Results 181-200 of 13,260 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: I agree with Senator Brennan that we should invite John Hume to this House. Perhaps we could also invite his wife, Pat, who was the engine room behind John Hume's success down through the years. It would be appropriate to invite both of them. Six months ago, the Leader of Fianna Fáil, Deputy Ahern, announced there would be a major drive to make it easier to build one-off housing in the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: I have tabled a joint motion with the Labour Party. We tabled a motion three weeks ago on development levies. A motion on planning is required. Senators on this side of the House agree with me in this regard.

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: How can we and the media in a democracy allow the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, to rant and rave six months later about a policy that does not exist? There is no flesh on a skeleton.

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: The Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, should come to this House and explain exactly what he means by making it easier to build one-off housing.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: Such a wholesome town.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: I congratulate Senator Wilson on his passionate contribution. Maybe he should stay away from scripted speeches because, when he does, he offers more colour to the debate. I want to be equally parochial out of the sheer jealousy of County Cavan getting the headquarters of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. However, I wish to be constructive in my contribution....

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: We are trying to build critical mass for IT infrastructure. We already have the Letterkenny Institute of Technology, which is a very good centre. Another 830 jobs out of the 1,300 are to be located and I am telling theMinister for Finance that Letterkenny is the key town. It is a gateway and we want to take the spatial strategy seriously, but like the Chelsea football team, it is great only...

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: In the same vein, we need a debate on job policy in the north west. Senator Bannon alluded to competition and there is an ongoing debate about Eircom and what went wrong with the take-over bid. It was a mistake to privatise Eircom because there is a monopoly on telecom provision in Donegal and companies will not go there because it is too expensive and there is no competition. That is only...

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: Yes. Competition is the key and we must have a debate. Senator Bannon and Senator McCarthy raised a serious issue and the Tánaiste should come to the House as soon as possible.

Seanad: Schools Refurbishment. (18 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: I wish to raise an issue regarding Ballyraine national school which was brought to my attention in recent months by the school board of management. Lobbying in this regard has been ongoing since 1984. The board of management began some months ago to try to move the refurbishment project forward and they have tried to make this process as non-political as possible. Last Monday week, they met...

Seanad: Order of Business. (24 Feb 2004)

Joe McHugh: I seek an update on the proposed debates on one-off rural housing and job creation in the BMW region. I seek clarification on the progress since our successful debate on the Irish language. We had a very magnanimous debate on having Irish included as a working language in the EU. Has the Minister been contacted and is he working on behalf of this House? We must send the clear message that...

Seanad: Address by Mr. John Hume, MEP. (3 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: I pay tribute to John Hume on behalf of the people of Donegal. He will not mind me being parochial because we claim a little ownership of him. He is an adopted son because he is regularly seen in Greencastle on Sunday nights in a wee restaurant. He is very much part of the social infrastructure there.

Seanad: Address by Mr. John Hume, MEP. (3 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: That is good public relations. I entered politics five years ago and the first time I met John Hume was in that restaurant in Greencastle. My father went up to his table and introduced him to me. I was angling to get some advice from the wise old fox but, when he found out my mother was a nurse, he was more interested in speaking to her because the nurses' strike was on at that time. He was...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (4 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Callely, to the House and express my appreciation for the time he is taking to listen to the Adjournment matters. I welcome yesterday's announcement of short-term funding to address the functionality and day to day running of St. Eunan's College. The board of management of St. Eunan's College and the school...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (4 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: Perhaps the Cathaoirleach will be happy to allow him to do that to enable him to provide the House with feedback on the bands system.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (4 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: We have what are termed "deliverables" in the consultancy game. Hopefully, the term "brilliant" which was applied to the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, can be extended to and associated with the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: I call on the Leader to arrange a debate on a related topic, namely economic policy in Northern Ireland. We can move away from the reactive issues which we always talk about in regard to Northern Ireland when there is a punishment beating or political impasse. While the symbolism of checkpoints has been removed along the Border, we still have social and economic partition. We must devise a...

Seanad: Draft Guidelines on Rural Housing: Statements. (10 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: He should contact Senator Bannon.

Seanad: Draft Guidelines on Rural Housing: Statements. (10 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: He has not gone away.

Seanad: Draft Guidelines on Rural Housing: Statements. (10 Mar 2004)

Joe McHugh: We are all singing from the same hymn sheet regarding planning guidelines and trying to accommodate and facilitate people in rural communities. That is what we all want to do. Without people, there can be no communities. We have been requesting a debate on planning, rural housing and once-off housing for approximately 18 months. The Minister and members of the Fianna Fáil Party stated that...