Results 1-20 of 794 for speaker:Aidan Davitt

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I support Senator Boyhan's request on this issue. It is a very practical measure and I hope the Minister will see fit to include it in the legislation.

Seanad: Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Aidan Davitt: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I raise the issue of maternity leave for county councillors. As the Deputy Leader knows, this matter is coming before the Cabinet this week. It is a matter I have discussed over several years here and I am delighted to have fed input into the proposed policy coming before the Cabinet. On reflection, this type of leave scheme is one that could be expanded. Recently, one of our own...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Jun 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I call for a debate in the House on Ireland's corporate tax rate. There is a need for a proper debate and discussion with the Minister for Finance on the future of the minimum global rate which, as we all know, has been quite a hot topic. For context, I am watching developments in both the US and Poland. In the US, the Republican Party in the House is holding up the agreement to accept the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (31 May 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter and welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am sure she is well aware of the matter as she is working hard in this area. I have seen some of the great work that has been done over the last number of years, particularly in St. Finian's College in Mullingar. Special education units have been very useful and well resourced under this...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (31 May 2022)

Aidan Davitt: The Minister of State seems to be aware of the timeline. The school applied to the Department in April. Is it long since the Department sought the additional information back? My understanding is that the school is very gung ho and keen to move on with the project. If the request from the Department was made recently, it may be that we could liaise a bit more strongly with the school or...

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He seems to be spending quite a lot of time working in here. We are delighted to see him again today. This is certainly a very proactive Bill. The general gist, the thinking and the logic behind it seem to be very logical. We are happy to progress with it. I know the Minister of State will speak to it now. I am curious. We discussed it...

Seanad: Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Aidan Davitt: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 May 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I ask the Deputy Leader to liaise with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and see if, with the Cathaoirleach's help, he will come to the House for a debate on e-scooters. I know legislation is being proposed and in draft but it has to be addressed sooner rather than later. As we all know, it can take a long time for legislation to get through this House. They could be dealt...

Seanad: Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Building Control (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (30 Mar 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I am delighted to welcome my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, to the House today. We all know he is no stranger to the House and is here on a regular basis. It can be hard to get anybody else from the Department here and he might look for a bit of a dig out. It would be remiss of me not to mention Dr. Dermot Fitzpatrick today. Senator Mary Fitzpatrick has...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (23 Mar 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I am certainly not going to delay the progress of the Bill on Second Stage. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate her on all the great work she is doing in her Department. She has certainly shaken things up. She has a fresh approach to working in the Department. This is proof of it. There has been talk for quite a long time about trying to consolidate all the...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (23 Mar 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I am not being dismissive, but how relevant is this?

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I have a couple of queries about the proposed legislation. Given that legislation on the regulation of gambling is coming from the office of the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, in the Department of Justice, as I said the last day to my colleague, I think this issue needs to be teased out with the regulator. We would be putting the cart before the horse otherwise. We hope to have a...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: It is the bookmakers the Senators are trying to stop, though. Senator Carrigy is referring to the point I made.

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: It is a monopoly.

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I wish to make one brief point. I am certainly anything but a spokesperson for gambling. I have been very anti-gambling. I am not in favour of gambling on mobile phones and other devices. It goes back to the example of the guy who wants to make a small bet and cannot afford the €6 to do the lottery on a Saturday evening. A point that seems to be glossed over is the fact that but...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: What is the minimum bet?

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: Senator Ward made some good points and I agree with much of what he said. Something that struck me, and it was in the newspapers quite recently, is that €90 million of unclaimed lottery moneys was reinvested in advertising over the past six years. This is a frightening figure. All this money could be going back into sports facilities and everything else. You are knocked down with...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (24 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: Yes but all the talk is about all the money being invested in the clubs and so on, but there is nothing about the €90 million being spent on advertising. That is the reality of it. It is not a matter of this money going into Irish sports clubs. A wall of money is being spent on advertising and promoting the lottery. That is the point I would like to make. It is a monopoly, so it...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Environmental Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Aidan Davitt: I just met the Minister of State outside the Chamber. It is a benefit of arriving early, which does not happen too often. I had a good conversation with him and he was very informative and helpful in providing information regarding this Commencement matter. He has probably alleviated most of my concerns or at least answered many of them. A massive scheme was announced last week. The...