Results 1-20 of 5,003 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I join my colleagues in extending good wishes to the Cathaoirleach for his term of office and I wish him well in that role. I second the proposal of my colleague, Senator Bradford, that we have a debate as a matter of urgency regarding the position of the undocumented Irish in the United States. It is a serious issue for many individuals and families across this country. Their situation...

Seanad: Cancer Services: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I wish to share three minutes of my time with Senator John Paul Phelan.

Seanad: Cancer Services: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister to the House. Today's announcement that ten acute beds will be lost to Monaghan hospital in my constituency forms a sad backdrop to tonight's debate. Peadar McMahon from the Monaghan Hospital Alliance, who is well known to the Minister, is outside the gates protesting on that issue. Current health strategy in this country is predicated on developing a GP-led primary...

Seanad: Sport and Recreational Development (26 Sep 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I join you, a Chathaoirligh, in welcoming the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, to the House. As a fellow county man, I am delighted to congratulate him on his appointment to senior ministerial office and wish him continued success in that role. I take the opportunity to welcome to the Visitors Gallery Mr. Seamus O'Reilly, county commissioner of Scouting Ireland in County Cavan, and...

Seanad: Sport and Recreational Development (26 Sep 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: This project and the working group promoting it should have the full support of Government. I urge the Minister to authorise and facilitate grant aid and direct funding, whatever mechanisms must be triggered and whatever budget the project must come under. I am confident the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, will be proactive, as he is in the wider children's area, and will support...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I congratulate my constituency colleague, Senator Diarmuid Wilson, on his appointment. I hope it will keep him in Dublin and the House and that we will have less of him at home. Will the Leader organise a focused debate to examine the degree of bloated administration in the HSE, cutbacks in renting buildings and wastage in general through a plethora of unnecessary meetings? I am horrified...

Seanad: Climate Protection Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I wish to share time with Senator Healy Eames.

Seanad: Climate Protection Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I am proud that today I was appointed by my party's leader, Deputy Kenny, as Seanad spokesperson on communications, energy and natural resources. It is in that context that I contribute to this debate. I echo the general congratulations extended to Senator Bacik on introducing the legislation. She has done the House a major service. I congratulate her on her great initiative in bringing...

Seanad: Climate Protection Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: Senator Boyle may rest assured that when it comes to patriotism, reason and putting the best interests of the people first, my party has a record that is second to none. I take great exception to his patronising attitude. Obviously, there are many elements involved in the substantive matter of reducing CO2 emissions but the element I wish to address briefly is the provision of rail services....

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I endorse the words of our party leader, Senator Fitzgerald, regarding World Mental Health Day. I am pleased to say I have spent a number of years working voluntarily with the Mental Health Association of Ireland and for that reason I have a particular interest in this area. I was involved in setting up one of its branches. Senator Fitzgerald's overall contention was that we have a lack of...

Seanad: Access to Education: Motion (10 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I congratulate the Labour Party for bringing forward this timely motion. Education, of its nature, is an issue that must continue to be debated. The debate on it will ever end. The backdrop to the discussion is the fact that we have had something of a population explosion in recent years. That is manifested most notably in the development of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I join in the words of congratulations to Archbishop Sean Brady on his nomination to the College of Cardinals. I am proud to be a neighbour and fellow countyman of his. He is an extremely great pastor as well as a great intellectual. I am also delighted to join in the congratulations extended to Anne Enright. It is a great personal achievement for her and it will be a great by-product of...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: Absolutely.

Seanad: Serious Crime: Motion (17 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I propose to share time with Senators Buttimer and McFadden. There has been a horrendous catalogue of crime in recent weeks. There has been virtual anarchy on the streets of the capital, which is tragic and serious. A major response is needed. The use of CAB is insufficient. The Government is not exploiting that asset to capture the assets of criminals. It is an initiative that came...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Oct 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I support the calls to the Leader for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to come to the House for a debate on energy. It would be timely and all the items already mentioned are meritorious. Perhaps the Leader would include the proposition that a comprehensive grant system be introduced to encourage a modern system of insulation of all houses. I understand the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I join colleagues in supporting the call by our leader, Senator Fitzgerald, for a necessary debate in response to the human tragedy that has resulted from our breast cancer services. In the Seanad we constantly talk about making ourselves relevant. I submit to the Cathaoirleach and to the Leader of the House that nothing would make us more relevant to the public than to suspend our other...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: Might I also say — I differ fundamentally from Senator Harris in this respect — that it is wrong and untrue to extrapolate from the tragedy in Portlaoise that we should close similar services in other small hospitals.

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: That is a misconception and is being used by certain sinister elements in this country to close small hospitals.

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I reiterate my personal objection to the removal of cancer services from Cavan General Hospital. I make no apology for doing so.

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Nov 2007)

Joe O'Reilly: I call for a debate on this issue. I also wish to raise an issue that is germane to my brief in the Seanad, namely, the question of the proposed increase in the television licence fee. There is a proposal before the Government to increase the fee by €7. I ask the Leader to have this debated in the House or at least to draw the attention of the relevant Minister to the fact that this...