Results 17,981-18,000 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Statements (21 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: The Minister must deliver this to people now.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Statements (21 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: As Senator Healy Eames and others have argued, the difference between the pupil-teacher ratio of 6:1 in national schools with autism units and the ratio of 1:1 is infinitesimal; we should concentrate on what parents want and that is a 1:1 pupil-teacher ratio.

Seanad: Economic Outlook: Motion (20 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: I have supported the Government's economic policy in almost every debate for some years. Not only have I spoken in favour of its policy, I have voted with the Government in this House, although I acknowledge that this is not of great significance. After a long period of support for what has happened under various Ministers for Finance I am now beginning to change my mind. Much of what...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: I endorse what Senator de Búrca said. It is important and relevant to the point I want to make. I heard what Senator Ormonde had to say about the media covering the Seanad. We should not get too prickly about a few pieces written by journalists who do not have much to do late at night.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: I was the butt of one of those pieces and I sent the journalist a short e-mail yesterday saying I did not know he was writing for The Sunday Business Post. The way to deal with this is not to respond in a sensitive way if we are confident about what we are doing. The point that should be made, and this is where I part from Senator Ormonde, is that perhaps some of those criticisms are right....

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: ——and for some reason we, the Members of the second House of the Oireachtas, cannot even discuss it. That is crazy and if someone from the press tells us we are irrelevant and that we cannot even discuss the pharmacy sector, he is right. The Government should not be too critical of the media criticising it if it does not respond to that and allow us debate relevant issues. That is what...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: There is one procedure in this House which does work in terms of bringing in Ministers, namely, the Adjournment but that takes place at the end of the day when nobody notices anything happening. The only time pharmacists have been debated in this House is when the Minister, Deputy Harney, came here to reply to my Adjournment matter. She gave me a ticking off for raising the pharmacy sector...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: That may be so but they are not. We should raise the issue on the Order of Business or later in the day when members of the press are here.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: It is no coincidence that some of those very relevant issues, including autism, which we will debate tomorrow — I thank the Leader for allowing time for a debate on autism, which is a major improvement — the pharmacies and adoption of foreign children, which I raised last night, end with the Health Service Executive. It would be relevant if we debated not only the Lisbon treaty, which is...

Seanad: Inter-Country Adoptions (19 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: This matter on the Adjournment concerns the need for the Minister for Health and Children to hasten the process for Irish citizens to adopt children from overseas. The Minister of State will be familiar with this subject and I hope she will be familiar with the extreme pain, difficulties and sadness this problem causes a large number of families in Ireland. I am struck by the number of...

Seanad: Inter-Country Adoptions (19 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: I have been a Member of this House for a very long time but I do not believe I ever digested such rhubarb as was offered in that reply, which was unbelievable garbage. I am extremely disappointed as it is no good to tell us there will be reviews of this, that and the other. The next time this matter arises I hope the Minister of State will not wipe his hands of the issue, as happened today,...

Seanad: Inter-Country Adoptions (19 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: I did not say the Irish system was solely responsible.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: I support something which has already been mentioned by the Opposition side, namely, the issue of autism, as raised in the other House. I cannot understand why some issues are discussed in the other House, but are not allowed to be discussed in the Seanad. I commend the Opposition for its motion on autism, debated last night in the Dáil. I have been asking the Leader for several months...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Schools Recognition (6 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: The motion I raise on the Adjournment is the need for the Minister for Education and Science to grant permanent recognition to Glasnevin Educate Together primary school. I was surprised to find that this school does not enjoy permanent recognition. I would have thought that in present circumstances the Educate Together schools would be the type of educational establishments to which the...

Seanad: Schools Recognition (6 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: I take it from the Minister of State's response that the only bar to the recognition being sought is the issue of a suitable location and that the Department is prepared to assist in any way possible in finding a site. I take it, therefore, the Department is prepared to provide substantial funds towards that.

Seanad: Schools Recognition (6 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: Does that include funds?

Seanad: Schools Recognition (6 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: Does it include funds.

Seanad: Schools Recognition (6 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: Thank you. I take it, in the absence of a denial from the Minister of State, that is a confirmation.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (6 Feb 2008)

Shane Ross: We are almost having a debate now on the pharmacists' issue. I cannot understand why time is not allocated for a discussion of the issue. I agree with the comments of Senator Fitzgerald and others on the dictatorship of the HSE in this matter. It is extraordinary that the Seanad is talking itself into a situation where it never debates anything relevant. The important thing seems to be...