Results 361-380 of 447 for speaker:Brendan Kenneally

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon. I thank the Progressive Democrats for tabling this motion, which is an important one. I am always delighted to speak on decentralisation. Since I first became a public representative as a member of the then Waterford Corporation in 1985, it is a subject I have addressed on many occasions. It has always been close to my heart because I am aware...

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: The party appears to be against anything that affects civil servants.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: At least Fine Gael is consistent in one thing——

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: ——namely, opposition to decentralisation. I heard Senators Browne and Bannon——

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: ——state they support decentralisation and then they complained about the 10,000 civil servants we want to displace around the country. I remind Fine Gael that Fianna Fáil was the first party to promote decentralisation towards the end of the 1970s. Decentralisation was then held up for a number of years. After the three elections in 1981 and 1982, we had a Fine Gael and Labour coalition...

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: Senator Browne should go back and check the policy of that Government; it was against decentralisation. It scrapped the decentralisation programme. The party is against it again on this occasion.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: How can Fine Gael Members tell me they are pro-decentralisation when they opposed it then and now? That is nonsense.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: When Senators and Deputies go back to their constituencies and local areas they will tell people they are totally for it.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: They know people want it because of the advantages it can bring to a town or city. However, they play politics with the issue in the House. They are not fooling anybody.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: Perhaps, but I would not hold my breath on that one.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: When decentralisation was first mooted, a decision was taken regarding the then Department of Posts and Telegraphs. The telegraphs part of it was to come to Waterford and the post end of it was to go to Dundalk. That never happened. Both sections were hived off to become An Post and Telecom Éireann. It was a matter of great frustration to me at the time.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: We went around in circles trying to get Telecom Éireann to come to Waterford. In 1992, when I was Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Transport and Communications, I looked at the file on it and discovered that we would never get Telecom Éireann to decentralise because it did not want to go and, as matters stood, we could not make it do so. We then went after the Land Registry...

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: I accept there will be difficulties. Nobody suggested that problems would not arise. It is a huge undertaking and no one thought it would be straightforward. It will not be straightforward and more problems and difficulties that we have not yet even envisaged will arise.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: However, we are determined to proceed. A great deal of misinformation has been put about. A Department carried out a trawl of its employees and inquired as to how many people wanted to decentralise to the location to which it proposes to move. It was stated that decentralisation would not work because so few people wanted to move to that location. However, when the Department of...

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: My final point relates to new agencies that are being established. Some of the legislation with which I have been dealing contains proposals to start various new agencies. As a matter of policy, all of these agencies should be located outside Dublin. They are all quite small at present but some of them could become the large semi-State organisations of the future. If we move them out of...

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (6 May 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: It is proposed to take it now. Agreed to take remaining Stages today.

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (6 May 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: I thank the Minister and his officials for coming here today. I thank Senators Finucane, Daly and others who contributed to the debate and for allowing this Bill to be passed so expeditiously.

Seanad: Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (6 May 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: The purpose of this Bill is to provide, inter alia, for the raising of the statutory borrowing limit of the ESB from £1.6 billion to €6 billion as set out in section 1. It is necessary to amend the legislation where the borrowing limit is stipulated, something which has not been done for 22 years. This revision is necessary so that the ESB can fully, and in accordance with its statutory...

Seanad: Maritime Security Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (6 Apr 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: Although I have some sympathy with the amendment, I must agree with the Minister. We should take any action we can to speed up cases. It is happening too often not only in this area, but the normal judicial system. We are constantly hearing complaints about cases taking far too long to come to court. Perhaps we might all be better served by much of the other legislation on our Statute Book if...

Seanad: Maritime Security Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (6 Apr 2004)

Brendan Kenneally: I thank the Minister of State and his official, Mr. Tobin, for attending, and for their attention to this legislation. I also thank the Opposition spokespersons. When we spoke on this Bill previously, we were all in broad agreement with what it contained, and wanted to get the best possible piece of legislation on the Statute Book. That spirit was reflected here today, with certain amendments...