Ireland is a sports mad country. From Italia 90, the Rugby Grand Slam, the All Ireland’s or the thousands of local and county leagues sport occupies a central role in Irish society and in Irish peoples lives. As party spokesperson on sports I have been working on a Sports Policy for several months now together with members from across the party. Participating in Sport and Physical Exercise has huge personal benefits in terms of personal health and community integration. While we are a sports mad country, the research shows your education, your economic status and your gender play a significant role in determining your level of participation in sport and physical activity. We in the Labour Party believe in equality. We believe that every citizen of this state should have the same opportunities sport and physical activity. Together with continuing to support elite athletes, this is the key to our sports policy.

 Speaking in the Dáil debate on the Multi-Unit Developments Bill 2009

I welcome for the opportunity to speak in this debate on the Multi Unit Development Bill. I am on the record both in this house in various other arenas as stating that legislation for management companies was urgently required. My constituency of Dublin South Central has been blighted over the past decade with many inappropriate, poorly designed and badly finished apartments. It is also the case that there have been many complaints from apartment dwellers trying desperately to establish their rights, to figure out the complexities of the Management Company, the Management Agents and the ever present spectre of a developer who seemed to hold extraordinary control but never any responsibility for many of the shoddy and incomplete apartment blocks.

Speaking in a debate in Dáil Éireann on services provided to Cystic Fibrosis Patients

I welcome the opportunity to speak briefly on this debate this evening. I should declare a personal interest in this subject and I have followed the issue over many years inside and outside the Oireachtas.

Ceann Comhairle, to speak about tourism is to speak about jobs and stimulating the economy, two things desperately required in almost every town and village in the country. Despite the spin being peddled from the Government Press Office, the economic catastrophe visited upon this country by Fianna Fail and their friends in the construction industry and the banking “elites” shows no sign of abating. Just because less people are losing their jobs or tax forecasts are not as far below target as previously does not mean we have turned the corner. It is estimated that anywhere up to 100,000 people have emigrated from Ireland since 2007, mainly the younger generation. It is an unfortunate reality that the country can look forward to several years of austerity as we are forced to pay for the mistakes of the former elites, some of whom continue to receive pensions from now nationalised banks even though they may not be paying back their outstanding loans. Meanwhile sectors of the real economy, such as tourism are not receiving the support they deserve.

Ceann Comharile, it is indicative of this Government’s opinion of both this house and the Irish people that we are only debating a bill to reform our derided financial regulatory institutions in May 2010. This is 20 months after the banks effectively collapsed; over 2 years since the St. Patrick’s Day “massacre” of the Anglo share price and several years since people became aware of the erratic lending polices of Irish nationwide.   

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Galway City addressing the motions on Labour’s Proposals for Jobs and the Economy

When I hear Government Ministers and TDs bleating on about “the Smart Economy” or “the Knowledge Economy”, I wonder what they have in mind.  Clearly it has little or nothing to do with their own thought process. They are neither smart nor knowledgeable. Their economic polices offer nothing to the 400,000 plus people who are on social welfare payments. A volcano in Iceland seems to be more effective in stemming emigration than Government policy. Ireland’s economy needs to move away from its obsolete Celtic Tiger phase. Brian Cowen’s solution? Cut funding to City and County Enterprise Boards, organisations whose statutory function is, and I quote “to stimulate economic and entrepreneurial activity at city/county level and to develop local indigenous enterprise potential in the micro-business sector.”

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Galway City addressing the motions on Promoting Ireland's unique culture through the Arts, Tourism & Sport

 

Speaking on the Private Members’ Motion on Airport Tax

Despite the Taoiseach’s shuffling of the deckchairs earlier today, it is clear that the importance of the tourism sector has never been appreciated by this Government, or indeed any of the others led by Fianna Fáil over the past 13 years. The facts regarding tourism speak for themselves. In 2008 Tourism contributed €6.3 billion in revenue, 4% of GNP to the Irish economy, and 128,400 jobs in the accommodation and food sector.

