Results 21-40 of 31,111 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements (14 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dick Roche, to the House. It is regrettable the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, could not be here to put across these points, given the undoubted importance of road safety. The Minister of State highlighted the work that still remains to be done in respect of this important issue. He encouraged us to make our best effort not to be...

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements (14 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: This must be tackled in coming years. In respect of driving tests, it was already acknowledged earlier in the House that SGS Ireland, the company named by the Taoiseach as being crucial in delivering the tests we need to meet the target set for June 2008, has extremely uneven success rates across the country. It has an average success rate of 62% compared with the Road Safety Authority...

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements (14 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: As a regular bus user, I travelled to the Seanad this morning by bus. Unfortunately, an ordinary experience for me is unavailable to 60,000 commuters in our city for the fourth day in a row. When I raised this matter last Tuesday, I made a suggestion in regard to opening bus lanes. I understand my suggestion was acted upon and a number of lanes were opened.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Leader for passing my suggestion to the Minister. If my comments are going to be taken as seriously in the future, I will be much more careful in what I say.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I ask the workers of Dublin Bus to be aware of the consequences of their actions. A small number of people are taking actions which have a disastrous impact on their customers. It is their responsibility to come to their senses. However, a similar responsibility rests with the Government. Just as some workers in Dublin Bus lack a sense of responsibility for the impact their actions are...

Seanad: Local Government (Roads Functions) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I wish to share my time with Senator Buttimer if that is agreeable to the House.

Seanad: Local Government (Roads Functions) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I also thank the Minister for attending this debate and for having the courtesy to stay throughout it. It would be great if he could respond to some of the important points raised. Before I comment on this legislation, I will return to comments made by other speakers about taxation options open to the Minister and Government in respect of how we change people's behaviour in respect of the...

Seanad: Local Government (Roads Functions) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: We must have made a mistake.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: Last night the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance made a wide-ranging speech about the future of our economic policy. The breadth of the speech was far more wide-ranging and comprehensive than those I have heard in the Oireachtas in the past few months. Instead of commenting on that, however, I call for a debate on tow points made by the Tánaiste.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: If I can make my points I will explain the reason a debate on these matters is vital. The Tánaiste commented that there would be a slow down in public spending in line with growth of the economy and he ominously referred to a further expansion of the private sector into the delivery of services currently delivered by the public sector. The last time we heard language like that was in...

Seanad: The Irish Market in a Globalised Economy: Statements (21 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I join others in welcoming the Minister of State to the House. Although I was not present during the earlier part of this debate, I listened and watched upstairs and heard the Minister of State's contribution and the comments of different people. I will start by quoting a number of figures which set the entire debate in context, namely, the gross domestic product per head of population in...

Seanad: The Irish Market in a Globalised Economy: Statements (21 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: Maybe it is. We need to get the facts in place and build up the passion to get to the main points.

Seanad: The Irish Market in a Globalised Economy: Statements (21 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: Before I came to the Seanad to make this speech I gave my old secondary school a call. I asked the people at the school what type of institution people think of when they consider furthering their education. The answer that came back was the Central Applications Office, which is for people who want to get into third level education. We need to instill two things into the boys and girls in...

Seanad: The Irish Market in a Globalised Economy: Statements (21 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: Great.

Seanad: The Irish Market in a Globalised Economy: Statements (21 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: The Senator was going better.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: Other speakers have called for a debate on active citizenship and the role of volunteering in society. Senator Daly in particular hit the nail on the head when he spoke about the important role education plays within this, which I believe should be captured in the debate I hope we have. The Senator indicated that in many cases, comments and culture encouraging citizenship within our...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I support Senator Quinn's request for a debate on broader issues in regard to child care and how we look after our children. I had occasion to spend time in the Rotunda Hospital two weeks ago attending the birth of my second child. Talking to the midwives there, I could not help but observe how much busier the facility was than the last time I was there two years ago. The midwives told me...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: That country's state agencies have almost certainly been involved in assassinating somebody in our neighbouring country. It is a country that has been using its natural resources to hold its neighbours hostage.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Paschal Donohoe: I will be brief. It is a country that has just delivered an election in which observers said there was little point in them observing what was happening as standards had slipped so far. Whatever debates we may have in future, we cannot remain blind to the abuse of power that is taking place there. We certainly cannot praise what is happening there at the moment.