Results 101-120 of 228 for speaker:Déirdre de Búrca

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: ——term of Government, especially in rural areas. We recognise this as important.

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: The current programme for Government commits to doubling the funding for the CLÁR programme to enable rural infrastructure deficits to be tackled, and also to establish community and development agencies as one-stop-shops for advice on grant support, business opportunities, training and development and the management of grant spending under the new EU fund for rural development. The...

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: ——will only ever have a limited impact on outcomes in rural areas because most of the policy outcomes result from non-rural Government policy. A recommendation for dealing with this is rural proofing. In the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Finland, mechanisms have been developed to ensure general Government policy is rural proofed. In Ireland, while we began to develop rural...

Seanad: Rural Development: Statements (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: ——especially with the emphasis we are placing now on rural development? We should consider introducing a rural services Bill that will introduce a system of measurement in respect of access to services in rural areas. This would cater for the examination of post offices and other such services and their availability in rural areas.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh Des Bishop freisin. Is dóigh liom gur iontach an rud a rinne sé nuair a chuaigh sé go dtí an Ghaeltacht. Tugann sé sampla dúinn go léir. Tá sé ar intinn agam dul go dtí an Ghaeltacht i rith an tsamhraidh chun iarracht a dhéanamh feabhas a chur ar mo chuid Gaeilge, chun go mbeidh a dhóthain muiníne agam í a úsáid anseo. I admire Des Bishop...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I must say this because the allegation is false. Ireland does not have a veto on agricultural negotiations at present.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: The position will not change.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: There are a limited——

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: We cannot allow something like this to pass. That message is being sent to Irish farmers and Mr. Gerry Adams, the president of Sinn Féin, said it at a meeting of the National Forum on Europe last week. It is wrong and it should not be repeated. If Irish farmers vote for the Lisbon treaty, it will not change the negotiating position of Ireland——

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: ——or any veto because no veto exists at present.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Will the Leader invite the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to the House to discuss the substantial hikes in energy costs the country is likely to face next year? From front-page newspaper reports, rising oil and gas prices will mean the ESB and Bord Gáis will attempt to increase their prices next year. Oil has risen to an unprecedented level of...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I wish to raise the issue of data protection, specifically the advanced leaking of the report of the Data Protection Commissioner. I have raised previously in the House the issue of data protection. It was only some weeks ago when we heard that personal and confidential details of bank customers went missing. The laptops on which this information was stored were stolen and it was only...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: As with other speakers, I record my concern about the humanitarian crisis in Burma. I agree with Senator David Norris who mentioned climate change and the fact that cyclones which have killed more than 22,000 people to date are clearly linked to the phenomenon of global warming. It is likely we will see such humanitarian crises recurring across the globe in the coming decades. The Lisbon...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages. (7 May 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I acknowledge the work the Minister of State has done to date in promoting the Lisbon treaty. This needs to be a priority for all of us. The new Cabinet will be announced today and we should all focus on putting all the very positive aspects of the Lisbon treaty to the public because there has been much misinformation about, and misinterpretation of, some of the provisions of the treaty....

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House and the opportunity to debate this Bill which is necessary to enable the State and Irish people to ratify the Lisbon treaty. As we are aware, we are the only country in the European Union that is to have a referendum on the treaty, which places a particular responsibility on us. As we know, the treaty is a legal document which represents a compromise...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: Socially, this country has benefited enormously from our EU membership and I am sure Senator Norris would be very aware that most of the progressive employment and equality legislation we enjoy in this country is a direct result of our EU membership. It is easy to forget all that, and it seems the EU is now bad, has evil intentions and just wants to create an army and dominate the rest of...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: On the environmental side, as far as the Green Party is concerned, the European Union is the best thing to happen to Ireland where protection of the environment is concerned. Most of the positive environmental legislation which we have taken our time in implementing has come directly from the European Union. Senator Norris is also very aware that the European Union has united what was...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: We must also consider the new emerging world order where there are leading countries such as India, China and Russia with human rights records that do not bear comparison with the European Union. It is important to think of a strong European Union operating on the global stage, promoting values such as democracy, the rule of law, equality, sustainable development, the rights of minorities...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Apr 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I support the call by other Senators for an urgent debate on the report of the alcohol advisory group given the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has announced his intention to bring legislation on alcohol misuse before the Houses of the Oireachtas and to have it enacted by the summer. We need to acquaint ourselves fully with the wide-ranging recommendations of the alcohol...

Seanad: Dublin Transport Authority Bill 2008: Second Stage (23 Apr 2008)

Déirdre de Búrca: I welcome the Minister to the House. While it is standard practice to welcome the opportunity to discuss Bills, this opportunity is particularly welcome because this legislation has been a long time coming. I compliment the Minister on bringing it forward as quickly as he has. I am based in County Wicklow and the Bill will have an immediate and direct effect on the county once it is...