Results 101-120 of 13,239 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (21 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. I also welcome this second opportunity to speak on this very relevant issue. We firmly believe that if the UN was given more time the Iraqi crisis could have been resolved without recourse to war. There are senior European Union diplomats from all bar two countries who hold a similar opinion. If the United Nations arms inspectors were given...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: Members on the other side of the House have dwelt on the record of the previous coalition Government, but I wish to dwell on this period of Government. Any straw poll on the streets of Dublin on a Saturday night will reveal the half empty restaurants and pubs.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: We are no longer competitive as a country or an economy. That is reflected in the cost of living increases. Six months ago, a basic basket of goods for a couple in Dublin cost €120 to €130, whereas today it will cost €150 to €160. I am not familiar with the cost of living in Dublin because I am only in the city a few nights a week, but in County Donegal consumers are moving across the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: It is scandalous that the price of houses is not included in the CPI, which means it is not a true reflection of the inflation rate. Eating out in Dublin has gone off the Richter scale. I know of a couple who, rather than staying in Dublin for St. Patrick's weekend, travelled to Brussels where they had a cheaper weekend. I know of another couple, constituents of the Minister of State, who...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: Exactly. I would do so if I lived near Derry city airport. Not everybody is in a position to use air transport and we do not have enough aircraft to carry everybody.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: I do not wish to criticise the people of Ardee, which is outside my constituency. The point I am making is that we need to remove freight traffic from our roads. One does not want to sit in a car, particularly on warm days like this. Today I think there was a near zero energy level in the Seanad at the Order of Business because people were probably stuck in traffic before they got here and...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: I wish to point out a number of things to Senator Ross who said that we have nothing to offer. We have been pushing for value for money in regard to public expenditure. The man and woman in the street knows that public money is squandered and wasted. The Senator knows there is waste and I challenge him to contradict me on that. In regard to what we have to offer, we need a quality product if...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Second Stage. (25 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: They are probably not as good.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Mar 2003)

Joe McHugh: In welcoming Senator Minihan to this side of the House, I confuse matters further by complimenting the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, on his proactive work in the area of mental health. We must engage in ongoing debate on mental health. There is a correlation between the high level of mental ill-health and the lack of consultants and...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Apr 2003)

Joe McHugh: The World Angling Championships will take place this June in Downings, County Donegal, a place that holds fond memories for Senator MacSharry, about which Members can ask him later. Some of the 15 countries participating include Spain, France, Germany and Italy. The community-led event, which came to my attention only recently, has been aided by the Department of Communications, Marine and...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Apr 2003)

Joe McHugh: I previously welcomed the inclusion in the spatial strategy of the Letterkenny-Derry area and the fact that it will be highlighted as a gateway access. There remains an opportunity in this regard under the strategic rail review. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, has said he is not handcuffed to that blueprint and is open to negotiation and suggestion.

Seanad: Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption: Motion. (7 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: First, I apologise for Senator Feighan's absence. He wanted to lead on this issue tonight as it falls within his brief. I congratulate the Labour Party on bringing forward this motion. On smoking, there is no distinction between the types of substances smoked. I was in England a week ago where the major trend seems to be in the direction of smoking cannabis. Perhaps it has not hit here to the...

Seanad: Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption: Motion. (7 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: We have to look at the major reports and the push being made by the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Heart Foundation and be realistic, not romantic, in our notion of smoking in bars. I say this without being in any way self-righteous about the matter because I do not smoke. While smokers should have choice – I do not want this to sound like a cliché – they do impinge on others if they...

Seanad: Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption: Motion. (7 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: The Senator needed a drink.

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: Although the current peace process in Northern Ireland has reached somewhat of an impasse, the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement still prevails. There is enhanced political and cross-Border communication at local and business levels. However, there is one impediment to enhanced cross-Border co-operation at business level, namely, the "roaming" mobile telephone charges that are incumbent on...

Seanad: Redundancy Payments Bill 2003: Second Stage. (14 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome this timely legislation. I also welcome the fact that all Stages are being dealt with in the House this week. I hope the Bill has a speedy passage through the Houses because sensitive redundancy negotiations are taking place in Letterkenny at the Unify plant, where 250 workers were laid off three weeks ago. Senator Mansergh asked where the cut-off point in terms of retrospective...

Seanad: Strategic Rail Review Report: Statements. (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister to the House. I am delighted he indicated at the launch of this report that he was not handcuffed to it and that he reiterated that sentiment today. If one were a tourist from America looking at the initial map in the review, one would think no one lived in Donegal. One would think the county was a vastly depopulated area like the Sahara or the Kalahari desert.

Seanad: Strategic Rail Review Report: Statements. (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: I am not using this as a political football and this is not a political bashing session. The Minister knows that 140,000 people live in Donegal and he knows its hinterland. He has three ministerial colleagues from there and he will have heard from them on the subject. I assume I am not telling him anything new. We have an opportunity in Donegal. Under the spatial strategy, the route between...

Seanad: Rural Development Policy: Statements (Resumed). (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: Is this a different debate?

Seanad: Rural Development Policy: Statements (Resumed). (21 May 2003)

Joe McHugh: What was the previous title? There is a different title this time.