Results 1,641-1,660 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I have referred to the Personal Insolvency Bill on a regular basis since the recess. It will be one of the most important Bills to come before the House. More than one in five mortgages are in distress. I am disturbed that the Government is not providing information on how the Bill was designed. Following the publication of the draft heads in January, Simon Carswell of The Irish Times...

Seanad: Mortgage Credit (Loans and Bonds) Bill 2012: Second Stage (17 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Bill and commend the interest of Senator Barrett in this area. It grieves me that four years into probably the greatest financial disaster we have seen in our lifetime we are still trying to get to grips with some of the basic actions that need to be taken. That reflects badly on recent Administrations, and I am not excluding my party, and certainly includes the current...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Will the Leader arrange debates in the House on alternate weeks on the fiscal position in the run-up to the budget, which is crucial if we want to restore consumer confidence, investor confidence and job creation? The settling of the fiscal situation is the one issue that is under our control. I am a critic of the Minister, Deputy Howlin, for his serious failures in that regard. We should...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Aontáim leis an méid atá ráite ag na Seanadóirí Cáit Keane agus Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. Is dócha go bhfuil dualgas orainn mar Bhaill an Oireachtais an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. Chabhródh caitheamh an fáinne go mór leo siúd nach bhfuil an Ghaeilge go flúirseach acu. Níl ach Gaeilge na hardteistiméireachta fágtha agam. Caithfimid seans a thabhairt do dhaoine nach bhfuil...

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Níl aon eagla orm go ndéanfaidh an tAire, an Teachta Howlin, aon rud chun cúrsaí airgeadais a réiteach.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Measaim go bhfuil an méid atá ráite ag an Seanadóir ceart go leor. Muna bhfuil dáta faoi leith chun an aistriú a chríochnú leagtha amach, nach bhfuil dainséar ann go rachfaidh daoine áirithe go dtí na cúirte mar gheall ar sin? Is gné an-tábhachtach den mhéid atá ráite ag an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh é sin.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Aontaím leis an Seanadóir. Dar liom gur cóir go mbeadh seans ag an Seanadóir Trevor Ó Clochartaigh na leasuithe seo a phlé nuair a bheidh muid ag caint maidir le alt 3. Is dóigh liom go bhfuil sé oiriúnach plé a dhéanamh orthu ag an am sin.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I do not know how many Members were watching the RTE programme which followed the news last night. It was about the issue of assisting people, some of whom were quite ill, to take their own lives. There was an effort at balance by the inclusion of a person who was opposed to that concept. However, like most RTE programmes on such social issues, there was an editorial agenda. Certainly,...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Every week I become more alarmed at how out of touch our public service, public service unions and the political establishment in general is with the difficulties people are encountering and at the complete disconnect or lack of empathy with their problems. This House could usefully focus on those issues. I appeal to the acting Leader that we address issues like banking on a weekly basis....

Seanad: Primary Care Centres: Motion (10 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I wish to share my time with Senator Thomas Byrne.

Seanad: Primary Care Centres: Motion (10 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, to the House and congratulate him on his appointment. I wish him well. Primary care is essential. It is important to emphasise that it will ultimately save money in the health service. There is a need for greater emphasis on programmes which encourage people to avoid incurring medical conditions which are not good for them or the...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on good governance. It would be a useful exercise to reflect the views of various sides of the House on what constitutes good governance. Yesterday, we saw an example of appalling governance at the Committee of Public Accounts to which Senator MacSharry referred. How such people reach certain positions must raise questions about the selection and...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I wish, first, to comment on a couple of comments the Minister made in applauding and commending people who adopt children and people involved in the foster care sector.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I am aware of that, but this has to do with it.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I pay tribute to them because without their input or without having people who subscribe to that particular service -----

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: ---which concerns the best interests of the children. I echo what the Minister said in that regard. Having listened to the debate on this amendment, I see it related to the first part of the proposed Article 42A.2.1°, but not in the manner suggested by the Minister, which probably reflects the views of her officials, that in some way adoption is a natural follow-on to what is there. I see...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: It is very pertinent from the point of view that we are all here -----

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: We are all here supporting the sentiments and the thrust of what is behind this constitutional amendment and want to see it passed. Some people will have strong reservations of the nature I outline. The purpose behind the Minister publishing the draft adoption Bill was to give some clarity to the public in advance of their adjudicating on the constitutional amendment. All I am doing is...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I ask the Minister to consider this issue. The Baby Ann case was also mentioned. There is an issue in that regard, with regard to the length of time it took our services to deal with that case. The child was two years old before the decision was made. There are issues surrounding this that are pertinent to the arguments made in the amendment and to our consideration and the Minister's...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: The Minister has reasonably reassured some of my concerns. I was laying more emphasis on exceptional cases, however, as some sort of qualification in the failing in duties. I noted the debate concentrated considerably on the word ?proportionate?. As I read it, proportionate means as provided by law. Does that not qualify it?