Results 22,821-22,840 of 24,376 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: You lost the game, lads.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: The Leader is a bad loser.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: He is acting the bully.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: A Chathaoirligh, the ruling has been made. The fundamental point is that we are on amendment No. 7. Members on the Government side should have the grace to accept that they were beaten on the amendment.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Will we deal with amendment No. 7? May I speak on amendment No. 7?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: The amendment is on sport and the Leader is showing very bad sporting grace now.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Respect the Chair.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: You are not doing it at the moment.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: On a point of order, can I ask the Leader what is the purpose of the suspension? We have had a vote. Why are we suspending the sitting?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: On what grounds?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: On what grounds is the Leader suspending the House?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: On a point of information, are we taking amendment No. 10 now?

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: The fundamental question is why the Government is excluding the advancement and promotion of human rights. As on Second Stage, we have not been given a clear meaningful answer. Is it the case that the Government is afraid of some of the organisations that are promoting human rights? Is the Government afraid that organisations will continue legitimately to raise concerns and advocate the...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I know that. I am not trying to rhyme. I would not have the Senator's literary genius.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: I am speaking on the section and I will go back to it. The Senator is a section on his own. There is consensus on this side of the House on 85% of the Bill's provisions. What is the Government afraid of when it comes to human rights? A five-year review mechanism is built into the legislation. The Law Society of Ireland and other groups have come to us with legitimate concerns, requesting...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator Alex White touched on my first point that human rights are at the core of the Good Friday Agreement. Accepting the Minister of State's bona fides, why does the Minister of State have four organisations, Amnesty International, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, Front Line and Free Legal Advice Centres, FLAC, here at the front line promoting this? Why are we all on this side...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Can the Minister of State give us a copy of the advice from the Attorney General as to the reason he is now allowing it? We have not been given a cast iron reason that this should not be included, and it is important we get that.

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: We are embarking on a legislative process so the consultative process is not binding on anyone. It would be unfair to cast the aspersion that some of the sporting organisations came to this legislation late. Given that there is a mandatory review in five years, what is wrong with inserting the amendments concerning the advancement of sport on the basis that we are broadening the definition...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Lest Senator Ó Murchú get it wrong about this side of the House, we are fundamentally in favour of the principle of the Bill. Sport plays a key role in the community but, under this legislation, we are precluding sport and sporting organisations from seeking charitable status. I have a question for the Minister of State, the answer to which I half know. I refer to the status of Special...

Seanad: Charities Bill 2007: Committee Stage (4 Dec 2008)

Jerry Buttimer: Revenue practices exclude sport but common and statutory law does not. We do not want to divide the House on this. If we could get a guarantee, we would be happy not to press the amendment. I cannot comprehend the reticence and reluctance regarding sport. It is a fundamental flaw in the Bill. We are penalising sporting organisations. That is the fundamental point.