Results 1-20 of 447 for speaker:Brendan Kenneally

Seanad: Death of Former Members: Expressions of Sympathy. (12 Sep 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I, too, wish to be associated with the expressions of sympathy on the death of David Molony and Michael Queally. I did not know David Molony but knew of him and his qualities. I understand he had great abilities, as is evidenced by what has been said. I knew Michael Queally very well. Despite the fact that we came from different political parties he was a person with whom I was very friendly....

Seanad: Address by President of the European Parliament. (10 Oct 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I also join in complimenting Mr. Cox on his address. The current debate is more about Europe than Nice. Every conceivable topic is being drawn into the debate and we are faced with rebutting issues which have no relevance whatever to the Nice treaty. Perhaps we are focusing too much on the economy, the number of MEPs and the voting rights issue while ignoring many good features of Europe. The...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (17 Oct 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I am pleased to commend the Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002, to Seanad Éireann. Before examining the proposals that will transform a significant slice of Dublin's south inner city and, more specifically, the provisions of the Bill for the establishment of Digital Media Development Limited on a statutory basis with a new title, Digital Hub Development Agency, I would like briefly to...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (17 Oct 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: Next Wednesday.

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (17 Oct 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: Next Wednesday, 23 October at 2.30 p.m.

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits: Motion. (6 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I welcome Deputy de Valera, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, to the House. I am glad my good friend the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Coughlan, could be here earlier. I congratulate her on her appointment to the Cabinet. She is a good person, a popular choice by the Taoiseach and one of the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits: Motion. (6 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: The Senator spoke about unemployment in general. The figures released earlier this month show unemployment fell in October. The current unemployment rate is around 162,000. Of that, approximately half are long-term unemployed and includes people who were on short-term contracts and other categories. It should be remembered that not too long ago 300,000 people were unemployed. We are going...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I support the calls for a debate on marine issues and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to come to the House. I did not believe this subject was of great interest to other Members, but I am now the fifth person to have raised it this morning. I am delighted that there is such an awareness in the House about the issue. I ask for a general discussion on marine...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I disagree with Senator Quinn. I have a problem with the way we try to exclude publicly elected members from a number of bodies. They are democratically elected. I am concerned at the trend to cut them out from this, that and the other, specifically this area. During the debate on Second Stage we learned of the amount of dialogue that has taken place between the Department, the local...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I have some sympathy with Senator Quinn's comments on amendment No. 27 and perhaps there is some confusion due to the wording of the text. I always understood that, in the case of somebody going abroad, gifts of holidays, transport, etc. in excess of £500, as it was, or €650 now, would have to be declared. I was not aware that one could accept a gift up to that amount in cash and I am not...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I do not agree with Senator Quinn on this issue. As someone who worked as an accountant with a public limited company before becoming a Member of the Oireachtas, I do not think his proposal is practical. Financial accounts are produced on a monthly basis but producing the overall package at the end of the year is an extremely difficult process. In any organisation one is, first, working to...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (21 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I welcome my good friend and colleague from the south east, Deputy John Browne, Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, to the Seanad as well as the introduction of this Bill which is timely. I look forward to a constructive debate on the measures proposed. This Bill is intended to give statutory effect to the implementation of the provisions of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Nov 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: Senators will be aware of a meeting commencing in Brussels today that will probably be the most important ever to have taken place concerning our fishing industry since we joined the EEC in 1973. We had a wide ranging discussion on the fishing industry last week while debating the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill. It would be appropriate, therefore, for the House to convey its good wishes to the...

Seanad: Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (4 Dec 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I thank the Minister of State for his attendance in the House this morning. It is indicative of the merits of the Bill that there were so few amendments to it from either the Government or Opposition side of the House. I doubt if the Minister of State can count on having such an easy passage through the Seanad with any other Bill. I thank all Senators for their contributions to the debate. I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Dec 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: As Fianna Fáil spokesperson for marine issues, I am delighted so many Members referred to the fisheries industry. It is important that this issue is raised in as many fora as possible to show our neighbours in Europe how concerned we are about it. Fishermen in this country are facing a serious situation. A couple of weeks ago we sent our best wishes to the Minister in his negotiations on the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Dec 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: I take this opportunity to state that the House supports fishermen and the Minister on this issue. A protest is being organised throughout the country on Friday and I hope as many people as possible support it.

Seanad: Order of Business. (17 Dec 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: Members will agree we should send our congratulations to the ESB which celebrates its 75th anniversary today. The company has served the country well and we would not be able to operate today without it. There have been difficulties with the organisation from time to time, but by and large it has done a marvellous job. ESB staff have gone abroad to help other countries which have encountered...

Seanad: Order of Business. (17 Dec 2002)

Brendan Kenneally: The Senator's final one.

Seanad: Protection of the Environment Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (5 Feb 2003)

Brendan Kenneally: I welcome this legislation which addresses long-overdue issues. For too many years we have taken the environment for granted and looked at the world around us as an unlimited resource capable of absorbing whatever battering we gave it. We know now that this is not the case and that too much damage has already been done, though thankfully not so much as to be irreversible. We are much more...