Speaking in the Dáil on the Labour Party Private Members Motion calling for downward review of commercial rent

Businesses in Ireland have been placed under enormous stresses since 2008. Despite plenty of warnings, the Government has taken little or no action to prevent major employers such as Dell, Waterford Crystal or SR Technics from leaving Ireland, the result being thousands of redundancies.  As a result of these job losses and closures, thousands of workers have no option but to join the ever expanding queues at the social welfare offices up and down the country. The Government continues with this approach when jobs in Cadburys may be under threat and when 300 jobs were lost in the Hangar 6 fiasco. Instead the Government pins its hopes on bailing out the banks.

Speaking in an adjournment debate calling for an inquiry into the granting of planning permission for a private hospital and the demolition of a church at St. James's Hospital.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue, but I had hoped that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government would have been here. The 19th century chapel on the grounds of Saint James’s Hospital was recommended by Dublin City Council for addition to the record of protected structures. The following recommendation was presented to the area committee on 20 April 2008 by a conservation officer and planner for Dublin City Council.

What we have seen in 2010 is the continuation of gangland murders as criminals fight over the incredibly lucrative drug market and other black market economies. These gangsters are willing to kill and die for control of these profits. While I fully support the work the Gardai are doing to combat gangland crime and drug dealing, it seems that as soon as they convict a major figure, others mushroom up to take their place. We are living in an environment where certain sectors of society have lost all regard for people’s lives – never mind their property or their right to security and a peaceful existence.

The Government's decision not to hold a public inquiry into the banking crisis is nothing short of a disgrace.  It is an insult to our intelligence to pretend this is a public inquiry; it is anything but.  Anyone with an interest in politics and current affairs has read the many books dealing with how decisions were taken in smoky rooms, almost always by men who claim to know what was best for their country.  In politics, construction and banking, it appears a small coterie of people effectively decided the policy of the State and the impact this would have on citizens.  They behaved as if they had all the answers and were masters of the universe.  They were wrong then and Government is wrong now to hold what is in effect a private inquiry.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill.  The recent flooding and the consequences of the freezing temperatures have brought into sharp focus the need for appropriate planning regulations.  There has been something of a philosophy of "getting away with it" in regard to the need for meeting standards and observing the regulations in regard to planning and development.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this debate because I see it as addressing accountability. The issue is anchored by the Fine Gael motion about CIE but Dáil reform and accountability of our Ministers and Governments to the taxpayer is fundamental to what we are discussing.

Speaking in the Dail on Labour Party Motion on FAS

Since its inception in 1987, FAS has undoubtedly provided vital training, support and education to workers throughout this country. Through its training courses, employment fairs and recruitment services FAS offers people with a chance for educational betterment and future employment. Now more than ever, such activities are of paramount importance to many sectors and workers within our economy.

Speaking in the Dáil on NAMA Bill 2009

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the NAMA legislation. This legislation has been called the most important since independence. I would contend that the blanket guarantee extended to the banks of September 30th last was equally seismic.

Speaking in Dáil Eireann on the Private Members Motion on Crumlin Children's Hospital.

This latest Social Welfare Bill will hit hardest the former poster children of the Celtic tiger. Young families with large mortgages and young children will be most affected by these proposals.

It will also hit those who did not benefit from the Celtic tiger by reducing rent allowance and halving the jobseeker's allowance in certain cases.

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Galway City addressing the motions on Promoting Ireland's unique culture through the Arts, Tourism & Sport
 
Delegates, I welcome the opportunity to respond to the motions presented here today. The Department has recently been renamed by the Government as Tourism, Culture and Sport. As usual it seems that this is as much innovation and interest that this out-of-ideas, out-of-energy and out-of-time Government can muster for these vital areas. Since 1997 the Department, in its various different forms, has been considered the “Ministry for Fun”, the best place to organise a junket from, or the Department of Demotion. Frankly I find this kind of disrespect and arrogance insulting to the areas that this Ministry is supposed to represent, but no surprise from a Party that has come to view power not as a privilege but as a right bestowed on them because DeValera, Haughey and Ahern ordained it so.