Results 241-260 of 743 for speaker:Jim D'Arcy

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills here to discuss the progress report on the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. The report states that many schools are "very welcoming and open towards pupils of all backgrounds. However, all of these schools may not reflect these good practices fully in their written policies". In this country we are now...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: John Bruton represents an Irish parliamentary tradition that dates back to Daniel O'Connell and Pádraig Pearse, who is one of our heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice, as he said himself, "in bloody protest for a glorious thing". John Bruton is entitled to express his opinion. If the Senator disagrees with his view then that is fine but do not deny him his right of expression. The...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (1 Jul 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: Some of them just gazed and I do not think "The wonder grew, That one small head could carry all he knew". I think they were saying, "He is not at his best today". Anyway, I did my best. As Seosamh Mac Grianna said in Mo Bhealach Féin, "Rinne mé mo dhícheall, agus is cuma liom". We all do the best we can. I do not know how long the Minister will be in office as I believe I...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (1 Jul 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaorligh. Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire go dtí an Teach. Tá obair mhór déanta aige ar an mBille seo. The first part of the Bill, as the Minister said, gives authorisation to describe an educational provider as a university outside the State in limited circumstances. I note that the provision will only apply to providers that...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: Like my colleague, Senator Terry Brennan, I welcome the 400 jobs being created by PayPal in Dundalk. Amid all the doom and gloom we are creating 1,000 jobs a week, as I pointed out last week. The 400 jobs are for English-speaking workers because PayPal has broken into the American market. Many locals will be employed, which will be good for County Louth and the north east of the country.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: The Senator never wanted it.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: Answer the question.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Anne Brasseur (Resumed) (12 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: Madame Brasseur, nous vous remercions beaucoup pour votre visite. It is a great pleasure to welcome Ms Brasseur to Ireland. Since her election as President in January of this year she has been outstanding in the role. In particular, her handling of the difficult debates on Ukraine, and particularly the debates on possible sanctions on Russia, was excellent. The situation regarding Russia...

Seanad: Order Of Business (12 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: While I do not know about its composition, I would hold the inquiry in the Galway tent because that is where one will find most of the old bankers.

Seanad: Order Of Business (12 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: I have great respect for Brian Cowen and the late Brian Lenihan.

Seanad: Order Of Business (12 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: They did their best at the time.

Seanad: Order Of Business (12 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: I am pleased to note that Senator MacSharry will remain on the committee. I welcome the first ever higher education system performance report, which was published yesterday. It notes that half of those aged between 30 and 34 years have third level qualifications, the highest proportion in Europe; Irish universities are in the top 1% of research institutions in the world across 18 academic...

Seanad: Order Of Business (12 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: This is a very important result because the education system has been criticised repeatedly in recent years. I congratulate the Higher Education Authority and its affiliate colleges on rising to the challenges they faced.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: There is a big pick-up now. There are green shoots.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: Yes, I have. I agree with what has been said about Springboard. I would like the Minister to come to the House to outline all the good initiatives that are happening on the jobs front so we can get a bit of good news into the newspapers.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jun 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: I, too, welcome the decision of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Flanagan, to hold a public inquiry into the mother and baby homes. That was a dark period. Everyone talks about the good old Ireland of the past but that was not always the case, as the recent controversy shows. We have to learn from that and be a better country today. We can judge the past, but we can...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 May 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 May 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: I am delighted to hear an aware and astute man such as Senator Quinn acknowledge and remark on how consumer sentiment is getting stronger. Going around to the doors for the elections, many people told me that in the small and medium enterprise sector, as well as retail, there was a bit of a pick-up, although it was nothing extraordinary. This was in the last quarter of last year and...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 May 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: It is completely irrelevant.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 May 2014)

Jim D'Arcy: I congratulate Fianna Fáil on its performance too. The Senator is certain to get to the Dáil.