Results 141-160 of 266 for long speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Road Traffic (Quads and Scramblers) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Oct 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...of injuries and deaths show that, unfortunately, a lot of the incidents involving these vehicles occur in farmers' fields when they turn over. Those involved who may have been driving them for a long time may lose a limb or be killed. Therefore, we need to make sure the manufacturers place safety roll bars on them. In this country we think we can give the Garda every job in the world...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...returned. Some type of Government support needs to be introduced. We now know the consequences of less grain having been sown. We have the decimation of the suckler herd which has been denied for a long time, but is happening. I will outline a factual case. The Minister and his officials have power in this regard. I know of farmers who had slurry in the shed last spring. They had to...

Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Second and Subsequent Stages (11 Jul 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...carers are treated. Every one of us across this floor has put in applications or helped people with their applications. The process is very cumbersome. It might take three or four months, and longer if it goes to an appeal - possibly six, seven or eight months. That is a long period to wait for an outcome. I have seen cases, especially in rural parts of Ireland, where a potential...

Child Homelessness: Statements (28 Jun 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...me about it. There are certain provisions for disabled access, which I agree with, but not every place in an old building will be suitable in that way. Although we spoke about this in the Dáil a long time ago, not one council can sort this out without planning, which goes against the intention. Unless we start working on this, we will not solve the problem. The Project Ireland...

Summer Economic Statement 2018: Statements (20 Jun 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...help a lot if the EU were a bit more lenient towards us. This country needs to restructure its debt. We have debt of approximately €204 billion and we need to restructure it at lower rates on a long-term basis. I would structure it on a different scenario to the way it is done at present because it would give us space and money that we could use. There is no denying there are...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Development Initiatives (20 Jun 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...xed;v provided the Minister of State with statistics for the numbers of positions which remain unfilled nationally. We are not worried about all of the things that civil servant, or whoever it was, wrote that long palaver. We are talking about ordinary people from County Donegal to County Cork and from Connemara to Dublin who are trying to keep villages in shape and cannot fill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will Mr. Hernan look at it? I mean no disrespect to him because he has not been in his position long, but I have spoken to people who were in his role previously and it seems no one bothers his or her backside to try to change the system to make it better for Bus Éireann and the people. Someone needs to take the bull by the horns and sort out the problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Flooding at Ballycar on the Galway-Limerick Railway and Investment in Heavy Rail: Discussion (23 May 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...to shut the train track down? It looks like that will happen. We have been looking at the same problem for seven, eight or ten years. No one else would still be looking at a problem after so long. Nothing is being done because, given what has been said, no money will be forthcoming from the OPW. Five different solutions have been examined. Mr. Fitzgerald referred to the NPWS...

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill: Report Stage (Resumed) (2 May 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...a mathematician. 9 o’clock In my opinion, gardaí are the secret to making sure roads are safe. It costs money to deploy gardaí, patrol cars and everything that goes with them. Unfortunately, people who have lost someone belonging to them are thinking tonight that this measure will solve something. It is a sad thing to say, but my belief is that the limit can be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ongoing Fodder Crisis: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (11 Apr 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...? The farmer organisations and co-operatives had moved and the farmers and the farmer organisations knew. What is the Minister's opinion on that? There are a lot of people watching this. How long does it take to get the refund in the first scheme the Minister announced? On the second scheme, the import subsidy, is it co-operatives? What about the merchants in the different parts of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: National Transport Authority (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...Graham touched on Dublin Bus. The information I have is that, while rural people are being told that they will not be able to buy a diesel car in the next ten, 15 or 20 years even if they are travelling long distances, Dublin Bus is currently buying diesel buses and was buying diesel buses last year. If I was trying to show the way in something, I would be damn sure that public transport...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Foresty Partnership Agreements: Discussion (27 Feb 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...do not do such work for the love of the farmer. There is "X" amount to be earned from such work. If Mr. Murphy from Coillte is honest with the committee here, what is left over in the margin would go a long way to paying the €20 million that he has said Coillte is out of pocket. Let us remember that €800 is paid per acre. We know how much it costs to carry out forestry...

National Broadband Procurement Process: Statements (7 Feb 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: For too long broadband has been promised by all sides of the Dáil. We must work together to ensure it is delivered. There are obstacles. We must hope Enet stays in the game because we had two other engines on the plane and they fell off. I am very wary of Eir, and I do not deny that. I was even more alarmed when I saw who is buying Eir. I have read up a little on developments in...

Shortage of Teachers: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jan 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...in. I agree with previous speakers that the Teaching Council needs to step up to the mark. We have all seen how when people are trying to register, there is so much rigmarole and it takes so long. It should be an efficient body which does this quickly. It holds up progress. Its job is to get the person in line to take up work as quickly as possible but it is not doing this. It is...

Hospital Trolley Crisis: Motion [Private Members] (16 Jan 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...line staff who are trying to fight a fire day in, day out because the necessary infrastructure and system have not been put in place. The GP contract has to be tidied up. This matter has gone on for so long. The Department is weaving in and out. I spoke to a doctor some days ago who explained very clearly the fact that he cannot pay staff to be going around the country and that this...

Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...the lack of public transport provision in many areas and the associated difficulties for people in getting where they want to go. Second, I have had my name down to speak on the Bill for a long time, as do other Deputies. We are waiting our turn. When the Minister was in opposition, he was entitled to speak on any legislation that came before the House. Just because he is now a member...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Heritage Bill 2016: Discussion (29 Nov 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...it might be a good idea for the committee to contact that Department. An inspector comes to an area which is a managed landscape. If he or she finds a certain percentage of heather that is too long or that there is vegetation somewhere, the entire grant is removed. Do the farming organisations agree that this or another committee has to sort out that scenario? People are jumping to...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...banks, ruthlessly and without mercy. These banks decided to sell on debts to vulture funds which treat these people even worse than the banks had and now we are to give them a rolling tax break as long as they like, to let them roll. If that was an ordinary company which had set up in any part of this country, Revenue would be after it every year, screwing them, going as hard as they...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We need to deal with repossessed properties which were in a person’s name but are now owned by banks. Such properties are not transferred and are being left idle for a long time. People were thrown out on the road, while at the same time properties were being left idle for a year or 18 months. We should be mindful of that issue and ensure we give banks engaged in such practices as...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Nov 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...cost to local authorities of road construction and housing will shoot up because it is controlled by three companies. I do not say this lightly but because I have been observing this process in this committee for a long time. In my correspondence with the Minister, I asked him to stop the sale of the Morrissey properties from proceeding and allow the family to buy them back at the value...