Results 61-80 of 1,658 for speaker:Ned O'Sullivan

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: A this is my second time today to be Paddy last in a fairly lengthy debate, I need to have a chat with my Whip. In the meantime, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Haughey, who is always very generous with his time in this House. I had hoped to have a chance to welcome my neighbour and new Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, but unfortunately he had to leave...

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I have no doubt the Minister will be able to handle the necessary changes which are inevitable in the new situation while at the same time continuing to provide the type of educational excellence this Government has provided in the past ten years. I am particularly proud of my party's record in education going right back to the 1930s. The Minister, Deputy O'Keeffe, had a predecessor from...

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I did not interrupt the Senator at any stage in the proceedings.

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: The Senator has a hard neck considering the track record in education of her party in Government in recent years. I was a primary teacher in the famous hardship government of 1973 to 1977. Anyone who was involved in education in that horrendous period will not easily forget it. I was also a teacher at secondary level in the Garret era and it was a case of the last one out of the school was...

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: The money has been very well spent. I refer the Senator to the record from 1997 to 2007. When the Senator's party was last in Government the number of children in classes of more than 35 and 40 was five times more than it is today. In that Government's last budget in 1997, her party cut teacher numbers. These are the facts.

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: The Senator may wish to be political about the matter but I am not a great man for fighting political corners because I like to be friendly with everybody. The Senators opposite have neck for Ireland. We are in tough times. What I liked about the Minister's contribution was that he focused on the new concept of lean and mean. He is showing that in his Department he will be lean and mean...

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: They are dedicated and hard working. They know what is required of education. While of its nature there will sometimes be confrontation between Government and Departments and the teaching professions, I would advise him to talk to the teachers' unions. I was a member of two of them in my time and a lot of good ideas are forthcoming from them. The motion is one I could not possibly...

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: ——and we have to face up to that.

Seanad: Primary School Funding: Motion (8 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: We must get real and we must live in the real world.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: The former Taoiseach, Dr. Garret FitzGerald, re-negotiated a budget with Mr. Jim Kemmy.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: Recently I raised the issue of the direct intervention by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in local planning matters. At a very useful meeting of the environment committee this week, departmental officials confirmed that there had been six such direct interventions by a Minister since the introduction of the Act. Four of the interventions have taken place in...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I am slow to intervene because it is clear Senator O'Donovan will have a great deal more to say on this in the coming days and possibly weeks. I want to refer to the situation in Fenit for fear that our silence in that respect indicates that we are happy in Kerry. I share the views of Senator O'Donovan in all he has said in regard to Bantry, particularly with regard to prior consultation....

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: Yes. I thank Senator O'Donovan for allowing me time. Progress reported; Committee to sit again.

Seanad: Fishing Industry: Statements (12 Nov 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I wish to share two minutes of my time with Senator Mary White.

Seanad: Fishing Industry: Statements (12 Nov 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, to the House. I wish him well in the current negotiations, which are very important to us. We were successful this time last year in very difficult circumstances but we are obviously in more straitened circumstances now. I wish the Minister of State well in renegotiating the Common Fisheries Policy, in which the Irish do not have any great...

Seanad: Road Network (12 Nov 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for taking this motion on the Adjournment and I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to respond. I will not go through the entire saga of Ballinagar Bridge. It is located in north Kerry between the parishes of Ballyduff and Lixnaw. It is particularly important transport infrastructure over the River Brick which effectively divides the two...

Seanad: Road Network (12 Nov 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I am glad to acknowledge what the Minister of State has said on the very generous funding which Kerry County Council and all other councils have received from Government in recent years. The Minister of State will be aware that there is a worry about the current straitened finances owing from the economy in Ireland and worldwide. I anticipate the allocations for local and regional roads in...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I wish to raise something that was brought to my attention in Kerry at the weekend, which I hope the Leader will bring to the attention of the Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Foreign Affairs. It relates to nefarious activities by individuals who are passing themselves off as migration agents "assisting" Irish citizens who wish to move to Australia. Members will be aware...

Seanad: The Economy: Statements (5 Dec 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, to the House. He is a very popular Minister in my part of the country. He was always very supportive of our literary festival in Listowel, long before he ever set foot on the greasy pole, which he appears to be climbing with dexterity. I listened closely to the contribution of the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, both in the House and on the...

Seanad: The Economy: Statements (5 Dec 2008)

Ned O'Sullivan: He was lambasted in the media and by all the smart commentators. That was a sad day because patriotism is something to which we should all aspire. I respect and like to see a senior politician calling for patriotism. It is not a dirty word. It might have been sullied at one time by people who thought it meant blowing people up, but, to me, patriotism is trying to reach out to help one's...