Results 21-40 of 11,811 for speaker:Denis O'Donovan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (15 Jun 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: I am glad to share time with my good colleague, Senator Buttimer. I will outline the facts from letters I received. Cork University Hospital, CUH, is the south-west region's centre for neurology but is short of neurology nurse specialists. Patients are unnecessarily waiting longer for diagnosis and treatment. Based on the catchment area, national and international guidelines recommend...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (15 Jun 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: I thank the Minister of State for coming in. He is basically the messenger. It reminds me of somebody in a football game who is 20 points to four down at half-time. I do not think we will win this match, but I stress that the situation is serious. In my view, what is happening is not tolerable. I hope the Minister of State will convey to the senior Minister that Senator Buttimer, I and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: I belatedly congratulate my Sinn Féin colleagues on their amazing success in the North. I was up there in the 1970s a few times and this outcome was never envisaged. Therefore, I wish them well in this regard. Turning to the issue of the new national maternity hospital, I am delighted it is getting the green light. There has been procrastination in this area for almost a decade. It...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Feb 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: I join in the welcome to the Lithuanian ambassador. Cuirim fáilte roimhe. I had the pleasure in my previous life as Cathaoirleach to visit his country and had an exceptionally good time there. I will not go into details.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Feb 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: The Cathaoirleach mentioned the Lithuanian community in Ireland. I eat a lot of fish and the man who looks after my fish is a lovely Lithuanian man. If I have a problem I ring him and he makes sure he has fresh cod, hake or whatever is on the menu. Even though the fishmonger is Lithuanian, the fish are Irish. I wish the ambassador well. There are long-standing good relations with his...

Seanad: Report of Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine: Motion (16 Feb 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: Thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for facilitating this debate. I acknowledge the presence of Deputy Cahill, whose excellent stewardship of the agriculture committee has brought us to this point. I compliment him on his hard work and welcome him to the Upper House. It is nice to be upgraded occasionally. I am glad Deputy Cahill is here. My contribution will be brief and I will not dwell too...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Feb 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: I rise to ask the Leader to facilitate a debate on the issue raised by my learned colleague, Senator Wall, namely, the recent report on the Defence Forces. It is sad to realise that the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, the Minister and the conclusions of the White Paper all basically acknowledge the serious shortcoming in the Defence Forces. Numbers are declining. The Chief of Staff...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (9 Feb 2022)

Denis O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister to the House. No fishing representative would like to see any sort of penalty points or other system that might in any way adversely affect their work. However, I note the European Commission has issued a reasoned - I like the word "reasoned" - opinion against Ireland for failure to implement the system by 1 January. It states "2012" but that might be an error. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: I do not wish to rehash everything that has been said. My view is that decommissioning is a last resort but, unfortunately, in some instances we have to go down that road. I live in a place called Schull, which is quite close to where Deputy Michael Collins is from. I am probably the oldest around here. I remember a day when there were probably ten trawlers fishing out of Schull and there...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Dec 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: I rise to ask the Leader about two issues. I recently met with members of the Collins committee in Clonakilty which is apolitical. They are doing a lot of research on history, and their wish and hope is that somewhere in the capital, which is very important in the context of the treaty etc., in the time that is in it, a life-sized statue of Michael Collins would be erected. It is not a big...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Nov 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: I rise today to ask the Leader, or implore her for assistance with a particular matter. I have a neighbour and constituent who, in May 2021, got a Pfizer first jab for Covid-19. Unfortunately, she had a serious reaction and ended up in the accident and emergency department and eventually recovered. Since then, she has been endeavouring to get her second vaccination, if not Pfizer, then...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: Regarding the period of the past 20 years, what sort of graph do our guests have in respect of the damage caused by farming and intensive farming in particular? They stated it is getting worse rather than better. Is there a steer in that regard or what can be done? Is there a correlation between global warming and water quality? As a former local authority member, I recently conducted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: It might be a superfluous question, but has global warming had any impact on the environment vis-à-viswater quality? Is it in any way related?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: I compliment the Chairman, Deputy Cahill, on bringing this legislation. It is unfortunate it was not done a few years ago. I was not a member of the previous committee. I speak as somebody who is concerned from a peninsula in a very remote part where vets are already scarce. If they are allowed to go ahead with corporate companies running the show, I cannot see them basing themselves in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: If these regulations are wrong, is there any means of enforcement? Is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine silent on this issue? If so, why is it not being more vocal in support of what Deputy Cahill is doing? Why was it not done five years ago or seven years ago?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: I have a final comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (28 Sep 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: My point has been made in general. I do not even know what corporations are involved. The difficulty I see with that is they have plenty of finance backing them. They will buy the best lawyers and take on the Department as well. The sooner we get a handle on this, the better. The next thing is that the horse will have bolted and the door will be closed against us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Independent Mink Farms: Discussion (15 Jul 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: There are three aspects to this. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine gave the green light to this and very quickly - though maybe not suddenly - it has decided to put on the red light and close the industry down or prohibit it. Please correct me if I am wrong about the three aspects I see here. The most important thing is the compensation for the workers who have been there...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Jul 2021)

Denis O'Donovan: I ask the Deputy Leader to support the demand made my colleague from Cork, Senator Lombard, for extra funding to address the severe flooding we endured in places like Bantry and Skibbereen, not once but twice last year, and which cost millions of euro. I raise a matter related to fishing, which is close to my heart. It concerns an application for funding to carry out a development options...