Results 3,961-3,980 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

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.

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

Michael McDowell: Where did the Senator lodge it?

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: I want to do something unusual and pay the warmest tribute to the Leader for his interventions in yesterday evening's proceedings on three occasions to guarantee my right to speak in depth on three sections of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015. I did not agree with the guillotine imposed yesterday and voted against it. Once the debate got under way, the Leader, however, gave me a...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: -----and, in effect, swearing up on their dealings with one another? There is a contradiction between that and the Garda Commissioner remaining in office during this period.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: There is another contradiction in those circumstances in that the person who is under investigation is in charge of making discovery, documentation available and so forth on behalf of An Garda Síochána to a tribunal of inquiry. People have to grasp that nettle now.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that consideration of No. 1 be adjourned at 7 p.m.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: Senator Boyhan is seconding the proposal.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Michael McDowell: The purpose of our amendment to the Order of Business is that consideration of No. 1 should be adjourned at 7 p.m. this evening. That means the item would be put back to another date.