Results 1-20 of 417 for speaker:Michael Comiskey

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I join all my colleagues in wishing everybody well and, in particular, Senators Quinn, Walsh and all the other Members who are retiring. It was a great honour to have been in this House for the past five years and to have worked with them all. I wish all the Senators who are standing in the election well and hope they are successful. I also hope that colleagues who are running for...

Seanad: Direct Provision: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I call Senator Marie Moloney.

Seanad: Direct Provision: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: Okay. Senator Norris.

Seanad: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Second Stage (27 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss the Horse Racing Ireland Bill. The Bill amends the Horseracing Industry Act 1994 and the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, the core legislation on the governing structures for the horseracing industry in Ireland. The Bill increases ministerial representation on the board of Horse Racing Ireland, amends the general functions of HRI, alters...

Seanad: Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (26 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister of State.

Seanad: Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (26 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Local Government Review: Statements (26 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House this evening and thank him for taking the time to address this most important issue. Local government and our councillors are the lifeblood of public service. The workload of councillors is onerous and we need to ensure they are adequately provided for. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 brought about great changes to the operation of local...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Second Stage (20 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this important Bill, which I also welcome. I have an interest in two issues. I refer to the burning of overgrowth and commonages, in particular heather. Over the years mountains were under-grazed and there was a problem with heather growing too long. It had to be managed in a proper order. The fact that this will be reviewed in two years'...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I want to welcome the news today that €2 million has been allocated for O'Connell Street in Sligo and a new community centre, Crann Nua, in Cranmore. It is very welcome news. Many calls have been made over the past number of years to pedestrianise O'Connell Street in Sligo. Extra money will be allocated for the paving of the street and the provision of single-lane traffic. The...

Seanad: Road Traffic Bill 2016: Second Stage (19 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister and thank him for being here for Second Stage of the Bill. The Bill expands on existing legislation, specifically addresses drug driving and proposes a number of road traffic measures such as providing for the further lowering of speed limits in residential areas. It also provides for the recognition of driving disqualifications between Ireland and the UK and proposes...

Seanad: Irish Water: Motion (13 Jan 2016)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for making the time to discuss the most important issue of Irish Water. This matter has received lengthy debate in this and the Lower House as it is such a dominant matter. Water is one of our most important resources and it is crucial that we do all we can to utilise it effectively and ensure that we do not waste it. I strongly...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: I assure Members that neither my secretary nor I nor anyone working for me ever received such a telephone call, thanks be to God. I welcome the news of the deal done yesterday evening by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on fishery quota, whereby there will be an increase of 10% in the whitefish quota and of 8% in respect of prawns. This is good news in particular for those...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the news that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has announced aid for dairy and pig farmers who have had a very difficult year. There was a collapse in milk prices and pig farmers had a similar problem. There will be a fund of over €27 million paid out to them before Christmas, of which €13 million comes from the EU and €13 million from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Report on EU Developments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: Do the witnesses envisage a further opening of GLAS into 2016? I know we have another week or so to apply for the second tranche of GLAS but will it be opened up in spring 2016? One farmer started farming for the first time recently but the planner he used messed up his application for the basic payment scheme. Can he make an application for GLAS or is he ruled out because he had not sent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Report on EU Developments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: What about the risk of hormones in American beef?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data and Genomics Programme: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: I thank the witnesses for that good report. After the early difficulties we all envisaged when the scheme was first announced, more information is now coming out and farmers are beginning to feel happier with it. The officials say about 23,000 farmers are now nearly ready for payments. Do they expect that most of them will be paid before Christmas at this stage? The monitoring group...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: The terrible storms at the weekend affected a large number of people throughout the country. In County Leitrim, my county, there were a number of incidents of flooding and there was a landslide in one part of the county while in Sligo, people had to be evacuated from nursing homes. I welcome the suite of measures that has been put in place. I know the money will be spent on helping those...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: A slight new change. It is a rehash.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Bord Bia (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Comiskey: I thank the witnesses for the presentation. Most of the points have been covered but I wish to raise a topic I have been talking about for many years. In my previous job I represented hill farmers, most of whom were from the west, within the IFA and I covered the western seaboard. I am interested in Deputy Ó Cuív's point about the Wild Atlantic Way brand and in branding lamb from...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Reilly.