Results 8,681-8,700 of 9,832 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011: Motion (1 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The House will excuse the passion of my interjections today but I am passionate about this issue because I am passionate about consistency, honesty and decency in politics.

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011: Motion (1 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I have never done that on the radio, and I have never told people with cancer that they would get services when I knew they would not be delivered.

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011: Motion (1 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I will withdraw the L-I-E word from earlier because I realise that it is unparliamentary. This is a dark day for democracy, it is a day that proves there is no honesty and the public are right to be cynical about politicians. All of us are done down because of that.

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011: Motion (1 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Fine Gael was opposed to the very same motion last year; it voted against it. Now it comes in with a straight face hoping we will support this very necessary measure. Yes, we will support it, we have a consistent position, it is our policy and we will not run away from it, we will not do a U-turn, we will not lie to the people, we will not tell them one thing and then do another, which is...

Seanad: Road Transport Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The point raised by Senator Barrett is an important one. If a person had been convicted many years ago, I think the Minister said that would be taken into account anyway. Am I correct in saying that if a person committed an offence, say, 40 years ago and the Minister refused him, that he would not be able to take a judicial review on the grounds that the Minister did not consider the length...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is a public company involved.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I agree with Senator Mooney on the issue of decentralisation. It is about time we had a debate on the issue because it seems that many Government Senators and Deputies think the Government has abandoned decentralisation. That is not the case. In fact, it has continued with many decentralised projects and has pledged to review many others. With regard to Carrick-on-Shannon, it is ludicrous...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is appropriate.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We are having this debate, but we need a full-scale debate on health policy. Before the election, I warned that Fine Gael policy was to transfer from public to private care where there would be no cutbacks.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We had the HSE, our public health service, which Fine Gael proposes to transfer to private interests. That is exactly what is happening now. This debate is timely, but we need a full debate on health policy, on where it is going, who is pulling the strings, why those strings are being pulled and why we are looking at private rather than public services.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: How does one define, "adversely affect the countryside"?

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We would not be allowed to-----

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: That is not a defence.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is being made a criminal offence for the individual-----

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is shameful.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I second the amendment. Not only does Fianna Fáil not support this provision, but there is no way the Constitution supports such a vague criminal offence. It will be an offence to "adversely affect the countryside". The Minister should get his legal advisers to check this again before the Bill is passed because the President would be well within his rights to put it before the Supreme...

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We seek flexibility.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Where are they defined in legislation?

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: He would be proud of this legislation.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Tell your colleague-----