Results 1-20 of 1,253 for speaker:John Crown

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (25 May 2011)

John Crown: Comhghairdeas leis an gCathaoirleach. Go n-éirí leis agus beannacht Dé ar an obair. I had not planned on making a maiden speech today but I must admit that Senator Mooney made me a little sentimental with his references to north Leitrim. When I thought of the concept of making a maiden speech, I have to make the confession that, not uniquely in this House but in a very distinct minority...

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (25 May 2011)

John Crown: On a serious note, I congratulate the Cathaoirleach, the newly elected Leader, the Taoiseach's nominees and all of my new fellow Senators. It is very nice to be elected to an organisation where for a change I am not one of the older people - I think I am correct in that regard; I refer to my university colleagues - and to be referred to as a freshman Senator. On this sad day when 46 nurses...

Seanad: Fourth Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection: Statements (7 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I, too, express my congratulations and best wishes to the Minister on her important endeavours. I echo the comments made by my colleagues with respect to the specifics of the rapporteur's report, but I would like to add one proviso. Nothing would impress me more about the sincerity of the Government in the area of child protection than restoring the funding to Our Lady's Children's...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I echo the good wishes to the leaving certificate students; I have one and I wish her and all the others the best of luck today. It is a sad day today as 47 doctors and nurses remain under detention in Bahrain. Many of these were trained in Ireland, delivered our babies, healed our sick and patched up our wounds. They have been placed under detention for committing no crime greater than...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jun 2011)

John Crown: That makes far more sense than the nonsensical idea of imposing what would effectively be the world's first capital loss tax on an asset which is of declining value. One of the key issues I hope will be raised continually in the House is the question of Oireachtas reform. The Taoiseach must look into his soul and decide which Chamber messed up this country.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jun 2011)

John Crown: Was it the Seanad, whose worst offence was a sin of omission when it was asleep at the tiller, or was it the Dáil, which appointed a series of barely competent Ministers to the high offices of State and who subsequently steered us on to the rocks of financial ruin? We need a system that will allow us a greater talent pool in both Houses and we require fundamental Oireachtas reform. I thank...

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

John Crown: Long after Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been forgotten, long after the distinction between the Independents and the "Endapendents" has been blurred, long after Béal na mBláth and Ballyseedy have been forgiven, our species will be dealing with the consequences of resource shortage. The key issue is not tax or current marginal use of wastage, it is nearly existential. We are the...

Seanad: Detention of Health Care Professionals: Motion (9 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I move: That Seanad Éireann: —notes with concern the ongoing detention by the Bahraini authorities of 47 health care professionals whose only crime was to treat injured patients who presented to their emergency department; —condemns the actions of the Bahraini state in prosecuting doctors, nurses and paramedics for fulfilling their duty to the patients in their care; —notes with horror...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Statements (14 Jun 2011)

John Crown: Okay.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Statements (14 Jun 2011)

John Crown: We have heard much about the primacy of education in developing the smart economy and at the same time we have heard of the inevitable decline in spending and resourcing which will occur as a result of our bizarre decision to conduct this unprecedented massive reverse Robin Hood foreign aid programme from some of the poorest people in our society to the some of the richest people in Europe...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

John Crown: In reading the motion tabled by our colleagues from the Independent Group I am reminded somewhat of a condemned person reading the warrant of the court which tells him that he or she shall be led from the court, then stopping and making sure that wherever he or she is being led to, everyone will have a good chat about things, dress well and create a good appearance with acknowledging that the...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I am trying to fix the whole country in the next 30 seconds.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

John Crown: In parallel with this, we need to reform the way we appoint Ministers. In our modern, fast-moving age, we clearly need to have people who are skilled in the areas to which they are appointed. I do not wish to personalise this point, but the previous three Ministers with responsibility for the health portfolio, prior to the current Minister, Deputy Reilly, had a total of four years in the...

Seanad: Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme: Statements (Resumed) (16 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I will share my time with Senator Cullinane.

Seanad: Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme: Statements (Resumed) (16 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I welcome the Minister of State. I have a major interest in health policy and hope to contribute to this debate through my membership of this House and, I hope, the health committee. I echo the calls made by some of my colleagues, and outside the House by Professor Des Fitzgerald, for a fundamental long-term strategic evaluation of how we will handle all the health and social issues which...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

John Crown: It is fair to say that in the past 20 years careful citizens who wished to make prudent provision for their own future and for that of their families generally followed the careful, conservative advice of serious financial advisers who told them they should invest in two things, namely, their family home and a recognised pension product. Others decided to follow more speculative, casino-like...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I do not want to sound like a broken record and I am aware that the magnitude of the crisis involving non-consultant hospital doctors has exercised many of my colleagues in this and the other House over the past several weeks. However, I ask the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister for Health that little debate has taken place in this House or in any other public forum in regard...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I am. In July, chickens will be coming home to roost. I ask the Leader to bring this matter to the Minister's attention. The Minister correctly wishes to reform the health system fundamentally. His plan appears to be to introduce minor reforms during his first term and, following a putative second election victory, to make the fundamental reforms that are necessary. He should put that...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I wish to raise a little "Is féidir linn" success story which the Leader could forward to the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for medical research to see how it could be developed. Recently, the All Ireland Co-operative Oncology Research Group, ICORG, celebrated its twelfth anniversary. It was founded at a time when Ireland, uniquely for a western country,...

Seanad: Housing Market: Motion (22 Jun 2011)

John Crown: I apologise to my colleagues for being absent from the Chamber for the last few hours. We were meeting a visiting delegation of cancer researchers from Harvard who are trying to develop collaborations which will be to the advantage of our country. As I mentioned a few nights ago in a different context, I strongly believe one of the most frustrating things being reported to me regularly by...