Results 121-140 of 3,550 for speaker:Dominic Hannigan

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: People who buy such houses will spend two hours trying to get to Dublin.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Castle where?

Seanad: Cluster Munitions: Motion (6 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate the Government on managing to deliver a Minister two hours earlier than planned. If only it could do the same with some transport projects, we would all be laughing.

Seanad: Cluster Munitions: Motion (6 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I commend the Independent Senators on tabling this motion. I commend the Government on supporting it subsequently and bringing the issue to the fore in advance of the conference on munitions in Dublin in May. The motion reminds the Government of its commitment to legislate in this area. I read in The Irish Times recently that the Government will delegate responsibility on munitions to a new...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I was surprised and shocked to learn of the amount of effort it took to deport the Africans yesterday. One was deported from Ireland, four from France and one from Italy, amounting to a total of six, yet they were accompanied on the jet by 25 police officers, or one for each limb, at a purported cost of more than €100,000. This clearly does not represent value for money and I therefore...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Agency Workers) (12 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I wish to second the proposal that the Bill be now read a second time. In November 2002, the European Parliament issued a directive on the treatment of temporary workers. It mainly concerned ensuring fair rates of pay to temporary workers, who are growing in number and are often exploited by unscrupulous employers. Ireland and Britain were...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Agency Workers) (12 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I worry therefore when the Taoiseach says he will introduce two Bills. If we saw one of them it might be a way forward, but I worry about the timescales. Towards 2016 made no progress on the issue of protecting agency workers. We can see this when it comes to things like rates of pay. Temporary workers are paid two thirds the rate of full-time workers who are doing more or less the same...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Agency Workers) (12 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: That is because we held them up.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Agency Workers) (12 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: We held them up. They do not like to vote. They like consensus, but we would not agree.

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Agency Workers) (12 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: In the coming St. Patrick's Day and Easter period, Dublin Airport can expect its highest level of traffic so far this year. More than 300,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport in this period. This is good news for the airport and a welcome boost to its profits. However, I was concerned to learn earlier this week that the Commission for Aviation Regulation has sanctioned a...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I share Senator Alex White's concerns about the economy. It is vital that with the current global climate that we keep our competitiveness up and our costs down. I was very concerned to see Viviane Reding, the European Commissioner for telecoms indicate today that the cost of broadband in Ireland is too high. Her commission's annual report shows that the penetration levels of broadband in...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2008: Second Stage (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: They are dangerous. Ask Ozzie Osbourne.

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2008: Second Stage (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the House. This Bill has been on quite a journey since it first saw the light of day several months ago. The core issue is that vehicles should be taxed based on their emissions, a measure we all welcome. All sides of the House would agree that tackling emissions is vital if we are interested in tackling climate...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2008: Second Stage (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Some points raised by my colleagues in the Lower House during its discussion of the Bill must be addressed. For example and as mentioned by Senators Coffey and Brady, why will energy efficient cars bought one year or two years ago not be included in the legislation? We could address this matter. Why will gas guzzling vehicles bought prior to the change not be subject to increases in tax?...

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2008: Second Stage (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: This is a serious issue.

Seanad: Sustainable Residential Development: Motion (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I congratulate the Minister on his staying power. I compliment him on introducing these guidelines and thank Fianna Fáil Ministers for giving the House this opportunity to debate them. I spent a number of years as a councillor in Meath County Council and as an employee of the planning section of the London borough of Camden and I see much in this document that is welcome. The guidelines...

Seanad: Sustainable Residential Development: Motion (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: Perhaps that is something the Minister could consider.

Seanad: Sustainable Residential Development: Motion (19 Mar 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: That intervention was made on the Minister's time, not mine. The guidelines also call for inclusivity of design so that we do not have community facilities just for teenagers but also for active retirement groups. We are all aware of how difficult it is for community groups to gain access to facilities. Last Friday, I met a youth officer in Bettystown, which has new premises for a...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Apr 2008)

Dominic Hannigan: I echo the calls for a debate on crime, which should be extended to also deal with anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime. I say this at a time when access to alcohol has never been easier. Over the weekend we saw reports that an additional few hundred off-licences have been approved in the past year. I say that knowing the impact anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime...