Results 121-140 of 511 for long speaker:Thomas Pringle

Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Instruction to Committee (31 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...to provide for same-day voting on islands in elections and referendums. This would affect many island voters in my constituency of Donegal who have been advocating for same-day voting for a long time. There is no reason why island voters should be forced to vote in advance. It is important that every voter is allowed access to all information on upcoming elections and referendums. This...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (31 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: Yes. I will speak to the Brandon report. This is a long, drawn-out saga and what stands out to me is that HSE management failed the residents of Ard Greine Court, who are vulnerable adults for whom we as a society are asked to care. HSE management also failed Brandon, a highly vulnerable adult. Importantly, in the ensuing mismanagement of the case, the HSE has failed its front-line staff...

Passport Services: Statements (26 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...changed the name of the service to reflect its refusal to fix it. Not only that, it then proceeded to celebrate this as if it is a fantastic achievement. It is no wonder @MallowNews is no longer running on Twitter; it is clear this Government is doing a good enough job of making a farce of itself. Are we going to change the names of all services and Departments to truly reflect their...

Irish Apprenticeship System: Statements (26 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: The apprenticeship programme should deliver an effective way to provide for the education and qualification needs of many of our young people. For too long the focus has been on degree level performance and that is seen as the only way to go in education. Currently in Donegal, outside of Letterkenny, practically the only way young people will be able to secure employment is through having a...

Recent Developments in Northern Ireland: Statements (25 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...protocol indicates it is not a hindrance to business and that businesses will actually benefit from it. There may be some difficulties with imports from the UK but businesses will benefit in the long run. It seems businesses are happy enough with it going ahead. The British foreign secretary, Ms Liz Truss, is quoted today on the RTÉ website as saying the protocol causes political...

Just Transition: Statements (18 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...this planet, we need to transition to a zero-carbon economy either immediately or as quickly as we can. The effects of climate change are already being felt across this planet and it will not be long until we are fully feeling them here. We need to do all we can to stop this process before it is too late or, at this stage, to slow it down because solving the problem is no longer...

Subsidies for Developers: Motion [Private Members] (18 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...disruption are to blame for the housing crisis today. That is amazing. It is as if we had not had a housing crisis at all before Covid-19. Who does the Government think it is fooling? This crisis was around long before Covid and everyone in this country knows that because everyone in this country has been affected by it. The Government amendment also suggests there has been a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (17 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...it there. The representatives put forward by those organisations at the committee meeting last week said they were happy for it to be removed and yet it is still there. Why? Its removal would go a long way to removing the ambiguity that the spider's web of corporate structures has created. It does not need to be clarified; it needs to be removed. We all agree that the hospital...

Defamation Act 2009 Review: Statements (11 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...can take action under the Defamation Act. I note the review talks about dealing with this but it is leaving it to other legislation - the civil legal aid review - to be dealt with which will be a long way down the road. This prices many people out of taking legal action and is incredibly unfair. A person is more likely to withdraw a statement than defend it without proper legal...

Living Wage Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (11 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. As I have long been calling for review of the national hourly rate for employees, I am glad to see this Bill before the House today. We need to ensure the minimum wage in this country represents a living income, and at the very least the minimum wage should be brought in line with the living wage. We need to ensure adequate...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (10 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: .... The main reason that a growing section of people has been forced into renting is that it has been completely locked out of home ownership. One now has a situation in this country where most people no longer have the option to buy but struggle to find and afford rent. I have come across more people stuck in the middle of this impossible dilemma than I care to count. There is a...

Regulations for the Sale and Distribution of Turf: Motion [Private Members] (5 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: My colleague, Deputy Fitzmaurice, has outlined, in depth, the very real concerns that exist on this issue, and has further outlined solutions that would go a long way to allay those concerns as they relate to the proposed regulations in the short term. We know he has an indepth understanding of the issue, as he is someone who has toiled at the coalface - no pun intended - or turf face of...

Eurojust: Motion (4 May 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...hundreds of suspects from Russia, with the true number expected to be much higher considering they have yet to access the east, where some of the most violent fighting has occurred. The prosecutor general, along with the EU special representative on sexual violence in war, said this week that dozens of cases of sexual violence by invading forces are already under investigation. In order...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Second Stage (7 Apr 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...a statutory sick pay scheme needs to change. One positive element of this Bill is that it starts to bring about change in this area. However, it must be viewed very much as a start because we have a long way to go if it is to be in any way adequate. In preparing to speak on this Bill, I was thinking about my time working in London, England, in 1988. At that time, I was entitled to five...

Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Apr 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...and the use of PPS numbers to verify the identity of electors in the registration process. I welcome the introduction of a rolling register that can be updated throughout the year. That will go a long way towards dealing with some of the problems with the existing register. I recall instances where council staff were locked out of Garda stations during registration courts. That is...

Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Apr 2022)

Thomas Pringle: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this important Bill. There is no doubt that this Bill is long awaited. Establishing an electoral commission has been on the policy agenda since 2007. I support its establishment and I know there has been broad support for its establishment. However, despite this, legislation must not be rushed through the House and we must allow for thorough...

Vacant Properties: Motion [Private Members] (6 Apr 2022)

Thomas Pringle: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I have long been speaking about the devastating effects of dereliction and vacant housing on our towns and cities and the potential they hold in addressing the devastating housing crisis in this country. I have, in the past, called for a public housing programme led by local authorities, with a view to addressing dereliction...

Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...if we also looked further into the causes of illegal dumping. In some rural areas, such as in my constituency of Donegal, there is no provision for waste collection services and people are forced to travel long distances to dump their waste properly. In our attempt to address illegal dumping, we should be making more of an effort to address the lack of access rural areas may have to...

Government Response to Situation in Ukraine: Statements (30 Mar 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...and that it is estimated that 30,000 Ukrainian refugees will be based here by the end of April. Let us start focusing more on how we can assist these people and less on how we can please NATO by compromising our proud and long-standing policy of military neutrality. We need to remember what is important in all of this.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Mar 2022)

Thomas Pringle: ...the Government's policy on the provision of sheltered accommodation for vulnerable adults so that I can go back to my constituents, many of whom are watching this debate today, with an answer for them regarding the long-term care of their adult children?