Results 1,621-1,640 of 3,623 for speaker:Ulick Burke

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 5: In page 16, line 12, after "college" to insert ", including a time scale for implementation,". If there is a necessity for the director to prepare a statement on the college's policies, it would be important to have a timescale for the implementation of those policies as prepared.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: Does the Minister not consider it important to set a date for the implementation of policy? It is a major statement of policy and such a date would be appropriate.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: Could the Minister not set a time limit within which the policy must be implemented? Often, reports and other implementation policies have not been implemented within such institutions.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 6: In page 20, to delete lines 26 to 30. It is difficult to understand why a particular official, director, president or so on with a view on a particular policy area would be restricted from expressing it, particularly at a committee as outlined. That opinion cannot or may not always be interpreted as a criticism of a Minister or Government, but if the person has a valid...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: The Minister said directors cannot make excuses for not spending certain moneys, if it could be taken as a criticism of policy. If, however, a director had a valid opinion it may not amount to an excuse and it may, in certain contexts, be appropriate to express it. The Committee of Public Accounts has, at times, been critical of Ministers and Government policy but where a director has a valid...

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 7: In page 30, line 30, after "Institute" to insert ", including a time scale for implementation,". This amendment is similar to amendment No. 5 in that it recognises the importance of an implementation date for policies.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 8: In page 33, to delete lines 24 to 28. These amendments are similar to amendment No. 6. I still believe that there are instances when a valid opinion should be heard.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Report Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I move amendment No. 10: In page 37, to delete lines 46 to 50. I hope this provision does not come back to haunt us in the future and that directors of institutes will not feel inhibited from expressing a view on what they feel may represent better policy going forward. If they are prevented from expressing opinions at meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts it would be regrettable.

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Fifth Stage. (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I thank the Minister and her officials for presenting the Bill to the House. It is probably the most important recent Bill concerning third level education as it gives autonomy to the institutes which they have sought for a long time. It takes responsibility from the Minister's jurisdiction and puts it under the Higher Education Authority. It also provides a level pitch for the institutes...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (6 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I support Senator Coghlan in his request for an early debate on the report of the financial services ombudsman, Mr. Joe Meade, particularly on issues relating to the sale of endowment mortgages by insurance companies during the 1980s and 1990s. It is a sorry situation that many of the people with such mortgages find themselves seriously under covered. This is reflected in the fact that there...

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Treacy, indicated that one speaker from each of the main parties should contribute before he addresses the Seanad. Is that agreeable?

Seanad: Institutes of Technology Bill 2006: Second Stage. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome this legislation on behalf of the Fine Gael group. We warmly embrace the concepts outlined in the legislation because of what they do for the institutes. It is important to realise that for the first time we have a recognition of the importance of the institutes vis-À-vis the universities. Under this legislation, they will be on a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: The Senator is the Taoiseach's permanent representative in the Seanad.

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: Was the Senator called up?

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: Teagasc has issued a report on the impact on Irish agriculture of the new World Trade Organisation trade agreement. The report makes it clear that there will be a further decline in Irish agriculture and the number of families involved in it. The report states that by 2015, Ireland will have as few as 8,000 full-time dairy farmers with viable businesses. The number of such farmers is...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: The incomes of many Irish households in economically sensitive areas will be so small that they will be unable to exist on their farming incomes as they have done before. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Agriculture and Food to come to the House to debate the matter. The Minister will be representing Ireland during the summer recess and it is important that she takes the issue...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: Senator Bannon is shying away from the suggestion now.

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: That is today's spin.

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: A thought for the day.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Jul 2006)

Ulick Burke: The Ryder Cup, which is a major sporting event, will have taken place in Ireland by the time the House meets again in the autumn. It is a major coup for Ireland to have attracted what is probably the third largest sporting event that will take place in the world this year. It is obvious that the organisers of the event have serious worries about controlling the crowds which are expected and...