportunity to reverse these cuts and ensure that our local rural schools are protected. I call on all Members of that House to do that. As co-author of the Family Home Bill, which was defeated in the House by just three...
- Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I am pleased, if I could just speak for a moment. While I appreciate that the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality is considering this issue, can the heads of the Bill also be put before this House for a debate at this time, to feed into the joint committee's deliberations on the issue? While the Bill contains many welcome features, many of them were included in the Bills Fianna...
- Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank the Independent Group for using Private Members' time to discuss this important issue. I apologise for the absence of a number of my colleagues but there is an important funeral in Cork today. There are not as many of us around for the debate but I would not like anybody to think that undermines the importance that our party attaches to...
- Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: During the debate on suicide, I highlighted an aspect of a Millward Brown poll of Deputies, which showed that more than 50% of them felt that anybody with a mental health issue should not have children. I am sure if Senators were polled the outcome would not be as bad. Other research confirms that Oireachtas Members and society generally have similar views of people with disabilities, which...
- Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: Hear, hear.
- Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I support the call by other speakers for an urgent debate on the issue of broadcasting. The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, announced on "Morning Ireland" this morning his intention to introduce a broadcasting charge based on advice that many people are watching programmes on ipads and so on, in respect of which they are not obliged to pay a licence fee. I invite the Minister to visit parts of...
- Seanad: Suicide Prevention: Statements (12 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I join Members in welcoming the Minister of State to the House. I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak on the issue. I welcome the representatives of Clondalkin community action on suicide group. We received their paper and congratulate them on their work in suicide prevention. There are many reasons for failure but there are no excuses. Collectively, the Houses of the Oireachtas...
- Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I join with Senator Darragh O'Brien in calling for a debate on unemployment, specifically about this morning's announcement from Ulster Bank. Several times over the past few months, as Senator Darragh O'Brien said, we have called on the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, to have his Department carry out an audit of businesses at risk. Clearly, the banks have been...
- Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I did not interrupt Deputy Paul Coghlan. It would be important for the Government to assess what it can do to alleviate the difficulties experienced by some businesses such as banks, many exporting companies and service industries. If the Department does not have the resources to assess these business, it should engage with the representative organisations such as Chambers Ireland, ISME and...
- Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I ask the Leader to arrange an early debate with the Minister for Social Protection. As Members are no doubt aware, a national review is being conducted of community employment schemes. Cuts to the schemes were pencilled in but a review was announced on foot of the cross-party reaction. I ask that all stakeholders be included in the review because I fear we may be penny wise and pound...
- Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jan 2012)
Marc MacSharry: I am about to finish and appreciate the Cathaoirleach's leniency. When I telephoned the medical card helpline recently to protest about the delay in dealing with a client the person at the end of the line, who did not give me a name, informed me there were people on palliative care who had been waiting for a medical card since July 2011. It was as if this in some way justified the level of...
- Seanad: Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)
Marc MacSharry: The outstanding moneys actually come to â¬162 million.