Results 141-160 of 704 for speaker:John Kelly

Seanad: Order of Business (17 May 2012)

John Kelly: I support Senator Gilroy's initiative on suicide awareness. I urge everyone to participate in the process. For a number of months, Senators Landy and Moloney and I were complaining about the delays in processing medical cards. Another issue has arisen, which is that the interpretation of the primary care reimbursement system of who is entitled to a medical card has been called into...

Seanad: Seanad Report on the Rights of Older People: Statements (13 Jun 2012)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Having worked with older people for 28 years as a community welfare officer, it is obvious they want to live at home for as long as possible. My experience over recent years has been that home care packages have not been funded properly and that home help hours in my county would be better described as home help minutes. I made a proposal to...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jun 2012)

John Kelly: I find it incredible for Senator Walsh to call for a reduction in social welfare rates when Fianna Fáil bought three elections by increasing social welfare.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jun 2012)

John Kelly: There seems to be no consistency in how District Court judges determine maintenance payments when families split up. In many cases in Roscommon which involve couples on social welfare, I noted a judge made an award of €80 to the woman who had custody of the children. In other neighbouring counties, if the man takes charge of the children, the judge will determine he gets a payment of...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (14 Jun 2012)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister and support this common sense Bill. It is all about protecting the jobs created by the US multinationals. However, we should also concentrate on maintaining indigenous jobs, an issue I have raised on numerous occasions in the context of the viability of businesses and commercial rates. I still believe we should have a national review of commercial rates for small...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jun 2012)

John Kelly: I support the call for a debate on local authority rates, an issue I have raised on numerous occasions. It is time we had a look at the rates being charged to small businesses. In the North there is a rates holiday for those wishing to set up a new business. This is the type of idea we should take on board. I call for a debate on how the medical referees in the Department of Social...

Seanad: Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration: Statements (27 Jun 2012)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister to the House again. Similar to Senator Whelan, I am a little out of my depth on this issue. I am no J. R. Ewing but I do want to talk about some of our energy resources. I would like to question the Minister on the Corrib natural gas field. I know he received a report from the Western Development Commission some months ago which contained recommendations about...

Seanad: Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration: Statements (27 Jun 2012)

John Kelly: The Senator can stay offshore.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I support the call by Senator Reilly for a debate on youth unemployment. The Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education, of which I am a member, is taking this issue very seriously. We are concerned about emigration among the youth of this country. I have previously suggested that we should give half of social welfare payments to employers in order to employ people but if we...

Seanad: Rent Supplements: Motion (4 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, back to the House and commend Sinn Féin on tabling this motion. Contributors have spoken a lot of common sense thus far and despite the Minister for Social Protection's description of rent allowance as a short-term scheme, it is far from short term. From my own experience as a community welfare officer, I am aware of people who were...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I want to question the role of the Civil Service here. Who runs the country? Is it the civil servants or is it the Ministers and Government? Since I was elected to this House, I have been infuriated by various Departments and how the Civil Service has misguided Ministers. The Department of Education and Skills recently gave the wrong information to the Minister on the issue of a small...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I welcome the recently announced stimulus package. My home town of Ballaghaderreen is to benefit from a new primary care centre. It is much needed in a rural part of the country that has been neglected for many years. I support Senator Whelan's call for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, to come to the House to discuss the two new wind farm...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: On this occasion, I do not.

Seanad: Civil Service (17 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State. He is on the home run now. I question the role of the Civil Service and ask who is running the country. Is it the Civil Service are the Government? I was a civil servant and I am mindful the majority of them are good people and do a very good job. However, I am also of the opinion that certain civil servants think they are more powerful than the Minister...

Seanad: Civil Service (17 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I am glad the Minister of State pointed out that we are talking about the same Civil Service. I am not talking about the Civil Service at large but senior advisers in the Civil Service who have been giving the same advice to the last three Governments. I am not suggesting we get rid of all of them but there has to be some kind of accountability which does not apply at present. Deputy Hogan...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: This is dreadful.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I will not comment on Senator Leyden's accusations in order to spare the family any further hurt. Before I raise an important matter, I wish to welcome friends in the Visitors' Gallery, who have come from California and are on their honeymoon. It would be the last place I would go to celebrate my honeymoon.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: If they knew Senator Leyden was here they would probably have gone to the Dáil.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: I do and I want to make a point. I support Senator Clune's call for a debate in September on wind energy and its viability because it is a very important issue. I also want to raise an issue which is very close to my heart. I am conscious we will be in recess for a number of weeks and I am always concerned about the security of small post offices in rural Ireland. Criminal gangs target...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

John Kelly: -----like staff at two other local post offices which were robbed.