Results 17,581-17,600 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: We have given the Senator a great opportunity. Life is full of such opportunities.

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I thank all Senators who contributed and the Minister of State and everyone else for their constructive attitude to the Bill as proposed. It has been debated in a somewhat restrained atmosphere, and there has been to some degree a cosy acceptance that there are many good decent people on these boards. That is absolutely true. There is no attempt in this Bill to attack those people or...

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I agree with the Minister of State, but they are not the target of this legislation. The target is those who are doing no work, are not qualified and are getting enormous amounts of cash for it. There are many of those. I could list them but I have not got time. Also, because I took the example of the European Commissioners, it is not right to say, in effect, we have had some able Fianna...

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I agree they have been able, but they have all been Fianna Fáil, for example, Commissioners McCreevy, O'Kennedy------

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: -----and Pádraig Flynn.

Seanad: Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2009: Second Stage. (28 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Richard Burke was a political stunt, as the Minister of State knows very well. That was the worst possible example. It was a political stunt. Richard Burke was chosen because he was involved in a by-election situation. He was appointed to create a by-election. He was the worst and most insidious choice in that way and was chosen for the worst motives. Let us not take Richard Burke but...

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: This matter concerns the need for the Minister for Health and Children to make Lyme disease a notifiable illness in Ireland, thus increasing the specialist medical help available to sufferers as well as publicising the risk from the disease. I raise this issue because one of my constituents has suffered from this disease over a long period of time. Her frustration has been painful, both...

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Perhaps it is due to my complete ignorance but I do not know what vector borne means. I do not have a clue what that means so it would help if I could have an explanation for it. I do not accept the response of the Minister of State, which states: "As most people suffer only mild symptoms and recover without recourse to a general practitioner, making the disease notifiable would not detect...

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Therefore, the Department is considering making it a notifiable disease.

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: The point is that in making it a notifiable disease we would make people more aware of it. That is the point of the Adjournment motion.

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Will the Minister of State tell me what "vectorborne" means?

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: On a point of order, I am not trying to be insulting to the Minister of State in any way but it is indicative of the way this House is sometimes treated that a Minister of State comes in with a script and does not know what the reply means. We should have the right Minister here.

Seanad: Infectious Diseases (22 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Yes, but if we had the right Minister here, presumably he or she would know what "vectorborne" and the reply meant.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Strategic Development Zones (15 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, to the House. I am used to bellyaching here about getting the wrong Minister on a subject and not getting the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. However, considering the matter I am addressing is in the heart of or on the borderline of the Minister of State's constituency, it is appropriate he is here. A large...

Seanad: Strategic Development Zones (15 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: I thank the Minister of State for his reply which I regard as unsatisfactory because it does not give any indication of when a decision will be made. Perhaps he can indicate when a decision will be made and what way the Minister is leaning in that regard. If it is true that a decision of this type can be made, no thirty party objections can be considered and any development the county...

Seanad: Strategic Development Zones (15 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: Does it mean no third party objections will be considered?

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: In the light of what Senator Harris said, it was appropriate to hear the comments of Senators Twomey and O'Reilly about the bonus paid to the head of the HSE. It is completely and utterly indefensible at this time. With that in mind, I ask the Leader of the House what is going on in semi-State agencies. A year and a half ago I asked him for a debate on FÁS but he would not take up the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2009)

Shane Ross: There is no question that they are answerable to a Minister and these Houses but they do not seem to think so. We need a debate on CIE, in particular, because it receives €320 million a year from the taxpayer and I do not have the foggiest notion where that €320 million goes. Neither does anyone else in the House. A report on CIE was published last week and leaked. I have an interest...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Sep 2009)

Shane Ross: Sometimes I wonder why we are here. I do not know how many people watched the proceedings in the Dáil last week and heard the Ceann Comhairle read a list of Bills which he had received from the Seanad. What was notable was that every Bill was received without amendment. It stood out as an indication that we are not allowed to do serious work in this Chamber. What sort of work are we...