Results 101-120 of 205 for long speaker:Martin Ferris

Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Nov 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...Agency's submission which claims that the programme of increasing household energy efficiency would only work in consultation with the local authority suppliers of social housing and with 100% long-term support. That is indicative of how many would regard the costs involved. That would not apply to private households which, presumably, would have to meet the extra costs themselves. The...

Access to Central Treasury Funds (Commission for Energy Regulation) Bill 2011 [Seanad] : Second Stage (8 Nov 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...for Energy Regulation, CER, to fulfil its responsibilities in respect of the safety aspects of the infrastructure associated with petroleum and gas exploration and development. This legislation is long overdue and I thank the Minister for bringing it before us. I look forward to the Committee Stage debate on the Bill and, in particular, to discussing any amendments which might be tabled....

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (20 Sep 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...be able to verify this - that the golden share would protect the interests of both the workers and the producers. What actually happened was that an industry that had been in State ownership for a long period was given away to Greencore which gained massively as a result. I encourage everyone present in the Chamber to vote with his or her conscience in order to protect the State assets...

Sale of State Assets (14 Sep 2011)

Martin Ferris: I will get there. What has been agreed today is a retrograde step and will be a disaster in the long term. What percentage minority share has the Government agreed to sell off? What is the projected value of that share to the economy or, should I say, to the IMF?

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Jul 2011)

Martin Ferris: .... I do not believe that to be the case. I am not pointing the finger at the Minister in any way, but this Bill is all about the liberalisation of the postal service and its privatisation in the long term. That will be a huge disadvantage to people who are most in need of the service, including those living in isolated areas who are dependent on that social contact. Effectively,...

Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (19 Jul 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...retain money due to them, including holiday money, from the Government, when they are finally made redundant. The workers involved are in an impossible situation. They want to remain working as long as they can, but are being retained under unacceptable conditions to earn money through sales that will go to paying off creditors and from which they might get nothing. They cannot...

Hospital Services: Motion (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...only 13 of the 31 accident and emergency departments in the State were properly staffed because vacancies had not been filled. Enormous pressure was put on junior doctors to fill the gap. The long hours many of them had to work endangered their health as well as the health of their patients. While guarantees had been given that the accident and emergency department at Kerry General...

Twenty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (No. 3) Bill 2011: Second Stage (28 Jun 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...a welcome gesture on the part of the Government to introduce a full Department for Children and Youth Affairs, it is disgraceful that this Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition is to further delay the long promised and long overdue constitutional referendum on the rights of children. Both parties played a key role in the joint committee which agreed a wording to strengthen the rights and...

Schools Building Projects (28 Jun 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...would jeopardise the previous application for the major refurbishment and extension. In June 2008, the board of management gratefully accepted an offer of one prefabricated building, which was no longer required by a school in the area. That school was due to be demolished because it was in such a bad condition. The board of management applied to DEIS for grant assistance of €25,000 to...

Workers' Remuneration: Motion (21 Jun 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...is happening. I am really shocked that members of this Government who claim to be socialists are involved in making this decision. I have known the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, for a long time. I do not think this type of situation sits easily with her. The Minister of State and her party have the ability to withstand the agenda I have mentioned and to stand up for real,...

Proposed Legislation (16 Jun 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...; Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the damage that climate change is doing to our environment; his views on whether this is an issue that can be put on the long finger; if he will give a commitment to bring forward the date of publication of a climate change bill to this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15629/11]

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Martin Ferris: .... The Fine Gael proposal in its Private Members' motion last January to establish one publicly owned water authority also had merit. Sinn Féin would support the establishment of such a body, as long as it would be on an all-Ireland basis given the logic of managing this resource on a national scale rather than having it divided, as it is currently, among different authorities. We would...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...to any attacks on the basic pension entitlements of ordinary workers should be a priority for the trade union movement. It is certainly a priority for Sinn Féin. The right to a pension is a long-standing Irish republican principle. The 1919 democratic programme promised to provide for the care of the nation's aged and infirm who shall not be regarded as a burden but rather entitled to...

Energy Resources: Motion (19 Apr 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...date information on reserves; -- the imposition of a 50% tax on oil and gas profits; and -- a 7.5% royalty; and that the revenues that would accrue from this would provide towards the resources for long term and sustainable growth in place of the current indenture to the EU and IMF because of the unsustainable bank debt. May I share time with my colleagues, Deputies Adams, Ó Snodaigh,...

Energy Resources: Motion (19 Apr 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...to be charitable to indigent companies like Shell. The fact is that, apart from the generous taxation terms and the write-offs provided, the licences allow the companies to sit on their claims for long periods before commencing operations. In conjunction with the fact that we do not even know what the companies have discovered in the process of exploratory drilling, most of the oil and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (12 Jan 2011)

Martin Ferris: ...754: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of money set aside or the amount he intends to spend in the current year on rental assistance scheme and long term leasing scheme and the totals spent on those schemes in 2009 [1254/11]

Order of Business (3 Nov 2010)

Martin Ferris: For how long?

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (2 Nov 2010)

Martin Ferris: Question 420: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of money allocated in 2009 and 2010 for the rental assistance scheme and the long term leasing scheme [39765/10]

Criminal Law (Defence and the Dwelling) Bill 2010: Second Stage (20 Oct 2010)

Martin Ferris: ...with the home. Finally, I welcome section 5 of the Bill, which provides that injuries inflicted by a householder within the parameters of this Bill will not give rise to civil liability as long as the trespasser had criminal intent. While I have no major problem with much of the content of this Bill, I want to re-emphasise that it is purely a restatement of the law as it is. It does not...

Fuel Poverty: Motion (12 Oct 2010)

Martin Ferris: ...900 people a month, with overall disconnections at a monthly rate of approximately 2,500. Gas disconnections have increased to something in the region of 600 per month. My party and others have long pointed to the problem of fuel poverty here. It has been highlighted in official studies and by various Government agencies, and from time to time Ministers have recognised the problem and...