Results 141-160 of 2,438 for speaker:Caít Keane

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: As Fine Gael spokesperson on local government, I wish to make a statement on the programme broadcast last night. I call on all agencies of the State with power in this regard to use it. When one considers the investigative programme, as one must call it, that was broadcast last night in conjunction with that broadcast on prostitution, trafficking and so on, RTE must be commended. There is...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: -----the anti-corruption Bill 2012 will make it easier for the Government to work. I seek its enactment sooner rather than later.

Seanad: Charities and Voluntary Organisations: Statements (8 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: This extra item on the Order of Business is a very important issue, concerning charitable organisations and their regulation. I refer not only to charitable or voluntary organisations set up to deal with the problems of the Third World but also to community and voluntary organisations here. This important item on the Order of Business was raised by Fianna Fáil. The regulation of...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2015: Second Stage (3 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I now call on the Fianna Fáil spokesperson, Senator Mary M. White, who is not sharing time with anybody. She has eight minutes.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2015: Order for Second Stage (2 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (2 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I welcome much of what Senator MacSharry said but one sentence struck me. He said "if one is to dream, one should dream big". We have to be careful that this Government does not end up in a nightmare situation. The Minister said housing was his main priority and that we must ensure the utmost is done to ensure the homeless situation is addressed. The Bill represents a change in national...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (2 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Second Stage (2 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I will be brief, because I know that we have a long night ahead of us again. The Minister will have to take up residence in this House. I welcome the Bill, which is another piece of reforming legislation from the Minister, among others that she has introduced since coming into Government. The Government gave an undertaking to reduce the length of time for completion of the asylum seeking...

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: I welcome the Minister of State. As the previous speaker noted, the legislation has been necessary since budget night to ensure the very welcome reduction in tax on motor vehicles of up to €4,000 for some haulage contractors. It is a heavy reduction that was welcomed on the night by the haulage contractors. The court ruling of 21 October 2015 dealt with the method by which motor tax...

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: Perhaps it could soon be taxed as a vintage car.

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

Caít Keane: Now.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: One of the very first acts of the Government on entering office in March 2011 was to cut the pay of all Ministers. In July 2013 the Taoiseach's pay was cut. Many people do not realise that the Taoiseach was the first in the history of the State to cut his own pay - by a cumulative figure of 40%. Former Taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen each had their pensions cut by €30,000. In...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: Yes, but the Act designates county councillors as officers rather than as public servants. Senator Terry Brennan spoke about being a councillor and not receiving any remuneration, but there is no comparison between the workload in the 1990s and today. It is a full-time job and many councillors cannot take up other full-time employment. They have to accept part-time employment if they want...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: Under the Haddington Road agreement the pension-related deduction measures will increase the take home salary of all public servants earning in excess of €15,000. Counsellors earn €16,000 which is in excess of €15,000 but they are not getting anything back under the Bill. Will the Minister please consider that?

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: I was.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: A sum of €16,000 is €1,000 over €15,000.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: How much will they benefit by?

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: I made a similar point in the course of the earlier debate on the Bill. As Senator Barrett noted, the Minister, in amendments Nos. 7, 9 and 10, recognises the important role of this House by proposing to replace "Dáil Éireann" with "each House of the Oireachtas" in the relevant places. The Government has taken on board the points we made here.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: In an ideal world everybody would like to have targets. The Senator asked how we will know how we are doing. Monitoring of the framework and the plan by the committee that will be set up and by the Government will play a huge role. I welcome the remarks last week by the EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, on the flexibility mechanisms under the EU...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Caít Keane: It was stated yesterday that the Seanad never accepts amendments from the Opposition but I want to put on the record that we have brought forward about ten Opposition amendments in this Bill alone, even those people do not tend to develop amnesia. When realistic proposals are put forward, we accept them.