Results 1-20 of 2,156 for speaker:Tom Parlon

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Rail Network. (20 Nov 2002)

Tom Parlon: The issue of Irish Rail's removal of the crossover at Athenry was raised in the House on 14 November last when the Minister dealt with it in some detail. The situation is essentially unchanged since that debate. As the Minister explained, Irish Rail advised him that Athenry is being resignalled as part of a project to modernise the signalling system on the Dublin to Galway line. Design work...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Flood Relief. (20 Nov 2002)

Tom Parlon: On my own behalf and that of the Government, I express sympathy to everyone affected by flooding in recent days. It has been a very traumatic time, as the Senator said, for those whose homes have been flooded. We all saw what happened on television and the newspapers and I had an opportunity of seeing some of the devastation. Serious flooding occurred in many parts of the country. The cause...

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Tom Parlon: I thank my colleagues in the Progressive Democrats for tabling this motion for discussion today. It is right that this House should have the opportunity to comment on the measures announced in the other House by the Minister for Finance. Senators will be well aware of the difficult economic circumstances in which this budget has been framed. They will also be aware that those difficulties are...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill, 2002 [Certified Money Bill]: Second and Subsequent Stages. (12 Dec 2002)

Tom Parlon: I welcome this opportunity to address the Seanad on the Appropriation Bill, 2002. As Members are aware, the core purpose of the annual Appropriation Bill is to give statutory effect to the departmental Estimates for supply services, both current and capital, including all Supplementary Estimates approved by the Dáil since the last Appropriation Act. The Appropriation Bill, 2002 appropriates...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill, 2002 [Certified Money Bill]: Second and Subsequent Stages. (12 Dec 2002)

Tom Parlon: This is a technical Bill. While it deals with very dry stuff, it must be dealt with to give statutory authority to the appropriations voted on. I thank all those who have contributed on both sides of the House. The common sense shown and civility of the contributions in this House stand in contrast to some of what I have experienced in the other House.

Seanad: Appropriation Bill, 2002 [Certified Money Bill]: Second and Subsequent Stages. (12 Dec 2002)

Tom Parlon: I do not want to encourage that. Senator Higgins referred to misappropriation. I am very proud, however, to be part of a Government and a Department of Finance that has spent €29 billion in the last year. In spite of this, we should take note of common sense points about getting value for money, an absolute priority of every Minister and Department. There has been much hype all year about...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Investment Based Naturalisation Scheme. (19 Dec 2002)

Tom Parlon: I thank the Senator for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McDowell. I would not wish to see the Senator's sleep pattern overly interrupted in the future or even during the Christmas period. On 20 April 1998, the Government abolished the investment based naturalisation scheme which had commenced in 1989. In doing so, it decided that the Minister for...

Seanad: Tipperary Plant Closure. (19 Dec 2002)

Tom Parlon: I thank Senator O'Meara for raising this issue. It is of particular interest to me because I also come from that area. Although Roscrea is not in my constituency, it was my home town. I went to school there and my children attend school there now. What has happened is an absolute tragedy. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has given absolute priority to the processing of the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Post Office Network. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: I thank Senators Mansergh and Feighan for raising this matter. One of the first commitments given by Senator O'Rourke as Minister in June 1997 concerned the post office network. She promised that there would be no forced closures of post offices. The position of Government has not changed since. We remain committed to a viable and competitive post office network. I draw the attention of the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: I thank the Senator for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I have come to the House on behalf of the Minister. I was also present for the debate on Connacht rugby, during which everyone indicated their support for the province. No insensitivity was intended when the Minister made the comments to which the Senator referred. I hope my response will be devoid of the clichés and jargon...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: I am informing the Senator of the facts. It is very positive that, despite taking a decision with serious implications for Ballinasloe, the company has acted responsibly in terms of what it is offering to do. Many other companies have walked away without paying workers their entitlements.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: FÁS will register people as job seekers, provide career information and guidance and carry out a training needs analysis. It will provide a range of training courses designed to meet the skill needs of individuals to enhance their employability, while also providing the area with a skilled workforce. Enterprise Ireland began discussions last week with the company to discuss supports for any...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: They are in the Senator's county. I would be very happy at the prospect of 2,200 new jobs being created in my constituency.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: Recognising that urban environments are generally more attractive for mobile investments, IDA Ireland has adopted a target of having 50% of all new greenfield investment located in the Objective One region. IDA Ireland has sought to encourage investments in defined sectors to specific regions, which seeks to build on the relative advantages in different towns. An essential part of this...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: While IDA Ireland is convinced that it has excellent quality property solutions in the larger towns in the county, it is also cognisant of the slower inward investment climate that has prevailed for the past two years. This has also had an impact on jobs in existing client companies. Much progress has been recorded in recent years in many of the companies attracted here, in the shift up the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: The Minister has also met many of the Ballinasloe interest groups and hopes to do so again in the near future.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: I have outlined a number of important facts that the Senator has totally ignored.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters. - Job Losses. (29 Jan 2003)

Tom Parlon: The Tánaiste has also met the interest groups and reassured them of her ongoing commitment to work on their behalf.

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

Tom Parlon: On behalf of my colleagues, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, and the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, who is replying to a similar Adjournment debate in the Dáil, I thank the Senator for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister and Minister of State. She has demonstrated a clear...

Seanad: Capital Acquisitions Tax Consolidation Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (18 Feb 2003)

Tom Parlon: I appreciate the opportunity to speak on the Capital Acquisitions Tax Consolidation Bill 2002. I wish to inform Senator McDowell that the threshold for capital acquisitions tax for a child is €441,000.