Results 1-20 of 2,438 for speaker:Caít Keane

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: Ba mhaith liom comhcheangal leis na Seanadóirí eile agus míle buíochas a ghabháil leis an Chathaoirleach. Is post an-ghnóthach atá anseo agat. Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Seanadóir Maurice Cummins, mar Leader an tSeanaid. Mar a dúirt an Seanadóir David Norris, is eisean "the best Leader ever". I can say that from my term in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: Yes, Senators O'Keeffe and MacSharry.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: As I have said, they gave of their time when other people were out pounding the pavements. Many of them are running for election. I wish them well. Indeed, I wish all of my colleagues in the Seanad and in government who are running for election the very best of luck. I would also like to mention the co-operation we received from Senator Wilson. I know we had our spats on occasion but I...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (2 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: A Minister will be here later.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (2 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: Could the Leas-Chathaoirleach read out the three Commencement Matters that have been selected so that they might be on the record?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: I thank the Minister of State. I know everybody is very busy on one of the last days, but I am raising an issue that I raised before about a year ago. Gaelscoil Chnoc Liamhna is a school in Knocklyon where the students and teachers have been in prefabs for 18 years. This is unprecedented and unacceptable in Ireland.Every education Minister has said that prefabs are not suitable for the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: I was told about eight years ago that the county council would go down the route of compulsory purchase orders. I was informed that it had to go down the route of vesting in the Department of Finance because it was impossible to have compulsory purchase orders. I have been told about legal advice for the past ten years, which seems to involve people sitting on their backsides. As I said,...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: I welcome the visitors to the Gallery. They are nearly all women, but there are one or two men. We need both in politics and it would be great to see all of them on this side of the House. We need both sexes in the Oireachtas, as I said, and I extend a particular welcome to our women guests. Will the Leader allow us a few minutes tomorrow to pay tribute to Senator Feargal Quinn? I support...

Seanad: Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Statements (2 Feb 2016)

Caít Keane: I will be as quick as I can, but it is worth saying. I congratulate the people who have done the work for us. Their names have been mentioned, but as Senator Craughwell said, they gave up a great deal of time when other people were out in their constituencies. Senators Michael D'Arcy, Susan O'Keeffe and Marc MacSharry are all going for re-election and Senator Barrett is going for a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates Impact (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy English, to the House. This morning he seems to be Minister of State for all trades. I have tabled a motion on commercial rates on child care. It is not the first time that I have raised this matter and it was one of the first issues I raised when I became a Senator. The climate has changed since then because educational preschool services have been...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates Impact (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: The Minister of State could have left out three pages of his reply because I know exactly what it means: it is the system as it is, as everybody who works in early childhood care and education sector knows. One of the Minister of State's final statements was: "Since the legislation was commenced on 8 June 2015, the Valuation Office has been updating the valuation list to give effect to this...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: I agree with Senator Norris on the idea for a national positivity day. If the records are checked, I spoke on this about two years ago. It is not all bad news but it is depressing how the media sometimes just covers the bad news. There are some good news stories and human communication of positivity is good for everybody. I did not have an opportunity yesterday to welcome the debate on...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: It is on the record now and I have it in writing from the Minister and the Department of Justice and Equality. I have put it on the record because Early Childhood Ireland did a survey and discovered the interpretation of the way rates are to be implemented on early childhood care premises is different in every county. I am asking that a note be sent to every local authority informing them...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: If I am back I will be asking to have included in that exemption the square footage of rooms in other settings that provide full-time child care. That is not there yet.

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Order for Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss this important legislation. Ireland is good at implementing European regulations. Is the Senator saying we should not implement European regulations in the dying days of this Administration? I congratulate the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for bringing forward this legislation.

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: There are only so many hours in the day. The Minister has worked on the matter.

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: On the issue of energy not being incorporated into COP21, of course, it was. If one reads the climate change legislation, one will see every sector is charged with bringing forward a report, including the Minister's Department. Every sector must outline its targets in terms of that legislation.If we are asking for duplication of energy regulation, it is provided for in climate change...

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: There are other places included as well. The provision is now gone and it was never used. Regardless of how thirsty people are on the bog, they will not be able to drink now in any event. Section 4 deals with the amendment to the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and renaming of the Commission for Energy Regulation to the commission for the regulation of utilities, CRU. That is in light of...

Seanad: Energy Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

Caít Keane: We are all for wind.