Results 1,601-1,620 of 1,625 for speaker:Pat O'Neill

Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (20 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister. I compliment the Leader on putting this format in place. Questions are preferable to people making speeches; we will learn more. Senator Ó Domhnaill raised the CAP and certain disadvantaged areas. Will it be the Minister's policy to defend the payments in those areas? In the eastern part of Ireland and even Cork, where the Minister and I are from, farmers receive...

Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (20 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I have two brief supplementary questions. Senator Susan O'Keeffe referred to the birds directive and special protection areas. These are causing major concerns in the agricultural industry. I accept that this is an EU directive, but I ask the Minister to try to gain a derogation on what is proposed. The directive will have major implications for drainage of wetlands, removal of hedges and...

Seanad: Mobile Phones: Motion (13 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I support what the Leader of the House said. We introduced the motion in our Private Members' time and, as the Leader said, Senator Mark Daly is welcome to bring his Bill before the House at any stage. I thank the Minister of State for his response. As Members said, research on the impact of electromagnetic fields, mobile phones, masts and such matters is ongoing. We need to obtain the...

Seanad: Mobile Phones: Motion (13 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I move: That Seanad Éireann recognising the conflicting publicly available information regarding the safety of mobile phones, calls on the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to consider the introduction of legislation that would require mobile phone operators and suppliers in Ireland to make available all information in their possession regarding the emission of...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I commend the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, on his proposed reorganisation of the VECs. The Minister has shown great understanding of his brief in the proposals he has brought forward-----

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: -----unlike the previous Administration whose changes would have proved unworkable and impractical.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister to make a statement to the House on the administrative centres of the proposed new VECs clarifying from where each VEC will be administered and what will happen to the present VEC offices. Some of the proposed changes involve amalgamating the VECs of two counties. A VEC may own offices in one county. Will this be the administrative centre or...

Seanad: Ambulance Service (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: The Senator may ask a supplementary question but not make a statement.

Seanad: Irish Sign Language (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: A question please, Senator.

Seanad: Irish Sign Language (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: A question.

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I wish to share time with Senator Keane. Are we sharing six minutes or do we have six minutes each?

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: We are sharing the six minutes.

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee. I disagree with Senator Quinn that we must be prepared to promote all new scientific developments in regard to food production. Napoleon said an army marches on its stomach. Food safety is one of the most important issues in the world today. The world has to produce 70% more food from its land by 2050 so the challenges for food, fuel and...

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: The Minister of State has five minutes to reply.

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: That concludes the statements. When is it proposed to sit again?

Seanad: Ambulance Service (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, to the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: He could be the guest speaker.

Seanad: Third Level Grants (28 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, for taking this matter. The issue I wish to raise is not a transport matter but one that has created problems for people living in my area in County Kilkenny. In the last budget announced in December the qualifying distance between home and college for the payment of a non-adjacent grant was increased from 24 km to 45 km. This issue...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (28 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I wish to share time with Senator Conway.

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (28 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and compliment him. He is one of the most accessible Ministers in the Government and I thank him for coming to the House today. The Supreme Court has constantly ruled that one of the primary responsibilities of a Government is to decide where and where not to spend public money. Prioritising some areas for spending is never an easy task but the...