Results 41-60 of 3,895 for speaker:John Halligan

Pension Provisions (15 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: Is the Minister serious that people such as small farmers, who might work 70 to 90 hours per week, and shift workers, who might have been doing shift work for 20 to 40 years, want to work an extra year when they reach the age of 65? The Minister cannot seriously believe that. It comes down to having some type of dignity and quality of life at the end of one's working life.

Pension Provisions (15 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: Does the Minister really believe that? She will obviously say she does but is she seriously stating that when people at the lower and hardest end of the working scale, such as builders, labourers, small farmers and people on shift work, reach 65 years of age they do not wish to spend more time with their families? The Minister is saying they want to work an extra year at their eight hour...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: I spoke earlier on this issue of forcing people to work later in life and I do not want to go over what I said in regard to farm workers, labourers and so on. Interestingly, I spoke to someone from Waterford on the telephone about an hour ago, a supporter of mine who works in a hotel. The lady has worked in the hotel for 32 years. She is 60 years of age and had hoped to retire in the past...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: I know. She will know how difficult and stressful it can be. In the Celtic tiger years, apparently all the hotels were full and the staff had to work the longest hours and the hardest. This lady said she has to clean so many rooms in her eight or ten hour shift. She may work Monday to Friday or Tuesday to Sunday. She described the work as back-breaking and that when she goes home, she is...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (16 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: I concur with Deputy Ó Snodaigh's comments and agree that we are rushing through this Bill. I accept that fraudulent behaviour should be dealt with and I have no problem with that. However, we need clarity. I accept that there should be a penalty for a person who has defrauded the social welfare system, and the money that has been fraudulently taken from the system should be paid back....

Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: A commitment was given by the Taoiseach's party before the general election and also by the Labour Party and by the Government some months ago that the universal social charge, which is devastating families from all walks of life across this country, would be reviewed. Is this review under way and when will that review be brought before the House?

Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: I wish to share time with Deputies Clare Daly and Mattie McGrath.

Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: I want to focus on an aspect of the Act providing for special powers for the Special Criminal Court. While I fully recognise that organised crime is a major cause for concern and one that has potential to cause great harm to Irish society, is organised crime so big a threat as to justify restrictions of the constitutional right to trial by jury? The answer is, we do not know and in the...

Central Bank and Credit Institutions (Resolution) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (28 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: I wish to share time with Deputies Mattie McGrath and Thomas Pringle.

Central Bank and Credit Institutions (Resolution) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (28 Jun 2011)

John Halligan: There is little doubt that the public is outraged and angered by what has been allowed to happen to the banking system in Ireland. The public is also fed up with wealthy bankers who receive large salaries and bonuses from banks that would have failed if the Government had not intervened. It is not before time for this legislation to be before the House. My only regret, and many other...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (5 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: Question 97: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has made or intends to make an official statement regarding the recent unlawful killing of 15 Syrian citizens who were peacefully protesting in the towns of Homs and Kiswa south of Damascus; and if he will ask the Syrian Government to enter into negotiations with Syrian pro-democracy groups whose main aim is...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (5 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: Question 547: To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has bean drawn to the fact that many of the products which were being previously sold in head shops are now widely available to anybody online and are being purchased openly; the action being taken to curtail the availability of these products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18219/11]

Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (12 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: While I broadly welcome the Bill, I will comment on some aspects of it. Part 2 will amend the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and enable the Legal Aid Board provide legal advice to victims of human trafficking. While I welcome the extension of legal aid I do not believe the measure goes far enough as it does not extend the right of representation in court to those victims. These are the most...

Special Educational Needs: Motion (12 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: The presence of only one person on the Government benches shows the level of interest Government Deputies have in this matter. Members of the public are watching.

Special Educational Needs: Motion (12 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: I am not Deputy Healy.

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: Deputy Spring should be sitting with Fianna Fáil.

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: I heard two expressions tonight that I should not be shocked at. One came from a Fine Gael Member. He said: "when we know where the special needs need to go". Does he not know that? Second, he referred to leaner and smarter. I heard that phrase used last year on the bench opposite. To me, leaner and smarter always means job losses.

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: That is what the Members opposite are talking about. At the demonstration outside these Houses today by the many hundreds of people who came from all around the country I noticed one placard which read: "If you tolerate this, then our children will be next". I thought about that from the stand where I was speaking and I asked myself what have we tolerated. We have tolerated gambling and...

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: Boards of management across Waterford were notified by letter last Friday week that no junior infants class will be allocated special needs assistants in the coming school year except where the behaviour is extremely challenging and dangerous. At a meeting in Waterford last Monday night hundreds of parents, children, special needs assistants and teachers thronged into the Tower Hotel because...

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2011)

John Halligan: Tell me now that the cap, even if it is only on the number of special needs assistants, will not affect the most vulnerable in society.