Results 81-100 of 1,494 for speaker:Deirdre Clune

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: The social welfare Bill will be taken this week in the Dáil and next week in the Seanad. The Leader of the House gave a commitment that the guillotine will not be used and I am sure he will follow through on that commitment. It is a very important discussion and an important element of legislation. I remind Senator Darragh O'Brien that the budget is taking €2.5 billion out of...

Seanad: Gas Regulation Bill 2013: Second Stage (17 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: The Bill reflects a programme for Government decision to consider putting non-strategic assets up for sale. I fully agree with the separation of the network from the energy-supply sector. I congratulate the Government on negotiating with the EU-IMF troika to ensure that 50% of the proceeds of such sales would be retained for job-creation initiatives. Following the sale of the national...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I support Senator Keane's call on the Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012. It is very important for towns and cities. We need to get this Bill in place to enable local authorities to address the valuation of properties. Will the Leader inquire about the progress of this Bill and why it has stalled? I do not understand where Senator White is coming from. The 9% VAT rate has been...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: The reduction of the airport tax to zero will bring in 1 million passengers, according to Ryanair, and we look forward to that. I hope many of those will come through Cork Airport. The stimulus initiative provided to the construction sector has been welcomed, and it will kick-start that sector. It was sought by Tom Parlon and others. The VAT rebate to be provided to householders is very...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: We know that following the Haddington Road and Croke Park agreements, there is a moratorium on recruitment to many areas of the public sector, so that sector will not provide jobs. None the less, the Government will create the environment in which jobs can be provided. The County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013 was before the House yesterday, and the Senator was part of those...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: It is a very positive jobs budget, and we asked the Leader yesterday if we would have a debate on the forthcoming jobs action plan that the Minister will produce for 2014.

Seanad: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister of State, who has been very informative. In particular, I refer to the importance of his circulating the service level agreement to Members last week. This Bill marks an important first step in the changes that are being introduced. The particular emphasis in this regard is to ensure there is a better service to the consumers, namely, those people who are interested in...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: Will the Leader arrange for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, or the Minister of State at his Department, Deputy Perry, to come before the House to discuss the Action Plan for Jobs for next year, which is currently in preparation? Everybody will agree that the budget introduced yesterday is excellent in the context of job creation. I know that Members across...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: Those to whom these cards relate may have left the country or their circumstances may have changed and they do not use them anymore.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I am sure Senator Darragh O'Brien would agree that it is sensible that the Government should review the position with regard to medical cards and ensure that GPs are not paid in respect of cards which are not being used. The evidence shows that this review is necessary. Anybody who is entitled to a medical card will either retain that which he or she already has or will be issued with one.

Seanad: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I note the Minister of State's responses. This is all about bringing the expertise of Enterprise Ireland and the county enterprise boards into the local authorities. My experience is that the proposal has been welcomed across the board as a much more efficient way of delivering a very valuable service to local enterprises and individuals wishing to set up businesses. They will now be able...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Data Protection (8 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I am glad that the issue was on the Council's agenda yesterday. I am sure the issue I have raised about companies from outside the European Union that are operating here not being subject to as strict regulation as companies from within the Union will be addressed in the detail of the proposals. We will progress that issue again.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Data Protection (8 Oct 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I wish to ascertain the steps being taken to ensure that personal data is afforded a greater level of security on the Internet. This question is exercising many people at this point and the Edward Snowden scandal was a wake-up call with regard to what can happen with the sharing and usage of data for inappropriate purposes. It is again a question of what is inappropriate, which is anybody's...

Seanad: Tackling Bullying in Schools: Statements (Resumed) (26 Sep 2013)

Deirdre Clune: It is important to have this debate. The Minister has appeared in this House previously to discuss it and I thank him for his work. We have now established steps for how schools, principals, teachers and parents can deal with the issue of bullying, which has advanced into cyberbullying. Bullying was always with us and always will be. It is not technology that is the problem but behaviour....

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I agree with the sentiments of Senator Darragh O'Brien on the 9% rate and have made that case to the Minister, as have others. That rate has been a very successful job creation initiative and the figures speak for themselves. I know from members of the Irish Hotels Federation who are visiting the Oireachtas today and from the members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland who visited...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2013)

Deirdre Clune: The urgency should be around getting the alcohol action policy published and enacted.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (24 Sep 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I apologise for not being here when the Minister of State delivered her speech as I was attending another meeting. I have read the speech and the Minister of State's comments on Second Stage of this Bill in the Dáil. As many people have indicated, this provides an opportunity to focus again on the 2004 Act, the value of the legislation and its provision of security, particularly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: European Competitiveness Council: Discussion (24 Sep 2013)

Deirdre Clune: The Seanad is dealing next week with legislation regarding the dissolution of the County Enterprise Boards.

Seanad: Directive of European Parliament on Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children: Statements (19 Sep 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I ask the Minister of State to emphasise to the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to address urgently the problem of Internet child abuse images. They must ensure we protect children who are either victims of child abuse or may view such appalling images.

Seanad: Directive of European Parliament on Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children: Statements (19 Sep 2013)

Deirdre Clune: Today, we are discussing a directive which, as a country and Parliament, we have helped to develop. As such, we are very familiar with it. The Minister of State, Deputy Donohoe, referred in his contribution to the Lanzarote Convention. Like Senator Leyden, I am a member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. There is much duplication between the Lanzarote Convention and this...