Results 161-180 of 566 for speaker:Niall Ó Brolcháin

Seanad: Common Agricultural Policy: Statements (12 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: The Senator should keep going. He is doing well.

Seanad: Common Agricultural Policy: Statements (12 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe. I recognise Deputy Cuffe and it is quite clear that he is not Deputy Sargent.

Seanad: Common Agricultural Policy: Statements (12 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: The consensus that is emerging here is quite important. It is crucial that we all support the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to obtain the maximum for this country from any discussions at a European level. I have heard various Senators discussing the wearing of the green jersey in the negotiations, and it is not a great difficulty for me to do that. The CAP developed as a...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I welcome the words of Senator Bradford, especially coming from a member of the Fine Gael Party. This is something we need to consider on all sides of the House. It would be good to have a debate on the need for consensus. In this regard, I pay tribute to two brave men: Mr. Alan Dukes and Mr. John Hume. Mr. Dukes came up with the Tallaght strategy in the 1980s, when I was growing up, and...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: When we were bankrupt.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I wish to seek a debate on the governance of this country, a matter of some importance at present.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: Let us seek a debate on the matter.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: During the 1980s, I was obliged to emigrate. I did not want to do so but I had no other choice. I have received correspondence from people who have indicated that they are being forced to emigrate. The latter is a sad development.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: In the 1980s, there were continual calls for elections. A government would only be voted into office and people would call for another election to be held. Those were unstable political times. I agree with Senators Fitzgerald, Alex White and others who stated that a level of consensus is required in respect of the four-year budget.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I stand corrected. I agree that a new approach from Government is needed.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: There is also a need for a new approach from the Opposition. There is a need to examine the position with regard to the governance of this country. It is clear we are in a crisis and there is a need for everyone to pull together. The last thing people need is to hear Deputies or Senators bickering about who should hold ministerial office, who should take various actions, etc. What the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I am putting questions to the Leader and calling for a debate on governance. There have been calls from various Senators today relating to the four-year budget framework coming before the Houses of the Oireachtas. We must be imaginative and have an approach that includes everybody.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mary White. It is always a pleasure to have her here. She always gives us a good reception. I refer to the PSO levy and the motion because much of the debate has not referred to the motion. The motion refers to introducing the PSO levy, which is imminent. My information is that the PSO levy was introduced in 1999, 11 years ago. I do not quite...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: I do not quite understand the point of that Bill.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: As the Senator will recognise, the whole point of the PSO is that it is a balancing act. Opposition is a wonderful place to be and right now it is an absolutely fantastic place to be because the wonderful thing about Opposition is that it is quite possible to put forward points by raising one side of the balance sheet and not the second side. It can talk about all the good stuff while...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: They will raise it on the markets.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: They will raise money for current expenditure-----

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: Indeed.

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: The NewERA document refers to an investment of €7 billion to create 105,000 new jobs, yet these particular jobs would be under threat if the PSO levy was removed, and that is a reality. I would like Fine Gael to come clean and say if it is in favour of closing the power stations to which I referred. Is it against jobs in the turf powered stations in the midlands? One cannot really have...

Seanad: Electricity Prices: Motion (6 Oct 2010)

Niall Ó Brolcháin: The figures we have show that we are 98%-----