Results 461-480 of 1,683 for speaker:Derek McDowell

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (12 Oct 2005)

Derek McDowell: Amendments Nos. 3 and 7 have been tabled in my name and that of Senator O'Toole, whereas amendments Nos. 48 and 49 are in the names of Senators White, Quinn and Coghlan. The two sets of amendments pull in opposite directions, even though they address the same issue.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (12 Oct 2005)

Derek McDowell: With respect to my colleague, Senator O'Toole, the amendment is more far-reaching that he has outlined. My difficulty with the direct involvement scheme, as set out in the Bill, is largely based on the failure to define it, although I also have difficulty with the attempt to do two things at the same time. The Bill provides that the provision of information requirement can be satisfied in two...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (12 Oct 2005)

Derek McDowell: I am not quite sure I understood the Minister of State. We all are in favour of good and enhanced practice but what does this mean? Is the Minister of State saying it is sufficient that a newsletter or an email is sent out twice a year? That is hardly what the directive intended. The Minister of State referred to Article 2 of the directive. I thank him for providing me with a copy of the...

Seanad: Clare Street Traffic Management Initiative: Statements. (11 Oct 2005)

Derek McDowell: When looked at in isolation it is difficult to quibble with the Clare Street initiative. It appears to be getting people together, some of whom have an interest or expertise in transport matters, some of whom do not, and brainstorming to come up with up with little ideas as opposed to big ones. It does not have a budget; it does not have a plan. It does not have authority to carry through...

Seanad: Tax Evasion: Motion. (5 Oct 2005)

Derek McDowell: I am happy to second the motion proposed by my colleague, Senator Ryan. I acknowledge that in recent years there has been a significant improvement in the use of Revenue powers and that the special investigations unit which is responsible for investigation matters, such as the Ansbacher Cayman bank accounts and the offshore accounts has, though belatedly, been successful in bringing home...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

Derek McDowell: I welcome the Bill but with less enthusiasm than most Members who have spoken heretofore. As Senator White rightly said, the central problem with the Bill is that its framework is good practice which is already happening within most good companies. However, the Bill does not help these companies in moving matters forward to any great extent. It simply gives them a legal framework in which to...

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (1 Jul 2005)

Derek McDowell: On behalf of the Labour Party Senators, I would like to be associated with the remarks made by the Leader about the retirement of Mr. Ray Hesse. We seem to be going through a curious period at present. We are losing many of those who have been linchpins of the Houses over recent decades.

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (1 Jul 2005)

Derek McDowell: It is quite remarkable.

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (1 Jul 2005)

Derek McDowell: Ray Hesse, who has worked in the Houses of the Oireachtas for over 30 years, is one of those linchpins. He has always been extraordinarily polite and civil in the guidance he has given all the Members of the Houses and the manner in which he has dealt with the various issues which have arisen over the years. I was looking forward to seeing his firm guidance coming into play yesterday, to deal...

Seanad: Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas. (1 Jul 2005)

Derek McDowell: It is interesting to learn about people's diverse backgrounds. It is obvious that retirement is just another stage. On behalf of the Labour Party group, I wish Ray Hesse all the best in what I hope will be a long and happy retirement.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (1 Jul 2005)

Derek McDowell: I also wish to be associated with the remarks to the Cathaoirleach, the Clerk of the Seanad and her staff and to the Leader. The end of a session is always a tumultuous time and we got through it exceptionally efficiently this time. It is remarkable that we have not had a single guillotine on a serious issue during the course of the session, in stark contrast to the other House. As Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Jul 2005)

Derek McDowell: I support the remarks of Senator Brian Hayes. When I heard the Minister make his remarks yesterday about the death of the young boy, Brian Rossiter, in Clonmel, and the delay in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, my initial reaction was to say, "That is the Department of justice for you. What else do you expect?" However, on contemplation, we must state that this is not...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Jul 2005)

Derek McDowell: I am not talking about parties. Most individuals will expect to be out of Government. They are making a vague commitment for some future Government sometime in the next decade. It is important it is a tangible target of which people feel a sense of ownership, and one on which we can deliver immediately.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Derek McDowell: Does the Minister have constituency breakdowns for the figures?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Derek McDowell: Are the figures available to the Minister?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Derek McDowell: I am interested that the Minister has a notion of the extent of the discrepancy. A total of 300,000 double registrations works out at between 7,000 and 8,000 per constituency. That assumes, for example, the register is updated to take account of deaths and so on, which it is not. It is a significant number. I assume it is possible to work out the discrepancy on a constituency basis. The...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Derek McDowell: The Leader has obviously lunched well.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Derek McDowell: The Minister has made some very interesting points regarding the level of representation, particularly in rural Ireland. I accept that if, for example, one made a constituency out of the entire county of Donegal, it would become quite difficult geographically for someone to represent such a large constituency. That consideration does not apply in urban areas such as Dublin, where...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Derek McDowell: This is a serious issue. The integrity of the register of electors is central to the integrity of the democratic system. If the discrepancies in the register are of the variety and quantity that has been reported, we have something serious to worry about. Perhaps the Minister can take this opportunity to put some information on the record of the House. I am familiar with the system used by...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Derek McDowell: Regardless of the merits of using electronic voting machines, an argument can be made in favour of using electronic systems to clean up the register of electors and to allow people to vote at any polling station.