Results 141-160 of 13,960 for speaker:Marc MacSharry
- Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: No.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I can say honestly that one cannot have it both ways. We must finance roads in a proper manner. We should examine them with maturity, rather than playing political football. The Government is performing out of its league. It is performing above its performance.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: All the Opposition is able to do is criticise the financing of road improvements.
- Seanad: Energy Resources: Statements. (16 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I join with other Members in welcoming the Minister of State to the House and wish him well in his renewed interest in this field. All Members are pleased he has returned to this area of responsibility and look forward to working with him in the future. I welcome the opportunity to make some points in respect of this issue. Although I am significantly younger than Senator Quinn, being from...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I thank the Cathaoirleach for deeming my matter on the Adjournment to be in order and I will raise it on another day. On another more serious issue, I ask the Deputy Leader for a debate as soon as possible on competitiveness, particularly in the north-west region, the counties of Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim. Traditional manufacturing industry in that part of the country is in freefall. I would...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I ask that the statements on planning be resumed at the earliest opportunity. My colleague, Senator Scanlon, also wanted to raise this today. Yesterday An Bord Pleanála vetoed a hotel development in Enniscrone, County Sligo, which would have created 200 jobs. It is disgraceful that an area that most needs jobs misses out because of our planning system.
- Seanad: Third Level Education: Statements (Resumed). (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to make a few points on third level education rather than the Fottrell report. I agree with Senator McHugh about the points system. When I was doing my leaving certificate, points were very high for medicine. At that time, contemporaries of mine who achieved maximum points automatically entered medical school. It was not because...
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I wish to share time with Senator Leyden. I support the motion. No Administration in the history of the State has done more for local government reform and funding than the coalition in power since 1997.
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: As I have only two minutes speaking time, I ask Opposition Senators not to heckle. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, deserves particular tribute for being on top of his brief.
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: Having said that, I wish to raise a number of issues which Opposition Senators should not confuse with support for the amendment. On the issue of local government funding, before selective amnesia affects us all the abolition of domestic rates featured in every manifesto preceding the general election in question. One wonders whether this was a good idea at the time and one can speculate...
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: We need to take a more innovative approach to commercial rates. I am particularly concerned about small rather than big businesses. I am not taking the IBEC line on this issue as I have experience of the matter but all businesses should pay their share and those which can pay should pay. That a large proportion of the commercial rates bill is paid by a small percentage of businesses needs to...
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I wish to make one final point.
- Seanad: Local Authority Services: Motion. (22 Feb 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I will not do so for fear I might drop a preference and will hand over to Senator Leyden gracefully.
- Seanad: Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I join with others in welcoming the Minister to the House. As I do not bring any pioneering aspect to the table in terms of this legislation, I shall be brief. I am in agreement with Senator O'Toole in disagreeing with the manner the debate on this matter has been personalised against the Minister. That is wrong. In general I admire the conviction with which the Minister goes about whatever...
- Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I join with other Senators in welcoming the Minister to the House and welcome the opportunity to make some points on the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006. I am particularly pleased to see the Bill come before the House because in July 2001, having co-written a report on the infrastructural deficiencies of the north west region, I had the privilege of presenting...
- Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Mar 2006)
Marc MacSharry: The Leader is right but I am complaining about the fact that they do not. The Leader was talking to the Minister while I was mentioning that so I will reiterate it to the Minister. We cannot make the sweeping statement that hotels are not included because every region is different. One size will not fit all. There are many things in the north west region we would consider valuable parts of...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Mar 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I ask the Leader for a debate on youth affairs. I do not know if Members are aware but this weekend the annual Dáil na nÃg was held in Croke Park, attended by some 200 school pupils from all around the country. We should debate the many challenges that confront youth. The House is always graced with the presence of many school pupils, far exceeding that of members of the press, so it is...
- Seanad: Cancer Services: Motion. (22 Mar 2006)
Marc MacSharry: I am glad of the opportunity to speak on this motion. While I will support the amendment, I am grateful to Senator Henry for putting this issue on the agenda for debate. I commend the Government, the Tánaiste and the Minister of State on all they are doing. That is not to deny, however, that much more needs to be done. I concur with much of what was said by Senator McHugh. We are behind...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Mar 2006)
Marc MacSharry: If it was in The Guardian, it must be true.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Mar 2006)
Marc MacSharry: It is the cornerstone of the republic.