Results 281-300 of 4,610 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Universal Social Charge (4 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to the House. I am seeking an update on the universal social charge. The Minister of State will be aware of a poster with the slogan: "Abolish the USC. Let's keep the recovery going." That slogan was used by Fine Gael during the 2016 general election campaign. I do not have a particular problem with the slogan. I took the time to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Universal Social Charge (4 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State for his reply which is helpful. It gives us an indication of the direction he is taking. It is important to state it does not reference the abolition of the universal social charge, USC, in the immediate future, despite the fact that it was the major slogan in his party's campaign. Credibility is very important in politics. When a party sets out to do...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Universal Social Charge (4 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I appreciate that.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: An issue with the live export of cattle mainly to the Middle East was raised in both the written and radio media recently. Video coverage was made available to the media and reported on extensively again today alleging there are clear breaches of EU animal welfare regulations in the transport and slaughter of these animals, mainly cattle and sheep. As a Member on the Seanad agricultural...

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Second Stage (4 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister to the House and wish her well. This is a very comprehensive Bill containing 92 sections which will have a major impact. I try to simplify everything I do - it is my style and the way I operate. I took this Bill, gave it to three micro business people and asked them to comment on it. I had to chase one of them last Sunday for feedback. I want to share with the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I would also like to talk about a national issue, namely, rehabilitation services in Ireland. I ask the Leader if he could organise for the Minister for Health to come to the Seanad and outline the national plan for our rehabilitation services. On a number of occasions, I have raised the matter of the National Rehabilitation Hospital, NRH, on Rochestown Avenue in Dún Laoghaire. Some...

Seanad: Adult Safeguarding Bill: Second Stage (5 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister to the House. I thank Senator Kelleher, in particular, for co-ordinating and drafting all the work that has gone into this Bill. It is being co-sponsored across parties. That is a measure of Senator Kelleher's broad support, the respect she holds in this House and her understanding of these very complex issues, and I acknowledge that. Previous speakers spoke about...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with former Taoiseach, Mr. John Bruton (27 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Mr. Bruton. Clearly, he has vast experience in this area. When I was coming in this morning, someone said "he does go on, you know" but, as I said, he has much to say and a lot to offer. As I was reading this presentation, I was reminded yet again of the number of people who have asked about a simpleton's guide to Brexit. How can the punters understand it? I spoke to a number of...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with former Taoiseach, Mr. John Bruton (27 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: Does Mr. Bruton have the numbers himself?

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with former Taoiseach, Mr. John Bruton (27 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: That is the joy of being one's own secretary, is it not? On page five, Mr. Bruton talks about how keeping the offer of resuming UK membership on the table would be good for politics, the economy and the EU. That is really interesting. It is something that is not being pushed out there as an option. I would really like Mr. Bruton to tease that out more and speak about how he would envisage...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with former Minister, Mr. Dermot Ahern (27 Apr 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Mr. Ahern. It is good to hear his comprehensive perspective as someone who lives close to the Border and has represented the people in the Border region and as someone with vast ministerial experience. I told the previous speaker, Mr. John Bruton, about meeting an Ulster farmer who talked to me about the crown. He said he was more loyal to the crown, as in the monetary denomination...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016: Discussion (4 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minster for coming before the committee and acknowledge the work involved. There are 38 signatories to this Bill, which is interesting. I took the time to consult the Official Report of Wednesday, 9 November 2016, including the deliberations on what the Minister had to say, as well as what Deputy Joan Collins and other colleagues said. That is more or less what we have heard...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I am not going to speak very much about the National Oversight and Audit Commission, NOAC, because Senator Noone has already referred to it. The director general of NOAC spoke on "Morning Ireland" this morning in detail. What is concerning is that during the period of this study and survey - it was carried out in 2015 - it was noted that there were more than 4,200 empty dwellings at a time...

Seanad: Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (9 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I second the amendment. I do not intend to elaborate or go into any further detail regarding what my colleague, Senator Norris, has said. I would like to warmly welcome the Minister to the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I wish to raise two specific issues. Both relate to the portfolio and responsibility of the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in the Department of Social Protection. The first issue relates to the carer's allowance payment and the second relates to the maternity benefit. We know that the carer's allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are looking after persons who need care due to...

Seanad: Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Varadkar to the House. I also extend a very warm welcome to the people in the Gallery. I met many of them yesterday - as did some other Members of the Oireachtas - when they shared their personal stories with us. It was an honour to listen to these people tell their stories and place in context their journeys, vulnerabilities, fears and anxieties but also...

Seanad: Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: -----and the long, long journey she took. I have had the pleasure of meeting her on a number of occasions over the years. She was a lone person then at a very difficult time when she took up this work-----

Seanad: Gender Recognition (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: -----and I want to acknowledge her. I spoke to a number of people in the past few days and I want to quote and share their words because, for me, they have crystallised the issue. I spoke to Susan who said: The enactment of the Gender Recognition Act allowed me to self-determine my gender. It gave me permission and the respect of my country to be recognised for who I am. Terry and Paul...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing in Ireland - Census 2016 Results: Central Statistics Office (10 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the representatives from the CSO for their submission, which makes for very interesting reading. Without data analytics, we cannot fully understand and address the complexity of the housing problem. That is really important. Figures and data do not lie when presented in this manner by the CSO. I acknowledge the infographics. The way in which the CSO has distilled and communicated...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: GLAS Payments (17 May 2017)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Creed, to the House. He will have an opportunity to get water and draw his breath. I thank him for attending personally because this is an important issue. I spent last Saturday in Balmoral, Northern Ireland, at the agricultural show. It was amazing how many farmers from the South were there. One of the major topics of conversation besides Brexit was their...