Results 141-160 of 205 for long speaker:Martin Ferris

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (16 Sep 2009)

Martin Ferris: ...way. However, what they have done to date is nothing compared to what they are planning to do. Not only are they robbing this generation, they are robbing the next and future generations. The long term economic value is a particular coup. Why would we want to push land prices up to the same level they reached at the height of the boom? How did these prices affect our competitiveness?...

Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2009)

Martin Ferris: As others stated, this Bill is to be welcomed for addressing areas which were neglected for far too long. Any of us involved in local government who have party colleagues who are local councillors know there has been considerable resentment over the fact that holiday homes were not making a contribution to the cost of providing water, roads, sewerage facilities and other amenities in their...

Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Martin Ferris: ..., focused on the creation of sustainable local jobs tied to local resources and local infrastructure, is required rather than the current obsession with making short-term savings that will, in the long-term, impose a bigger burden on the State through social welfare and so on. There are other aspects to this Bill on land acquisition by An Bord Pleanála which concern me but overall, if...

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32 (6 May 2009)

Martin Ferris: ...Ballinagar Bridge, Lixnaw, which was previously promised and which is urgently required in order to address the huge inconvenience that is being caused to people in the area who are forced to make long detours in order to make what were previously short journeys, including farmers reaching other parts of their land which is divided by the river.

Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)

Martin Ferris: ...services will be catastrophic and will exceed the damage caused by cuts in the 1980s. It is now time for strategic decision-making to be taken out of the hands of the HSE and placed where it belongs — with the elected representatives of the people in this House. There must be such political accountability. Any revised service plan and budget for the HSE must be placed before the Dáil...

Job Losses. (19 Feb 2009)

Martin Ferris: ...'s-Austin Stack Park site in Tralee. This will bring a substantial injection of money into the local economy and will provide 500 jobs during the construction stage and up to 1,000 jobs in the longer term. I also welcome the approval of the Shannon LNG project on the Ballylongford-Tarbert landbank which, if given clearance, will create more than 600 jobs in the north Kerry region. This...

Fisheries Council: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...member states will mount an offensive against the Hague preferences next week at the Council meeting. The Minister must commit himself to resisting that attack and to securing the preferences on a long-term basis. That is the minimum that needs to be done, pending a more radical review and reform in the interests of fairness in the entire fisheries policy. It is worth restating such...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...current crisis in overseas markets needs to be addressed. What is happening will have immediate effect, as it has had here on the availability of pigmeat, but there is potential for it to cause longer term damage if the withdrawal of Irish pork undermines overseas consumer confidence. That is why it is essential the Government does all in its power to restore the confidence of overseas...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...shore taking supplies to rigs, stand-by vessels for safety issues, on-shore drilling supplies, transport and equipment taken to and from ports. This affects the local economy and there would be a long-term benefit when the line is brought onshore. This is very significant and should not be lost as we pursue our objectives. We have many benefits for those looking to offshore exploration....

Farm Waste Management Scheme: Motion (16 Oct 2008)

Martin Ferris: .... These changes were, of course, required because of the need to ensure compliance with the nitrates directive, a directive which several Governments, going back to the early 1990s, had put on the long finger before being forced to comply. This meant farmers came under pressure to make extensive and expensive structural investments in a short period of time that could have been introduced...

Broadcasting Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...amending section 114 to include a provision obliging the public broadcaster to ensure digital and radio broadcasts, particularly of major events here, are accessible outside the State. The Bill is long overdue, requires some amendment and should be more specific in certain areas I mentioned. However, I welcome the fact that we are discussing it. I hope amendments will be taken on board...

Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (9 Jul 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...late Deputy Séamus Brennan. To his wife Ann, his two sons and four daughters, we offer our sincere sympathy. We also offer condolences to the Fianna Fáil Party, in which Séamus Brennan was a long serving and leading member. Séamus Brennan was courteous and friendly, and was willing to listen and engage with all sides in the Dáil. I had the privilege of being with him in Boston in...

Fishing Industry: Statements (19 Jun 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...the decision to block the ports, but they did it in a very respectful manner and allowed the Government an opportunity to negotiate to try to alleviate the situation. However, this is only one in a long series of straws. Irish fishermen have been driven to the wall by successive attempts to scale down the sector here by all sorts of means, which are increasingly restrictive and...

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Apr 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...CAP would be safe from any future attack at the WTO. That is why I travelled throughout the country, in the Twenty-six Counties and the Six Counties, to convince farmers that it was in their best long-term interests to accept the decoupling package. However, if Commissioner Mandelson gets away with it and takes away whatever support exists, that will be the end of food production in this...

Written Answers — Long-Term Illness Scheme: Long-Term Illness Scheme (5 Mar 2008)

Martin Ferris: Question 114: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will classify myasthenia gravis as a long-term illness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9287/08]

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (5 Mar 2008)

Martin Ferris: Question 308: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be granted long-term residency. [9598/08]

Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2008)

Martin Ferris: After years of a fragmented grants system that has led to late payments and utterly confused students and after long-standing, justifiable criticism of the current student grants system, I welcome the belated publication of this Student Support Bill. It should be acknowledged, however, that a considerable number of students have dropped out due to the delay in its publication. Due to the...

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32 (27 Feb 2008)

Martin Ferris: ...Standing Order 32 to debate the following urgent matter: the effective closure of orthodontic services in Kerry from last Friday, despite the crying need in the county for such services and the long waiting list of patients, which comprises over 1,000 children, of whom 400 are waiting more than three years, for treatment for serious problems that require far more urgent attention than is...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (20 Feb 2008)

Martin Ferris: Question 253: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will make a statement on the proposed amalgamation of the primary schools in Lixnaw; if the long term projected staffing figure has been decided; and when the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme will be announced. [6983/08]

Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2008)

Martin Ferris: Sinn Féin supports measures taken to encourage the use of vehicles with lower carbon dioxide emissions and has been calling for this for some time, long before the Government decided to act. Nonetheless, any steps in this direction are welcome. Encouraging people to use vehicles with lower emissions is obviously an important aspect of any strategy to reduce overall emission levels. It is...