Results 1,001-1,020 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I apologise for my late arrival, I was getting my booster jab, which I decided was important. I understand you were discussing the House of Lords letter before I arrived. It raises some very interesting questions about pharmaceuticals, medicines, licensing and the like. Are we running into any difficulties with British medicines imports in the Republic? Is it causing any difficulty at our...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I do not want to put the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on the spot.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: It struck me as I looked at the problems in Northern Ireland. If there is a problem up there, there must be a bit of a problem down here as well.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Before Mr. Gardner comments on that, I will ask a supplementary question on this. Is there any difficulty for Irish pharmaceutical manufacturers selling into the UK market? This should be considered at the same time if we are going to have a common branding for Northern Ireland. There is a possible risk that people might transpose their manufacture to Northern Ireland to avail of the best...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: They were treated as if they could have come from China or from anywhere.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Reading between the lines, the House of Lords sub-committee seemed to be positive rather than negative, and optimistic rather than pessimistic, in its letter to Lord Frost. It encouraged compromise.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: On the investment certainty issue, is it a positive or a negative that these matters come up for review in four years? It seems that a priori it is not a huge advantage if you are thinking of making a big investment and the whole thing could be radically different.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Update on Withdrawal Agreement, Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: The petition of concern does not apply here, does it?

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: What I want to say about this Bill is that I do not agree with the substance of it at all, that it is a fundamental mistake, that it is going in the wrong direction and that it will eventually, over time, reduce the amount of residential accommodation available for tenants in this country. I do not agree with the new concept of tenancies of indefinite duration. What we are effectively doing...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I understand I am now going to breach my undertaking not to contribute any further to the debate but I want to make a focal scoire. I fully understand there is a housing shortage at the moment. I fully understand that people are being gouged for rent. I understand all of that. However, the amendment the Minister of State is proposing to section 5, which I realise I am being slightly...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Senator Fiona O'Loughlin has reminded us of the number of days that we are dealing with and the Cathaoirleach has also done so, but today an important opinion has been mentioned in the European Court of Justice process in Luxembourg, which is the advice of the advocate general on the issues raised in the Graham Dwyer prosecution and appeal. I regard what Europe has done in this area as...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: The court's suggestion that the retention of data should be reserved to national security is not practicable. We have instances of children abducted and there is an immediate requirement to find out where the abductor's phone is at any given time. That is nothing to do with national security, it has to do with plain humanity. The idea that somehow the privacy or dignity of an individual is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I hope I am not being disorderly in pointing out-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: -----because I know it is a point close to your heart, a Chathaoirligh, that if we had looked at a certain directive coming from Europe, we might not be in the current difficulty in respect of the Graham Dwyer case.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I warmly welcome the Taoiseach and thank him for coming to the House. I welcome the remarks he made about Seanad reform, starting with a potential role in the scrutiny of European directives. This morning, we had a very clear indication from a court in Brussels, in the context of the opinion of the judge advocate on the Graham Dwyer case, of the implications European directives can have for...