Results 281-300 of 349 for speaker:Tom Morrissey

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2003: Second and Subsequent Stages. (27 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: Like other speakers I welcome the Minister and commend him on bringing the Bill before the House. It has been a tough week on solicitors. Between the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill and the Road Traffic Bill solicitors will find very little to challenge in future when they go to court. This Bill will also make it tougher on drivers and rightly so given that the Minister said that...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Second Stage. (20 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I am delighted to be here to participate in this debate. I welcome the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The commitment of the Government to insurance reform is evidenced by the Minister's presence and by the contents of her speech. There are times when the general public and the business community express dismay at Government inaction. Sometimes that inaction is the result of...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second and Subsequent Stages. - National Drugs Strategy: Motion. (12 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I thank Fine Gael for tabling this motion, which allows the Minister of State to put forward the Government's proposals for dealing with the drugs problem. The level of drug taking is, in some part, due to the prosperity we have witnessed in the last number of years. With that prosperity has come a level of spending by our young people never...

Seanad: Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second and Subsequent Stages. - National Drugs Strategy: Motion. (12 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: What type of message does that send out to our young people? Is this the type of activity in which they should be taking part? I am surprised that Mr. Dunphy's statement was not more roundly refuted by everyone involved in this area. Drug taking is devastating for any young person, his or her family and the wider community. We have often seen communities refusing to facilitate services for...

Seanad: Tax Compliance. (11 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Minister for Social and Family Affairs for taking the time to reply to my Adjournment matter. Although it may be a complex issue I raise this matter for a simple reason. Suppliers of goods and services to the State must supply a tax clearance certificate if the good costs in excess of €6,500. In the case of people who provide professional services to the State, such as...

Seanad: National Development Plan Mid-Term Evaluation: Statements. (5 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, to the House for the debate on the mid-term review of the national development plan. This report is one of the most important to come before the Houses of the Oireachtas for some time. The national development plan is the Government's investment programme for the period 2001 to 2006 and covers most major investments in physical infrastructure by...

Seanad: Insurance Industry Reform: Motion. (5 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I welcome the Minister of State. The speech made by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on behalf of the Government tonight was one of the most important made in this House since I came in here 18 months ago. It is far reaching, affects every system and should be applauded by all sides of this House instead of being condemned and noted by members of the Labour...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Schools Building Projects. (5 Nov 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I refer to the provision of a primary school in a fast growing area in my constituency. St. Patrick's national school in Diswellstown, Castleknock, has been operational for three years with a complement of 280 students. Next year, because of constraints of space, the school will be able to take in just two classes. The Department of Education and Science must make provision for a site and...

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Oct 2003)

Tom Morrissey: Last week Senator Tuffy made a call for the Members of this House to try to strengthen our links with local authorities. I agree with that and call for a debate or at least statements on the matter as soon as possible.

Seanad: Order of Business. (16 Oct 2003)

Tom Morrissey: Will the political parties in this House strengthen local government?

Seanad: Adjournment Matter. - Nursery Closure. (16 Oct 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I have raised this matter because of the crisis in child care and the need for emergency funding in the Ballyfermot area of Dublin. It involves a child care facility that was only opened two or three years ago, which caters for approximately 45 children every day. It has been primarily funded through grant aid and facilitated by statutory and local community bodies. A crisis has now emerged...

Seanad: Public Transport: Motion. (15 Oct 2003)

Tom Morrissey: The Minister of State has been here a few times during the past 12 months and I welcome him here again to hear our discussion on transport. I plead with him to take into account that the Progressive Democrats believe there are too many agencies interlinking with the various local authorities in the transport area in Dublin. There are breakdowns in communication which lead to lengthy time...

Seanad: Public Transport: Motion. (15 Oct 2003)

Tom Morrissey: We have to continue investing in our rail service across Dublin and in a metro. We will not get traffic moving freely without a metro, given the levels of car ownership and employment in the city. We should not have to wait seven or ten years for this. Building the metro in Madrid caused far less disruption there than building Luas has done here. Our systems and our methods to date have been...

Seanad: Benchmarking: Motion. (8 Oct 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I second the amendment moved by Senator Mansergh. The Progressive Democrats accept that the benchmarking agreement is a solemn, binding contract between the Government and the social partners. If we were to walk away from the deal at this stage, we would be inviting the unions which represent thousands of public and civil servants to hold the Government in breach of contract and we would have...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2003)

Tom Morrissey: The Bill is a welcome measure and marks a new beginning for the control of our taxi, hackney and limousine services. Thanks to the actions of the previous Government, and in particular those of the former Minister of State, Bobby Molloy, in pursuing this issue to ensure that more taxis are operating, the industry has grown considerably. Over 11,000 taxis are now plying their trade in Dublin,...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2003)

Tom Morrissey: The Bill, however, is looking to the future in trying to marry taxi services with the general public transport sector. There is a huge market for such services. The Bill updates previous legislation and provides for a commission for taxi regulation as well as an advisory council. The Minister will still have the authority to examine what is happening in the taxi sector, and the Oireachtas...

Seanad: Dublin Traffic Congestion: Motion. (11 Jun 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I move: That Seanad Éireann recognises the severe social and economic problems caused by traffic congestion in Dublin and expresses its support for a range of measures to alleviate the problem, including (i) the invitation of tenders as soon as possible for the construction of the first phase of a comprehensive metro system for the city, (ii) the use of public private partnership as the...

Seanad: Dublin Traffic Congestion: Motion. (11 Jun 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Minister of State for his summary of the debate. In tabling this motion, the Progressive Democrats sought to have the Minister of State come before the House to put on record the route it is intended to take in respect of transport. We are endeavouring to adopt European models of best practise and value for money. We know that traffic congestion is costing us money. We also know...

Seanad: Dublin Traffic Congestion: Motion. (11 Jun 2003)

Tom Morrissey: With regard to putting 20% of Dublin Bus services out to franchise, Members on this side of the House are not talking about dismantling Dublin Bus; we are concerned with competition and value. During the past four years, Dublin Bus increased the service on the No. 37 route from ten to 18 buses but, because of infrastructural problems, it is still carrying the same number of people. The time...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Mental Health Services. (29 May 2003)

Tom Morrissey: I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, for coming to the House today to give a report on unit 9 of James Connolly Memorial Hospital which is due to be relocated to a new purpose built hospital. I also raised this matter in February at which time I was informed by the Minister that a snag list was being compiled and due to be discussed the...