Results 1,701-1,720 of 1,837 for speaker:Eamon Scanlon

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: It was stated that the Taoiseach introduced some of the tax breaks referred to earlier when he was Minister for Finance. That was 14 years ago, when this country was staggering, with interest rates at 15% to 17%.

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: That is not relevant. Some of the tax breaks were introduced before 1994 and some were introduced after that. They have made a substantial difference to the economy. I come from a rural area in the north west and because of tax breaks, there is blood in the veins of rural areas. Now there are people living in rural areas, where previously they could not get work or have a house. It would be a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 May 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: We opened a development in Sligo recently that cost €45 million, providing 200 jobs and including a multistorey car park. Were it not for tax breaks, that development would not have taken place.

Seanad: Suicide Incidence: Statements. (19 May 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I welcome the Minister of State and will make a few comments on what is a very sad problem in Irish society. This matter is a tragedy of enormous proportions as not a town, village or parish is unaffected by suicide today. The figure of 444 people who took their own lives in 2003 is only the documented figure but there are experts who would suggest that many more people fall within this...

Seanad: Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines: Statements (Resumed). (12 May 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the sustainable rural housing guidelines for planning authorities put forward by the Minister, Deputy Roche, and I warmly welcome them. I have been calling for such guidelines for some time, from when I was a member of Sligo County Council and since my election to Seanad Éireann. Some of them will improve all aspects of the planning...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 May 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I concur with Senator O'Toole's comments regarding the Personal Injuries Assessment Board. I compliment the board's chairman, Dorothea Dowling, and its vice chairman, Senator O'Toole, on their work which has contributed to the reduction in the cost of insurance. At the time we debated the legislation to establish the board, 40% of an insurance claim comprised legal costs, which was a...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (22 Mar 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I have some knowledge of farming and while the value of a lamb or a sheep may not be as high as the cost of a visit from a vet, the farmer would have the welfare of the animal at heart in all cases with which I have dealt. Farmers can deal with 99.9% of lambing cases and vets are usually called out when cows are calving, which is when serious problems can occur. Vets are always called in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Mar 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: Will the Leader consider a debate on the draft guidelines for sustainable rural housing? Many issues in this regard should be debated and teased out. I have reservations about some of the guidelines, particularly a draft regulation stipulating that one must agree to an occupancy clause for seven years. This is being implemented across the country, although not in every county. That one cannot...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (9 Mar 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (9 Mar 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I wish to share my time with Senator Mansergh.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage (Resumed). (9 Mar 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate the Tánaiste and her Department on bringing forward the Bill so speedily. Many elderly people are in or waiting to get into long-term care hospitals and there is much confusion in regard to the current situation. While this problem arose almost 30 years ago, the Bill will resolve it once and for all. We can get into the blame game...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Mar 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I concur with Senator O'Toole's comments on the western rail corridor. I welcome the comments made in this regard by the Taoiseach in the Dáil yesterday and also the Government's support for rail infrastructure. The West on Track committee, the McCann committee, had a meeting last Friday. It has produced a report, which is to be forwarded to the Minister early next week. I hope it will lead...

Seanad: Nursing Home Charges: Statements. (23 Feb 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I welcome the Minister to the House, and am glad to have the opportunity to address such an important issue which will have repercussions for a long time. The Supreme Court has brought clarity and finality to a matter which was left to fester for 29 years, namely, the legal basis for the obligation on people in long-term care to contribute towards their living costs. This was the policy of 11...

Seanad: Mental Health Commission Annual Report 2003: Statements. (17 Feb 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I wish to put on record an acknowledgement of the great work done by the mental health associations across the country. My home town has a mental health association and a young mental health association. Those groups did significant work to help remove the stigma attached to mental health, such as visiting patients in the hospitals. Young people aged from 16 years upwards were involved in the...

Seanad: Appropriation Act 2004: Statements. (8 Feb 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, to the House. I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak on the Appropriation Act. However, before I do so, I wish to respond to some of the comments made by Senator Ulick Burke. I attended the accident and emergency unit in Sligo General Hospital on the Saturday before Christmas with my brother who had fractured his ankle. Saturday morning is...

Seanad: Tsunami Disaster: Statements. (2 Feb 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute and, conscious of time constraints, will be as brief as possible. Nobody really knows how many people lost their lives in the tsunami but the figure I have states that approximately 280,000 men, women and children perished. It is hard to imagine, without seeing it for oneself, the devastation the...

Seanad: Sugar Beet Industry: Motion. (26 Jan 2005)

Eamon Scanlon: I welcome the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, to the House and am delighted to have an opportunity to speak on the amendment. That the motion and amendment are compatible reflects the seriousness of the situation. I am aware of a farmer in Portarlington who grows 30 acres of sugar beet with a quota of 440 tonnes. From the planting of the beet until it comes out of the...

Seanad: Report of Strategic Task Force on Alcohol: Statements (Resumed). (2 Dec 2004)

Eamon Scanlon: I am glad to have an opportunity to speak on this issue. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate him on his appointment. I read the report which contains some startling figures regarding the ages of children who are drinking and the numbers of those under the age of 15 who drink regularly. One wonders where they get this drink. In defence of publicans who are generally...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2005: Motion. (1 Dec 2004)

Eamon Scanlon: I wish to share my time with Senator White, by agreement.

Seanad: Budget Statement 2005: Motion. (1 Dec 2004)

Eamon Scanlon: I congratulate the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, on his first budget. It was a big day for the Minister and we all appreciate that he has done a good job. I also wish the former Minister, Deputy McCreevy, well in his new portfolio. As stated by Senator Ross, Deputy McCreevy and the Government set the tone for this budget, for which the work was carried out over many years. I welcome the...