Results 61-80 of 904 for speaker:Ray Butler

Seanad: Order of Business (3 May 2018)

Ray Butler: There is a shortage of dementia beds in County Meath, relating to issues in St. Joseph's public nursing home in Trim. In 2012 and 2013, HIQA published a report showing that St. Joseph's was not up to HIQA standards. Senator James Reilly when he was Minister for Health came on board and allocated €1.2 million to St. Joseph's which ended up being a new 50-patient nursing home and...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Apr 2018)

Ray Butler: I want to raise a survey carried out in England by Cancer Research UK which suggests that television advertisements for sweets, crisps and fast foods have a real impact on primary school children. Health organisations are looking for tougher advertising curbs in the forthcoming Government child obesity strategy. According to recent government statistics for England, about one fifth of...

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2018)

Ray Butler: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Ray Butler: I wish to address the issue of local authorities privatising traffic warden services in rural towns. This is being done to let private companies come in to be ruthless. The service was privatised in Navan in my county of Meath around eight months ago. A company came in and was absolutely ruthless over the Christmas period with people trying to do their Christmas shopping. I believe that...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2018)

Ray Butler: I welcome the review of hospital parking charges by the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, for people who are in hospital for a long time. It is long overdue. A man whose wife has cancer spoke on RTÉ recently. Over a six-month period he paid €1,000 in parking charges. My local hospital in west Meath, Navan, charges €4 for parking whether one is there for two...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: I wish to speak today about Permanent TSB and the sale of mortgages to vulture funds.It was announced over the weekend that Ulster Bank proposes to sell 7,000 mortgages. There is now a stampede by the banks to sell mortgages before legislation is enacted. I welcome that the Government proposes to abstain in the vote tomorrow on Deputy Michael McGrath's Bill. I thank Deputy McGrath for...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: Yes. A constituent of mine whose loan was sold to a vulture fund offered to repay €500 per month but it was refused and she and her family were evicted, following which she was housed through the housing assistance payment scheme at a cost to the taxpayer of €700 per month. The State owns 75% of Permanent TSB yet the taxpayer is to be left to clean up its mess again. I would...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: I also echo the sentiments of Senator Grace O'Sullivan on the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant. With it, three more nuclear power plants are planned in England. It is, therefore, time for the Government to act. Like everyone else, I will speak about Permanent TSB and the 20,000 family home loans which will be sold to vulture funds and banks. I spoke about this issue a number of months...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: We have to stop this. There is a need for immediate action. I am sick of the shit banks and building societies that think they can get away with this.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: I am serious about it.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: I am not using it to grab a headline; I am just saying it as it is.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: We need the Minister to come into the House to get something done.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: I thank the Tánaiste, Deputy Coveney, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their help over the last three weeks. A young man, Ross Hanlon from Athboy in my constituency, lost his life in a tragic accident in Vienna. On behalf of his father and family, I thank the ambassador in Vienna, Tom Hanney, as well as Seán Ó Riain and all staff of the embassy, and the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: I want to raise the concerns about the introduction of the cult of Scientology in Ireland and the opening of a rehabilitation centre in Ballivor, County Meath. The cult has purchased a site in Ballivor for €1 million and has got planning permission to open it as a nursing home. It can use this to come in as a drug care centre. There is no regulation of drug rehabilitation centres....

Seanad: Data Protection Bill 2018: Order for Second Stage (8 Feb 2018)

Ray Butler: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2018)

Ray Butler: It is great to see everybody doing "Operation Transformation" after Christmas. I want to talk about diabetes and getting regular check-ups. More than 200,000 people in Ireland have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I would safely suggest that another 200,000 to 300,000 people do not know they have diabetes. As the World Health Organization last year stated that by 2030, more than 40...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2018)

Ray Butler: I thank Senator Norris. It is a simple check-up involving a prick to the finger to check the blood. It only takes two or three minutes but can save many lives, as well as saving a lot of money for the health service. I ask the Minister to come to the House to let us know what he intends to do with regard to funding blood checks to diagnose people who technically are diabetes sufferers.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Second Stage (24 Jan 2018)

Ray Butler: Since 1 January 2018, under the National Minimum Wage Order 2017, the national minimum wage for an experienced employee is €9.55 per hour. An experienced adult employee for the purpose of the National Minimum Wage Act is an employee over the age of 18 who has an employment of any kind in any two years. However, the national minimum wage does not stop an employer from offering a...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jan 2018)

Ray Butler: I would like to talk about social protection for the self-employed. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection carried out a survey of 20,000 self-employed people last year. In that survey, 76% of self-employed people said they were in favour of a new stamp. The majority wanted it to be voluntary. I would prefer if it was mandatory but I am happy to get it one way or...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Jan 2018)

Ray Butler: I thank Senator Norris. The Department is dragging its feet on this issue. The new Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, was the Minister formerly. He was pushing it. We have a new Minister now and I feel that it has been pushed to the back burner, which is not good enough. I appeal to Fianna Fáil, our partners in government. It is in the programme for Government that we progress this...