Results 17,521-17,540 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jan 2010)

Shane Ross: There may be a compromise, namely, that all will agree the one thing that really must be changed will be the university seats and consequently we will become the target for all the political parties. I do not apologise for believing - as I think everybody on these benches believes - that the university seats need to be reformed. It is grossly unfair that some graduates of universities have...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jan 2010)

Shane Ross: I hope I may speak without interruption from the Leader. Those people are elected by the outgoing Dáil and Seanad and the county councils. This guarantees that the favourite sons and daughters of the people in power in those parties are elected. It is even more of an inside job than Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party electing their own people. It means the leadership gets its...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: I oppose the measure. The threatened abolition of the scheme affects two groups of people. Those who support the measure tend to paint dentists as some sort of fat cats, which is not necessarily true, and do not consider the problems it will present for patients. I do not know what the figures are but from listening I gather that some 2 million people can take advantage of this. This will...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: I thank the Minister for her reply. The saving is €54 million, which I do not dispute because that is an acceptable figure. I have just been contacted by some dentists in the last few minutes. I was asked to ask the Minister the following. While the savings are being made, what is the estimate of the Department of Health and Children or the Department of Social and Family Affairs of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: I endorse the calls by Senator Donohoe for a full-blooded inquiry by the Oireachtas into the banks over the past ten to 15 years. If there is not to be an Oireachtas inquiry, why does the Seanad not hold an inquiry? We have the required procedures.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: Let us not go back to the Taoiseach, who was deeply involved as Minister for Finance. Let us just do this. Can we do that?

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: Banking has been cowboy country for ten years in this nation. The bankers were the cowboys, there was legalised looting and this is worthy of an inquiry. One of the interesting points about Professor Honohan's appearance at the committee meeting yesterday, which I attended along with Senator Coghlan, is that he was very keen to put clear water between him and what happened before. In the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: I apologise. I cannot turn it off; it does not work as a telephone.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: We should call in politicians, developers, bankers, regulators and civil servants. The type of inquiry sought by Professor Honohan would not be an expensive legal witch hunt but would be undertaken on the basis of the precedent set in this House and the Dáil by the DIRT inquiry. That was the most successful inquiry by a committee ever held in the history of this House. It was cheap, quick...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: A bond supported by ICTU. That is a first.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: They are experts in the field.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: They did not do so last week.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: Senator Ó Murchú is correct.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: I assume the Leader is able to indicate whether the Minister for Finance will be in the House this afternoon for the debate on the budget.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: Appearing on the "Today with Pat Kenny" is one thing, but the Seanad is a different place. The Leader might be interested in knowing that.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: I genuinely do not see much point in having debates on issues of such importance if some political poodle is to be sent to listen to what we have to say and not even bother to convey that message to the Minister for Finance who is elsewhere. We should certainly accommodate the Minister by having a debate at a time that suits him, which is perfectly reasonable. However, I do not believe it...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: I thank the Senator for her interruption. This is a budget which apparently gives oxygen to the quangos. What happened to the attack on semi-State bodies and State agencies we were expecting? What happened to the attack on public expenditure waste? That is what is so important. I should like the Leader to answer these points, specifically the one about whether the Minister for Finance,...

Seanad: Budget 2010: Statements (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: It is an extremely important point and it is in the interests of this House that we have the senior Minister here for these issues. The senior Minister listens to debates in this House. He listens to suggestions and it would be more complimentary and amount to taking these debates more seriously if he were here and had not despatched a junior Minister to take on board the suggestions,...

Seanad: Budget 2010: Statements (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: It is in the Taoiseach's constituency.

Seanad: Budget 2010: Statements (10 Dec 2009)

Shane Ross: What is happening in that regard? No one has tackled this problem. The quangos have got away with murder in the budget, the reason for which I cannot explain. The level of current spending in CIE has been reduced from more than €300 million to €276 million, although I am open to correction by the Minister of State on that figure. It has been reported in an independent report that...