Results 261-280 of 33,953 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (30 Sep 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Seanadóir Buttimer as ucht a chuid ama a roinnt liom. There is no doubt the economic challenges the State faces in the coming period are substantial. However, with well thought out, responsible policies they are not insurmountable. Simply bringing the budget forward is not enough. The Government needs to take charge and recognise that the buck...

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (30 Sep 2008)

Pearse Doherty: We appreciate the move by the Government today and remind ourselves that it is a bail-out by taxpayers for the banks. When will the Government come forward with a plan to provide security for those ordinary people in debt to the banks, those who have lost their jobs, are mortgaged to the hilt and are facing courts in regard to repossession of their homes? When will the Government provide a...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus roimh na díospóireachta seo ar Bhille na dTithe (Forálacha Ilghnéitheacha) 2008. Nuair a fhéachann muid ar chóras na dtithe sa tír, níl dabht ar bith go bhfuil muid i gcruachás. Nuair a fheiceann muid go bhfuil 44,000 teaghlaigh nó daoine aonaracha ar liosta feithimh na gcomhairlí contae ar fud an Stáit, léiríonn sin an cruachás. Chomh maith...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (1 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Is the Leader aware whether the Minister will accept amendments in the Lower House? I understand he may not accept amendments because the Bill would then need to be reprinted and there would be printing difficulties before it came to the Seanad. I understand he may accept amendments here, which would mean it would need to go back to the Lower House to be passed. That would mean that House...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I intend to support this Bill as my party colleagues did in the Dáil when the vote was taken there in the early hours this morning. We do this because the Bill is in the national interest but we do so with reservation because we know that the Bill could be much better. It is disappointing that the Minister for Finance did not accept my party's amendments and those of other parties which...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (1 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I, too, want to be associated with the expressions of thanks to the staff in the Seanad and throughout the House who are working here early in the morning because the House sat through the night. I thank the Minister for paying attention to what was said during what was an extremely healthy debate. I am glad I was able to support the Bill, which is in the national interest. However, I...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (8 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: The motion I have put down concerns whether the Minister is aware that the electrical contractor for Bunbeg national school has stated the school's electrics are in a very dangerous state. The reason I posed this question instead of asking when the school will be allowed to progress to the tender and construction stage is that I have asked that question umpteen times and I have received the...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (8 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: In the Minister of State's opinion, is it good value for money, given that we are going into a budget where the Minister is telling us to tighten our belts, for a school that has been waiting for 11 years to progress to construction, where a site has been identified, with the school ready to move out last year, to apply for funding to the Government to upgrade the electrical works in the...

Seanad: Higher Education Grants. (9 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I raise this issue on behalf of a group of parents from the Connemara Gaeltacht in County Galway, who have been in correspondence with the Department of Education and Science for more than a year but who have received no response to their problem. The parents are campaigning on behalf of their children who were offered third level scholarships to the value of €6,110 per annum, based on...

Seanad: Higher Education Grants. (9 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I wish to ask a supplementary question.

Seanad: Higher Education Grants. (9 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I appreciate the Minister of State coming back with this information. I will need to go back to the parents and talk to them. The Minister of State stated that all the recipients received their full rate. As the Minister of State is replying on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, I ask him to check with the Minister that the letter of offer received by the recipients of the...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2009: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Buttimer. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil go leor le rá aige ar an cheist seo. Tá mé iontach buíoch gur roinn sé a chuid ama liom. The budget is terrible and it has rightly gone down badly in the community. The Government parties had to make cutbacks and manage the public finances but they have got it all wrong. They promised us they would look after...

Seanad: Cancer Screening Programme (15 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I wish to share my time with Senator Cecilia Keaveney. It is right that Senator Keaveney and I should address this issue because it is one which affects the women of Donegal. When talking about cancer, the threat of cancer, patient safety and patients' lives, we need to put away party political differences and look at what is in the best interest of the patient. That is why I ensured this...

Seanad: Cancer Screening Programme (15 Oct 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am not happy with it and I do not believe the people of Donegal will be happy with it either. What we should have got from the Minister was not just a statement that colposcopy at Letterkenny General Hospital was being examined but a commitment that Letterkenny General Hospital would be included in the list of recognised colposcopy services...

Seanad: Budgetary Measures (5 Nov 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Ba mhaith liom an táille ar thithe saoire, tithe atá á ligint ar cíos agus tithe nach bhfuil an t-úinéir ina chonaí iontu, a thugadh isteach i mbuiséad 2009, a ardú os comhair an Tí. D'fhógair an tAire Airgeadais trí sheachtain ó inné go mbeadh táille de €200 i gceist. Conas a chuirfear an scéim seo i bhfeidhm? Cathain a mbeidh an...

Seanad: Budgetary Measures (5 Nov 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Go raibh maith agat, a Aire. While one of my questions was answered, the other was not. For example, the Donegal county manager said the council will plug the gap in funding from the decrease in the local government fund from central Government through these charges. However, we have no idea when the legislation will be published, introduced or take effect in order that a local authority...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I move amendment No. 5: In page 9, paragraph (a)(x), line 35, to delete "10 of the Act of 1988" and substitute "20, as amended under this section of this bill". Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom a léiriú nach bhfuil mé sásta nár ghlac an tAire Stáit agus na Seanadóirí ar thaobh an Rialtais le leasú Uimh. 3, a chuir mé siós chun brú a chur ar na seirbhísí déanamh cinnte de go...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Go raibh maith agat, a Aire Stáit, as ucht do fhreagra. Caithfidh mé a rá nach bhfuil mé sásta. Sílim go bhfuil deis againn anois, sa reachtaíocht seo atá ag dul tríd an tSeanaid inniu, sár-mhíniú a thabhairt ar an t-ábhar atá á phlé againn. While I welcome the Minister of State's comments, I do not agree that a definition of homelessness as outlined in amendment No. 30...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I have listened to the Minister of State. I want to reiterate this is a serious missed opportunity——

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2008)

Pearse Doherty: This is a missed opportunity. The existing definition of homelessness in the 1988 Act is too narrow. The Minister of State talked about the ETHOS definition but this does not incorporate that broader definition. He used phrases regarding the definition such as "can be interpreted to mean" and "in my view". This amendment seeks to make clear it is no longer a matter of the Minister's view...