Results 1-20 of 1,625 for speaker:Pat O'Neill

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes (2 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. I welcome the introduction of the TÚS initiative as another important measure to stem the huge problem of unemployment that is the legacy of the last Government and I commend Minister, Deputy Burton, for her work in progressing this new programme. Unemployment is a serious issue in Kilkenny, with in excess of 7,000 people in the county currently on...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to review the grant scheme for group sewerage schemes. Currently, 170,000 homes are on group water schemes but there are approximately 440,000 septic tanks in the country. We have all heard about the EU judgments against various local authorities regarding our ground water sources. The grant of...

Seanad: Jobs Initiative and Competitiveness: Statements (Resumed) (22 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: The Minister is very welcome to the House. I am delighted to welcome the Government's jobs initiative. I remind Senator Reilly that we are giving hope through this jobs initiative. It must be remembered that out of the little acorn grows the mighty oak, and this is only the start of getting this country back to work. Senator Power spoke about rates. During my time on Kilkenny County...

Seanad: Jobs Initiative and Competitiveness: Statements (Resumed) (22 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: It will be good to see the child wearing the black and amber.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister and commend her on the vigour with which is she is tackling her new role. I also welcome the Bill before us. The evolution of our social welfare system has been haphazard and ad hoc. Over many decades, successive Fianna Fáil Party Governments preferred to link new welfare entitlements to imminent elections rather than implementing a coherent welfare system....

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (28 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I wish to share time with Senator Conway.

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (28 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and compliment him. He is one of the most accessible Ministers in the Government and I thank him for coming to the House today. The Supreme Court has constantly ruled that one of the primary responsibilities of a Government is to decide where and where not to spend public money. Prioritising some areas for spending is never an easy task but the...

Seanad: Third Level Grants (28 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, for taking this matter. The issue I wish to raise is not a transport matter but one that has created problems for people living in my area in County Kilkenny. In the last budget announced in December the qualifying distance between home and college for the payment of a non-adjacent grant was increased from 24 km to 45 km. This issue...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2011)

Pat O'Neill: He could be the guest speaker.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I commend the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, on his proposed reorganisation of the VECs. The Minister has shown great understanding of his brief in the proposals he has brought forward-----

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: -----unlike the previous Administration whose changes would have proved unworkable and impractical.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister to make a statement to the House on the administrative centres of the proposed new VECs clarifying from where each VEC will be administered and what will happen to the present VEC offices. Some of the proposed changes involve amalgamating the VECs of two counties. A VEC may own offices in one county. Will this be the administrative centre or...

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I wish to share time with Senator Keane. Are we sharing six minutes or do we have six minutes each?

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: We are sharing the six minutes.

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee. I disagree with Senator Quinn that we must be prepared to promote all new scientific developments in regard to food production. Napoleon said an army marches on its stomach. Food safety is one of the most important issues in the world today. The world has to produce 70% more food from its land by 2050 so the challenges for food, fuel and...

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: The Minister of State has five minutes to reply.

Seanad: Food Safety Standards: Statements. (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: That concludes the statements. When is it proposed to sit again?

Seanad: Ambulance Service (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, to the House.

Seanad: Ambulance Service (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: The Senator may ask a supplementary question but not make a statement.

Seanad: Irish Sign Language (5 Jul 2011)

Pat O'Neill: A question please, Senator.