Results 141-160 of 417 for speaker:Michael Comiskey

Seanad: Eye Care: Motion (16 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, to the House and congratulate him on his appointment.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: That is for sure.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I call for a debate on rural pubs which is an issue we have talked about here before. I welcome the fact of a rural affairs ministerial appointment. I am not sure of all of the details but congratulate everybody that has been appointed a junior Minister so far. The closure of rural pubs is a huge problem. I listened to the radio as I travelled here this morning and learned that a new...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the news over recent days regarding a huge increase in investment in farm buildings. It has increased by 50% to a total of €450 million in 2013. This reflects the confidence in the industry and in the dairy industry in particular, ahead of quotas being abolished in 2015. Agriculture has continued to grow right through the recession but it is of vital importance to continue...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (8 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Developments July to December 2013: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I thank the delegates for attending and their presentation. I have a number of questions. Is much beef coming in from elsewhere in Europe? We hear about beef coming in from the United Kingdom and Poland for boning in the South. Is that a problem and is it happening a lot? Much concern has been expressed in recent months about nomadic cattle. We do not have much control over cattle born...

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: Sorry; the Senator's time is up.

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: That is not relevant to the Bill before the House.

Seanad: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Fund Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, to the House. I call on Senator MacSharry to speak and he has ten minutes.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the agreement reached by Vodafone and ESB to use the latter's network to bring fibre optic broadband to rural Ireland. This is a great move, as there are many broadband blackspots in rural Ireland where the ESB has a good infrastructure. I also welcome yesterday's change to the rural development programme. We received word that the Minister would change the criteria for the green...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Jul 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I second Senator Henry's proposal. I also want to raise an issue that I raised back in the spring - costs for hauliers in the Republic of Ireland, particularly hauliers who operate along the Border, because £10 must be paid every time a vehicle enters and exits the North. The same applies to all hauliers in the country, but the cost is of particular importance to hauliers who operate...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the news that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, will open a $12 million cheese plant in the United States. This is very good news for the Irish agriculture sector. The dairy industry, which is experiencing significant growth, will achieve even higher growth from next year onwards, resulting in more jobs in the agriculture sector and an...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the fact the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, was in Leitrim on Friday. He announced a €150,000 grant towards a car park at Seán MacDermott's cottage, something about which I have spoken on many occasions. Along with the reopening of Lissadell House, this will help to create many jobs in Sligo and north Leitrim, in particular. Many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Taxation Review: Discussion (24 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I thank both gentlemen for their presentations. There is very little in either presentation with which we could disagree. We all want to see the farming situation improving. It is a low income industry and quite a number of farmers are not in a taxable situation. Getting young farmers to form business partnerships with older farmers is a key issue. It is worrying to see the age profile...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: On a day when thousands of farmers are coming to Dublin to protest about new measures, it is important that we have a discussion on the whole rural development programme, particularly the GLAS programme. From consultation with farmers over the weekend since the details of the scheme were announced, I have found that most small farmers, particularly those all along the west coast, will not be...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the great news that broke over the weekend that Lissadell House in Sligo is to reopen. My colleague, Senator Conway, mentioned the tourism industry, and this will have a major impact on it. Lissadell used to attract approximately 40,000 visitors when it was going well. Unfortunately, the case was before the courts and the house closed for approximately five years. The Taoiseach...

Seanad: Johnstown Castle Agricultural College (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: When is it proposed to sit again?

Seanad: Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (11 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I call Senator Crown and he has two minutes.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (11 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: I am sorry but we cannot do that. We will just take the Senator himself and he has two minutes.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (11 Jun 2014)

Michael Comiskey: We must finish at 7.15 p.m. Therefore, we have only two minutes and the House has not given us any more time.