Results 241-260 of 349 for speaker:Tom Morrissey

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Morrissey: The day I raised it I asked that the Minister should come to this House to tell us what the Government was doing. I welcome the Minister to the House. He has outlined clearly in his speech what the Government has been doing in this and the previous term of office. There has been greater processing of patients through our hospitals as a result of investment. The Minister has acknowledged that...

Seanad: Hospital Services: Motion. (30 Jun 2004)

Tom Morrissey: Every councillor in Dublin 15 at the time voted against that proposal. I accept problems exist in accident and emergency departments and that we must do something in terms of how people are treated once they present there. I suggest that one area that might be examined is the junior doctor service provided at accident and emergency departments. I was told today that contracts for junior...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Jun 2004)

Tom Morrissey: Will the Leader arrange a debate with the Minister for Health and Children, prior to the summer recess, to discuss the ever-growing epidemic of queues of people in A & E departments waiting to get on to trolleys? This phenomenon is usually experienced during the winter months but it is now happening during the summer. What is the Government doing to remedy it? Each day, millions of euro are...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I will not detain the House for too long. The Minister has sat here listening to the debate for many hours, which is something not many Ministers do. I congratulate him on sitting here all day and listening to everybody's contribution. It is a Friday and not many other Ministers have done that in my experience. The Minister has put himself at the disposal of the media in answering all the...

Seanad: Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed). (30 Apr 2004)

Tom Morrissey: This is not about numbers, it is about integrity. Perhaps the Labour Party is not aware of the legal loophole which exists. However, the Government is aware of it and is attempting to close it. It is the function and responsibility of Government to do so. A master of one of the maternity hospitals stated that women have arrived in Ireland in advanced stages of labour and that luckily there...

Seanad: Citizenship Rights for Non-Nationals: Motion (7 Apr 2004)

Tom Morrissey: Some two to three weeks ago I, and representatives of all other political parties in the Oireachtas, attended a meeting in the Shelbourne at which we signed an agreement to have a non-racist local and European election campaign. In view of that, I do not see why some Senators continually refer back to what happened two years ago. All parties in the House have now signed up to that campaign.

Seanad: Citizenship Rights for Non-Nationals: Motion (7 Apr 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I hope the local election candidates will have more on their minds than this issue over the next 65 days. European election candidates should certainly have much more on their plates, with the enlargement of the EU and all that brings with it. We cannot go around with our eyes closed. There is a problem in our maternity hospitals. I and other Senators have friends working in Dublin maternity...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (6 Apr 2004)

Tom Morrissey: My reason for tabling this motion is that Castleknock Educate Together school has experienced tough beginnings in temporary places of accommodation over the past four or five years. Thankfully, within the last three years it has been provided with proper temporary accommodation on a school site at Beechpark in Castleknock. That school site was bought in 1981 and there is a long history...

Seanad: Order of Business. (31 Mar 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I seldom agree with Senator Ryan's calls for debate but I agree with his call for a debate on transport issues. I and Government Members of this House know where the Minister of Transport and the Progressive Democrats stand on the transport issue. We want to introduce competition in both bus and air transport. The postal strike has not spread to SDS, the parcel delivery service of An Post,...

Seanad: Smoking Ban: Motion (31 Mar 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Fianna Fáil group for tabling this worthy motion tonight. I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies Tim O'Malley and Brian Lenihan, for being here to listen to the debate. I congratulate the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, on his tremendous success in introducing the workplace ban on smoking. We have all known for a long time about the health effects and the costs...

Seanad: Aer Lingus Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (3 Mar 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss the Aer Lingus Bill 2003. It has come as a great shock to Aer Lingus that it must operate in an ever-changing business environment. Gone are the days when the airline could operate with certainty. Changing times have demanded that airlines, and, more important, national airlines like Aer Lingus, are properly equipped with a business...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I wish to share time with Senator Ormonde.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister and, in particular, I welcome the fact that he has chosen to introduce this Bill in the Seanad. Many of the Bill's provisions will engender greater public confidence in the work of the Garda Síochána which, I presume, is one of the Bill's main purposes. Many members of the public, and especially our young people, have for some reason lost confidence in the Garda...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2004)

Tom Morrissey: The Minister has taken the brave step of trying to reform the Garda Síochána. Such change in a force of 12,000 members was never going to be easy. The Garda Síochána is part of our everyday lives so anything we may seek to change regarding it will provoke public debate to which we must be sensitive. The approach now being taken is quite radical. Many Members of this House have served as...

Seanad: Revenue Commissioners: Motion. (18 Feb 2004)

Tom Morrissey: This motion is ill-timed because it comes at a time when the Revenue Commissioners have successfully completed the roll-out of a dynamic new customer-focused risk-based regional operating structure. After a period of fundamental redesign, restructuring and upskilling of a complexity never before attempted in the Irish public service, the Revenue Commissioners and their staff have...

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I support calls for the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney, to come to the House and put on record the job creation policies of this and the previous Government.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Tom Morrissey: She could also put on record the dismal performance of the previous Fine Gael and Labour Government——

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Tom Morrissey: ——when unemployment was at 19%. I look forward to the debate.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I am delighted I raised this subject because it seems to have raised some hackles on my colleagues opposite.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Tom Morrissey: I hope the Tánaiste comes into the House and refutes——