Results 141-160 of 704 for speaker:John Kelly

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2014: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister. I compliment him and the Minister for Social Protection on many of the initiatives they have introduced over recent years, which are working well. A great deal of good work has been done to create jobs and there has not been enough appreciation of what has been happening considering the position we were in a number of years ago. The unemployment rate is down to...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2014)

John Kelly: I call on the Leader to bring to the House the Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, in order that we can have a debate on issues that have been ongoing in recent years in terms of people's difficulty obtaining the carer's allowance. It appears that in most cases people are initially refused the carer's allowance and they must jump through many...

Seanad: Geological Survey of Ireland: Statements (Resumed) (2 Dec 2014)

John Kelly: The Minister of State, a good Donegal man, is always welcome in the House. Like Senator Whelan, I have serious concerns about fracking. We must have clarity as to Government policy in this regard because the majority of people have huge concerns about the whole process. Senator Daly observed that once big business gets involved, everything becomes hidden and the voice of the people is no...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

John Kelly: I call on the Leader to initiate a debate in this House on the ambulance service in this country. There is an urgent need for the Minister for Health to deal with this. A damning Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, report has received an airing in the media today. It examined the ambulance service response times, understaffing and the quality of the fleet. I have stated...

Seanad: Participation in Sport: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I rise to support the motion before us. I would have preferred it had Senator Mooney not mentioned 1973, because I am a Leeds United supporter.

Seanad: Participation in Sport: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: We are both of that vintage, I am afraid.

Seanad: Participation in Sport: Motion (26 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: There is not enough appreciation of volunteering in sport. While that does not apply to the Minister of State, it certainly is the case for some parents, who use sport as a baby-sitting service for their children and then, when their Johnny does not get picked for the team, blame the volunteer who has done all the work. People should be less critical of the volunteers who are in every...

Seanad: Water Sector Reforms: Statements (25 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We are where we are on this issue because of political decisions made in the past. When we had water charges they were abolished for political reasons. When they were reintroduced they were later abolished for political reasons to get Governments elected. In the course of all of that we never sorted the problem but it is true that the way...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: Like others I welcome the new water charges, which I believe are fair and reasonable. I compliment the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, who inherited an unholy mess in the establishment of Irish Water. Now we can invest in fixing our leaking pipes, something which we have not done although we have been paying for water for years through our taxes. Now we are in a position to deliver good...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: I think you will too.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: There will be no one from Roscommon at the protest.

Seanad: Report of Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas: Statements (19 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, who is a colleague of mine. I concur with my colleague, Senator Landy, that the Minister of State had a lot to do and very little time in which to do it. I agree with colleagues who suggest that €1 million funding for her project is not sufficient and she should look for more. Towns in Roscommon were very badly hit as a result of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: I agree with most people who say the setting up of Irish Water was an absolute disaster but it seems to have been set up by somebody who was leaving the country in a hurry and it was basically thrown together. It is not fair that the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, should be blamed for the disaster that was left on his desk. Senator MacSharry said it was like setting up McAlpine to build one...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: The Government which his party led signed up to water charges with the troika. I cannot fathom specifically what he was protesting about-----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: -----considering that no decisions or no announcements will be made until today.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: What was Senator MacSharry protesting about? Some 31% of the people of Roscommon and, I am sure, of Sligo are already paying for water.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: The majority of people will not mind paying for water if the quality is good enough to enable them to drink it from their taps.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: Two weeks ago I called for a debate on our wind energy policy and the Grid25 project in light of the ESB entering the fray. It has questioned the need for Grid25. When an organisation such as the ESB questions the need for Grid25, which is an expensive project, we need to have a debate. I read in The Sunday Business Postthat Eddie O'Connor's Mainstream Renewable Power is in financial...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: I, too, welcome the report of the Garda Inspectorate. While I have not read the document, many of its conclusions will have been well known to many beforehand. I was a member of the policing board in County Roscommon. We were told repeatedly at monthly meetings that crime in the county had declined. It appeared to us that the Garda at senior levels was downplaying the incidence of crime...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2014)

John Kelly: The Senator should not be frightened.