Results 21-40 of 996 for speaker:John Gerard Hanafin

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

John Gerard Hanafin: I note the Opposition has spoken about the unnecessary amount of time being spent on the leadership contest in Fianna Fáil.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

John Gerard Hanafin: The Opposition has said that it is unnecessary and time wasting and yet it was the first item raised by the leaders of Fine Gael and the Labour Party on the Order of Business.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jan 2011)

John Gerard Hanafin: They said it was unnecessary, yet they spent their time talking about it.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jan 2011)

John Gerard Hanafin: Will the Leader allow for a change in the orders of the Seanad? It looks as if the question of the very existence of this House will arise in the next term. We must position ourselves now in such a way as to show the value of this House. Accordingly, will the Leader include a regular slot over the next several weeks for European scrutiny? The question will be how the House will prove its...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jan 2011)

John Gerard Hanafin: A Heathrow slot costs many millions of euro for any airline. It is a very valuable asset and each airline guards it very carefully. With that in mind, I am very conscious that we have a unique slot in the diary of the US President, which is on St. Patrick's Day. It is a slot we hold in many cities with Irish connections, be they in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. This...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: Like others, I share in the good news and recognise that the economy has finally turned a corner. The Minister for Finance has spoken about this issue on number of occasions and it is now becoming clearer-----

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: Third quarter CSO results indicate growth in the economy from which the Exchequer has taken €15 billion in revenue over the past couple of years. When we speak about the Irish economy in future we will have to recognise its globalised nature. We are like a cork on the ocean in our dependence on world markets for wealth generation in this nation. The world growth rate is expected to be...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: They will do anything to ensure a speedy election.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: When we voted on Article 23.3.3°. There was a wish among the Irish people for a pro-life referendum. Everything since then has been clouded and shrouded but the reality is that the Irish still are pro-life and I call for another referendum.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Motion for Earlier Signature (16 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: 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 Appropriation Bill 2010 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to her. Question put and declared carried.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2010 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (16 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: I support the Appropriation Bill. The Minister has achieved the balance needed. With all the evidence provided to us, we can see we have turned the corner. We have expended less than we suggested at the beginning of the year. Our income is higher than we expected but, more important, the CSO figures indicate there was growth in the economy in the third quarter of this year. The reason...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill 2010: Second Stage (16 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: In supporting the Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Bill 2010, I am certain the banks gave wrong information at committee and directly to the Department of Finance. Whether this wrong information was given knowingly remains to be seen. Notwithstanding that, in checking the stability of banks recently, the European Union found that all Irish banks other than Anglo Irish Bank and Irish...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: Following this morning's judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, it is a serious matter that we are being called on to legislate to provide for abortion. I suggest that in this country-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: I have actually read it. The RTE interpretation of it is-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: Having read the interpretation by RTE, it appears the court is calling for legislation. With that in mind, I uphold the calls this morning for a referendum because the people in the Republic are meant to be sovereign. When it suits legislators and when they have a particular view, they do not want people to be sovereign and they want the legislators' views to be sovereign.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: The 1932 Fianna Fáil Government under Éamon de Valera came into power at the beginning of the Great Depression in Europe. What marked that Government out as successful was that Éamon de Valera started by saying that because of the financial crisis at the time, nobody should be paid more than £1,000 a year. This was a lot of money at the time. That Government went on to ensure that as...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: With permission, I will share the time remaining with Senator Larry Butler. In supporting the emergency measures in the public interest, the important words are "in the public interest". There has been a very large shortfall in the amount of taxation. Money is not being spent in the country because people are fearful. Some of that fear was deliberately stoked and other factors were at...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: I wish to raise the question of a loss of revenue to the Exchequer. There is a serious situation where one third of the cigarettes sold in the State are illegal. They are illegal not only because they are brought in without any duty been paid, but also because they are not the original articles; they are cheap and very dangerous substitutes and people are seriously endangering their health...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: Like other speakers, I have a huge difficulty with bonuses being paid. The budget has imposed cuts in three main areas because the bulk of public spending is in these areas. These areas include, health, social protection and education, all of which are essential for people. The reason for this is not the finances of the State because they are in a robust state, but the banks. Not alone...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2011: Statements (8 Dec 2010)

John Gerard Hanafin: The necessity of the budget announced yesterday is clearly outlined by the fact that we spend significantly more than we take in. In the good years, when the money was rolling in - we are now being blamed for the expenditure then incurred - it is worth noting that across every Department, the Opposition was looking for extra expenditure. Not only that, but it blamed us for not foreseeing...