Results 1,761-1,780 of 4,085 for speaker:Dan Boyle

Seanad: Climate Protection Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Oct 2007)

Dan Boyle: ——I am confident it will never be applied to my party colleague. However, one cannot see into the future regarding the competencies of future Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and I will not start regarding the competencies of previous Ministers. The issue should be debated on Committee Stage. However, this is an important Bill and it should be debated in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2007)

Dan Boyle: I would like to be associated with the condolences expressed on the deaths of the two firefighters in Bray. Senator de Búrca, who lives in and has represented the Bray area, brought up this issue yesterday. The points made by Senator Fitzgerald deserve further discussion and they fall within the bailiwick of my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It is...

Seanad: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach. (26 Sep 2007)

Dan Boyle: On behalf of my colleague Senator de Búrca and I, I am happy to endorse Senator Burke's nomination to the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach. While she and I are new to the Chamber, I had many contacts with Senator Burke around Leinster House during my previous incarnation. I know of his record in the House. His appointment and the Cathaoirleach's appointment at our last sitting indicate the...

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (26 Sep 2007)

Dan Boyle: The Senator will have to wait and see.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (26 Sep 2007)

Dan Boyle: As this is a Bill that deals with copyright and intellectual property, I am reminded of a famous story where President John F. Kennedy was addressing a dinner in the White House for Nobel Prize laureates and remarked that the gathering represented the biggest collection of intellect that the White House had ever seen, except for the time the third president, Mr. Thomas Jefferson, dined alone....

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (26 Sep 2007)

Dan Boyle: This Bill is a modest one, technical in nature. Its principle is something with which the House seems ready to agree. It offers an opportunity, at Second and subsequent Stages, to discuss necessary changes in the areas of copyright and the library service. I will not dwell on those issues now but it is important to place a marker on them. During the term of the last Seanad, the Government...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2007)

Dan Boyle: Before the Leader responds to the proposals on the Order of Business, Senators need to be aware of the issues that are of wider consequence and those that can be addressed under other Standing Orders, for example, by means of an Adjournment debate or in Private Members' time. Some of the issues to which Senators have referred fall into the latter category. I support Senator O'Toole's call,...

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (13 Sep 2007)

Dan Boyle: I appreciate the opportunity of speaking so early in today's proceedings. It is an honour to be present in the 23rd Seanad despite the circumstances in which many of us have arrived here today. We all have a valuable contribution to make in the workings of what will be a very exciting and valuable Seanad. I concur with much of what Senator Ross said. While the Seanad is important, vital...

Written Answers — Labour Inspectorate: Labour Inspectorate (26 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: Question 20: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the data recording and analysis system in operation in the Labour Inspectorate, including the specific types and level of data collected, the records kept of employers found in breach of employment legislation, the analyses carried out, and the results that have been generated therefrom. [15610/07]

Written Answers — Regulatory Programme: Regulatory Programme (26 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: Question 44: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the evidence from Benchmarking Ireland's Performance that the effectiveness and quality of Ireland's labour market regulation has fallen three places in OECD rankings since 2000; if he supports the European Commission's proposal to reduce administrative costs by 25% by 2012; and, if so, the way he will achieve...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: Question 87: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to an anomaly in the code of social welfare law whereby a person can be working up to 15 hours per week and paying a full class A PRSI contribution and still be eligible to receive carer's allowance and the respite care grant while a person signing on, on PRSI credits, having exhausted their...

Written Answers — Customer Service: Customer Service (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: Question 53: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on whether the public is receiving adequate customer service in regard to inquiries regarding old age contributory pension entitlements; and if there is a direct telephone line which deals with such valid queries from the public. [15324/07]

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: I do not know why Fianna Fáil fears young people so much but it has a history of disenfranchising them in various elections. When the Constitution was changed in 1972 to allow 18 year olds to vote, the then Taoiseach Jack Lynch held the 1973 election before the legislation passed on foot of the constitutional referendum took effect, thereby disenfranchising thousands of new voters. That...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: We will be kind and give the party 37% but history is slowly eating away at the core Fianna Fáil vote. Each generation is less likely to go with the old ways.

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: We will give the party 39%. It will certainly be under 40%.

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: It is guaranteed to poll less than 40%.

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: We could certainly go for that. The reality, however, is that whatever the figure, it will be less than at the last general election and historically low by Fianna Fáil standards. That will be part of a trend that is now irreversible and in succeeding elections that proportion will decrease even further. Younger people in successive generations are making their minds up in growing numbers...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: The Minister of State can do that because I am an amateur psephologist and I have looked at these things. The trend is marked and irreversible. Fianna Fáil is a dying breed and it is nothing to do with climate change. It may take 50 years but the dominance of majority Fianna Fáil has gone and its dominance in two party Government will slowly disappear because it is just another party....

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: The argument is still the same.

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Apr 2007)

Dan Boyle: The Minister of State is demeaning the House by introducing gambling. I know it is the habit of this Government to play loose and fast with the public finances but I will not resort to such economics. The people of this country have had enough of that. We can debate the figures in the coming weeks. Young people are less and less likely to vote for Fianna Fáil. It may hold the dominant...