Results 121-140 of 1,494 for speaker:Deirdre Clune

Seanad: Youth Unemployment: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister for her contribution to date and I acknowledge the work that has been done, by her and the Tánaiste in particular, in progressing the youth guarantee and highlighting it during the period of Irish Presidency of the EU. She has ensured it is front-loaded, which is very important. This is a serious issue, not only for Ireland but across Europe. We all know the...

Seanad: Youth Unemployment: Motion (12 Jun 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after ''Seanad Éireann'' and substitute the following: ''notes that:-- the number of people in employment grew by 20,500 in the year ending March 2013, compared with a reduction of employment of 50,100 in the year ending March 2011; -- the rate of unemployment in Ireland has fallen to 13.7% at the end of Quarter 1 2013, down from 15% in Q1...

Seanad: European Union (Accession of the Republic of Croatia) (Access to the Labour Market) Bill 2013: Second Stage (12 Jun 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I am glad to have an opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Bill. As the Minister has said, this is a short technical Bill but a very important one. He has outlined the reasons for the Government's decision to allow Croatian nationals to come here after 1 July to take up employment. I have read the results of the Forfás study. I am sure everyone will understand that there is...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: As other speakers have said, this is not an easy measure but it is one that must be put in place if we are to ensure we get our finances back on track. I hope it will not be necessary. I hope we will have agreement but we do not know how individuals will vote. We will leave that to themselves and their various unions but look forward to a positive result in that area. The overarching...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: That is not the point I was making.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs Services Provision: Motion (29 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate. Senator Norris and others referred to children with Down’s syndrome. I am glad the Minister is to meet representatives of the Down's syndrome group. I understand, although I am open to correction, that children with Down's syndrome do have access to resources, but not dedicated resources, under the general allocation to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Creating Policies that Work: Discussion with FIT (28 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I apologise for not being here at the beginning but I had to attend another meeting. I read the overview beforehand and I thank the delegation for the report. Mr. Peter Davitt has attended here before and we had a lot of discussions on that occasion. He spoke about the survey at the time and it is important to discuss it now. Previously the committee held a meeting with Mr. Sean...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I wish to raise a separate issue. Last week, the National Council for Special Education produced a report on how our special educational needs system should be reorganised. It is an important report and the Minister is due to set up a working group to examine the issue. The House should discuss it at some stage so that Senators might give their opinions. Parents, teachers and the children...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: With regard to corporate taxation, this morning I heard Barry O'Leary of the IDA on the radio explaining clearly there are no special tax rates in this country for any individual. Tax rates are set on a statutory basis and the Revenue Commissioners follow these guidelines. Our corporation tax rate is 12.5% and we have agreements with 69 countries on taxation measures. Everybody must be...

Seanad: Wind Energy Guidelines: Statements (15 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Wind Energy Guidelines: Statements (15 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this issue. Like Senator Sean D. Barrett, I will focus on the economic climate. I appreciate it is not within the Minister of State's remit, but we are discussing wind energy. The cost of energy has come down and we must keep it down. Competitiveness is a serious issue for us, if we are to continue to attract foreign direct investment. Energy...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: As Members speak, workers in the Pfizer plant in Cork are being briefed on the proposed consolidation of the operations in Cork in particular. Pfizer employs 2,500 people in this country and this news comes as no surprise, as the company had flagged that it would be consolidating in light of products going off-patent and because getting drugs to a manufacturing point now is becoming...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Road Maintenance (14 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I agree that the main focus must be on the maintenance and repair of roads. I urge him to ensure local authorities enforce this priority because, unfortunately, from what I am hearing from members of the public, it is not yet happening. A failure to invest now in maintenance and repairs will mean greater costs in the future.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Road Maintenance (14 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this issue on the need to address the serious condition of road surfaces in cities, particularly in my native Cork city. Recently, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, announced the provision of emergency funding for local and regional roads, although not in city areas. He wrote to 29 local authorities stating that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices: Discussion with Association of County and City Councils (14 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the councillors for their presentation and bringing this important point to our attention. The committee has previously discussed the development of the LEOs with the Minister. It was welcomed that the expertise of Enterprise Ireland was keying in with local authorities to provide a one-stop-shop. The association is speaking to the converted as I have served on a county development...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Local Enterprise Offices: Discussion with Association of County and City Councils (14 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I just wanted to clarify that. The role of the elected local representative should be included in the new structures. The committee can discuss this issue and make recommendations on it to the Minister.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: National Dementia Strategy (8 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister for his contribution. I am glad to hear that the strategy is still on track for development and delivery in 2013.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: National Dementia Strategy (8 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: A national dementia strategy has been promised in the programme for Government and I wish to ascertain its status. May is European month of the brain, which aims to promote understanding of the brain and the challenges we all face in dealing with complex diseases affecting it. Tomorrows is Alzheimer's Tea Day, which will highlight brain disease as well as the need to support families and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement: Discussion with Minister of State (8 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister of State for her presentation. I wish her well for the coming months. It has been a busy, but successful, period for her. Regarding Libyan refugees, I am a member of the Council of Europe, as are one or two other committee members. Last week, I attended a meeting of the Council's migration committee. A representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR,...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (8 May 2013)

Deirdre Clune: The Commissioner is welcome to the House. I agree with her that Horizon 2020 is very important, particularly if we are to encourage states to continue to invest in research and innovation. The Commissioner mentioned a third-level call to consolidate research. I am conscious that there is so much research going on, although it may not be enough, involving that which is publicly funded...