Results 281-300 of 605 for speaker:John Whelan

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Decentralisation Programme Office Accommodation (27 Jun 2013)

John Whelan: That was a comprehensive, constructive and positive answer. The Minister of State is right, the staff in Portlaoise are exemplary in carrying out their duties. It is unfortunate and not best practice that they are dispersed all over the place. There are 500 staff so it is an important employer in the region. I welcome the Department's commitment to the base in Portlaoise that it plans to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Decentralisation Programme Office Accommodation (27 Jun 2013)

John Whelan: It is a great pleasure to welcome the Minister of State in his new role at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and I wish him luck with his endeavours. He is well placed to serve in that office as he is very familiar with the issues. I am sure he is very familiar with the matter I wish to raise, namely, the decentralisation of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Decentralisation Programme Office Accommodation (27 Jun 2013)

John Whelan: It is a great pleasure to welcome the Minister of State in his new role at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and I wish him luck with his endeavours. He is well placed to serve in that office as he is very familiar with the issues. I am sure he is very familiar with the matter I wish to raise, namely, the decentralisation of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Decentralisation Programme Office Accommodation (27 Jun 2013)

John Whelan: That was a comprehensive, constructive and positive answer. The Minister of State is right, the staff in Portlaoise are exemplary in carrying out their duties. It is unfortunate and not best practice that they are dispersed all over the place. There are 500 staff so it is an important employer in the region. I welcome the Department's commitment to the base in Portlaoise that it plans to...

Seanad: Register of Lobbyists Legislation: Motion (26 Jun 2013)

John Whelan: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. It is timely and I commend the Independent Senators for their creativity and good timing. It would be difficult to table a more appropriate motion than this. In a strong, confident and modern democracy, one would expect to have this type of legislation embedded in its democratic infrastructure. We are fighting a rearguard action in...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2013)

John Whelan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for his forbearance and ask the Leader to inform the public and this House of the proposed date for the referendum on the abolition of Seanad.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jun 2013)

John Whelan: I refer to the future of Coillte, an issue raised by colleagues from all sides. There is consensus in the House that Coillte should remain in public ownership. As my colleague, Senator Comiskey, has pointed out, the Government has moved to appoint a new Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Tom Hayes, and I wish him well in his work. He will have...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Services for People with Disabilities (23 May 2013)

John Whelan: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I am a little heartened that she went off script because up to that it was the standard HSE position, which sets the alarm bells ringing for St. Joseph's House and which seems to be on the way to being phased out. I understand the policy. It would be great if everybody could be cared for in their own homes and in a non-institutional setting....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Services for People with Disabilities (23 May 2013)

John Whelan: I am glad to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House, and I am pleased that she is taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. Over the past two years we have raised many issues in the House, particularly health and social matters, and none can really be classed as more important than another. Nevertheless, I am convinced that I have raised nothing...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Services for People with Disabilities (23 May 2013)

John Whelan: I take the point and I do not mean any disrespect in that regard. The case pertains to a man to whom I can relate in a personal capacity as he is only 48 years old, which I would regard as very young. For him to be confined to a nursing home for the past 14 years is distressing to me and his family. He has a caring and loving family and his siblings do everything possible for him, although...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

John Whelan: I wish to add my voice to the cross-party call by Senators Landy, Kelly and Ó Domhnaill with regard to home help services. This is not a party political issue and no one in the House would not be concerned about care of the elderly. I commend the Leader on the expeditious manner in which he facilitates debates on issues raised on the Order of Business and brings Ministers before the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

John Whelan: I am seeking a debate. I support the call for a debate. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, stated a fortnight ago that she was appalled to have been misled with regard to the recruitment of staff to mental health services.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

John Whelan: Now we have the same craic with regard to home help services because the hours have not been restored. The hours have been cut and the service is being privatised by stealth.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (23 May 2013)

John Whelan: One cannot care for someone with only 15 minutes allocated services. It is absurd. We will not let go of this issue. We will pursue it until we have proper answers.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

John Whelan: We pursue people in this country if they are overpaid social welfare payments.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

John Whelan: I spoke to members of a family last week which received a small tax rebate and a year later, the Revenue Commissioners decided it was an overpayment and sent debt collectors after them with penalties. The issue has been discussed in Europe for some time and Ms Nessa Childers, MEP has brought it up when speaking about tax justice. We are the envy of Europe and the UK with what was regarded...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

John Whelan: We need the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation or the Minister for Finance to come to the House to clarify the effective rate of tax.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

John Whelan: We will be paying a double whammy as the issue will not go away. The G8 will address it in Fermanagh next month.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

John Whelan: We will lose jobs and tax. The effective rate of tax in this country for ordinary workers is 51% for anybody earning over €35,000. Are we to say that multinationals are not paying their fair share? All we are seeking is the 12.5% rate to be paid on profits. There is nothing wrong or unjust about that and it should not jeopardise foreign direct investment into the country. We...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

John Whelan: I beg to differ with Senator Leyden. It is not unpatriotic to ask people to pay tax. In fact, it is the contrary.