Results 101-120 of 405 for speaker:John Ellis

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Dec 2009)

John Ellis: I know there is an ongoing debate in the House on flooding but I compliment the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh, for visiting Carrick-on-Shannon and other areas in that part of the country this morning.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Dec 2009)

John Ellis: He was flying and was not able to see the depth of the flood from the air. There is a need for a full debate on the management of the Shannon and other river basins as soon as possible. If there could be proper management, it might help to alleviate some of the problems we have seen up and down the country for the past week or ten days. I appeal to the Leader to arrange for that as soon as...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: Now.

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (26 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: I wish to be associated with the remarks to Mr. John Weafer who has been very helpful to some of us for a long time. Any time he was approached he was more than helpful. That was very much appreciated by Members across the House. The Bill does a long overdue tidying up job given that the previous Act was in place for 77 years. Public transport at that stage was a total monopoly and at...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Motion for Earlier Signature (26 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: I move: That pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to her.

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: Like my colleagues, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, and in so doing acknowledge his actions and those of all the other Ministers involved, including the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, and the Taoiseach, in going to see immediately what the problems were on the ground. It was not a case of going when the floods had subsided....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: The Senator's party is doing it for 20 years.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: The Senator's party controls them all now anyway.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: Senators Buttimer and Coffey are very passionate about this but local councillors are probably the most passionate about it because they are the ones who wanted certain areas rezoned. Some of them were of questionable intent, to put it mildly, in certain areas of the country. This is to be regretted. It is up to local authorities to decide how to implement the planning laws within certain...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: Senator Coffey should consider his own party's record.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: If Senator Coffey wants me to comment on that issue I could embarrass certain Members of both House.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: Only for the shoe was hurting them they would not open their mouths. Senator Coffey knows what I am talking about.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: It is up to local authority members who are in a position to do so to deal with everything in their own area. They must be vigilant. It does not matter what one sets the limit at, be it two or 2,000, it is up to local authority members and planners to ensure that what is decided is in the best interests of the communities, and not similar to decisions we have discussed where houses were...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that the sitting be suspended until 1.40 p.m.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: I congratulate Senator Carroll on his election to the House. Some of us might have arrived here at a similar age and I hope he remains a Member of the House as long as us. That is my only wish for him today. I compliment the staff who stayed at work yesterday, especially in my home county, Leitrim, where county council staff worked to alleviate the flooding problems in Carrick-on-Shannon,...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: It is doing nothing now but releasing more water on top of communities along the Shannon. I appeal to the ESB to examine whether it can release some of the flood water it is holding with its various dams up and down the country in a controlled manner, not as it has done over the past week. When we come to debate this we need to consider the wider problems being caused. The ESB is not the...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: Local authorities have in many cases walked away from their responsibilities for maintaining drainage schemes. Some of their planning decisions forced people to build houses in hollows that are now flooded. What will happen if those people tackle the local authorities that forced them to build on unsuitable sites?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: I support those calling for a debate, prior to the budget, on the overall budgetary strategy. There were suggestions in this House last week that students were sleeping in cars. I understand Senator Buttimer undertook to investigate the veracity of these claims in Cork. Will he report to the House on his findings, as he said he would? I am sure he is diligent enough to have investigated...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: Senator Mullen is too young to remember that.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2009)

John Ellis: On a point of order, I am delighted Senator Buttimer clarified that there were no students in cars.