Results 3,921-3,940 of 18,728 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Michael McDowell: Yesterday on the Order of Business I raised the question of Seanad reform mentioned by Senator Humphreys earlier. I was led to believe by the Leader of the House that the difficulty in progressing the implementation group was failure to agree on a chair for that group. If the idea is to proceed with it at all, we should establish the group and let it select its chair. Otherwise, we should...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Michael McDowell: I note that in the company of our honoured guests Senator Norris mentioned the different practices in Islamic countries which are different from ours. However, every country changes with time, even Islamic and Christian countries. What is tolerable for some is intolerable for others. I do not accept the proposition that anybody with a religious sentiment is offended by the fact that those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals and Impact of Brexit on the Irish Energy Market: Discussion (28 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: I have three questions. There has been a lot of enthusiastic comment here on the directive improving things. From Ireland's point of view, will someone explain to me what this directive will achieve that we could not achieve for ourselves? Will it give new powers to our regulator? Could we not get those powers by ourselves? I note that it is stated there are no implications for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals and Impact of Brexit on the Irish Energy Market: Discussion (28 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: Chairman, just before the next responder, I hope this is not going to be another instance, and I am not suggesting that it will necessarily be, that in three weeks time we will get data that radically differ from what we are hearing now. This committee has found things coming out three weeks after a hearing which move the goalposts very substantially. Could Dr. Cotter confirm that this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals and Impact of Brexit on the Irish Energy Market: Discussion (28 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: It was not you, Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals and Impact of Brexit on the Irish Energy Market: Discussion (28 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: What about the Turlough Hill station?

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: I join colleagues in offering my condolences to the Leader and Fine Gael Members on the death of former Deputy Peter Mathews. He was a school and college friend of mine and always a gentleman.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: He was a person who paid a serious price for living by his principles in his political career. I ask the Leader to convey to his widow, Susan, and four children my sincere personal condolences on their tragic loss. I raise with the Leader a matter which is increasingly of concern to me. It is now nearly six months since the Taoiseach indicated in this House that he proposed to establish an...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: The Leader is being told who will be the chairman of the implementation group.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: Due to professional duties of confidentiality and professional rules on publicity, I have been unable, like many Members, to deal in public with the controversies surrounding the demonisation of Sergeant Maurice McCabe and his family. I remain in that position. Those duties, however, do not prevent me from fulfilling my constitutional and statutory functions as a Member of the Oireachtas...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: As a former Tánaiste, Minister for Justice and Equality and Attorney General, I am in a good position to form an opinion as to whether it is appropriate for the Commissioner, against whom the gravest of allegations of misconduct have been made and which will now be investigated, to exercise her authority in An Garda Síochána and to exercise her functions while the tribunal is...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: Fairly and without people feeling they are going to be bullied if they testify. That is the problem.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: Sorry, it does not.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: The bullying has gone one way so far.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: I was in Carlow once.

Seanad: Establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, to the House. I know the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, has had a long hard day, beginning with an early morning engagement on this matter. I am not going to say I am disappointed that the Minister of State is here.

Seanad: Establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: This morning on the Order of Business, I expressed my views as to the appropriateness, or inappropriateness, of the present Garda Commissioner standing aside while this tribunal of inquiry is prepared, put in place, has its sittings, deals with its evidence and prepares its report. The Commissioner is the head of a force which is a disciplined force and must be one. Uniquely, compared with...

Seanad: Establishment of a Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (16 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: Senator Coghlan must have won it.