Results 12,401-12,420 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: I did not interrupt the Deputy's party leader, much as I was sorely tempted.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: The buzzwords are "complex", "confusion" and "difficulty". There is nothing remotely confusing or difficult about this proposition. While it is true certain aspects of immigration law are complex, this is not one of them. What is complex or confusing about the proposition that if a child is born to non-national parentsââ
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: I am not reading a speech, I am consulting notes.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: What is complex or confusing about the simple proposition that a parent of a child born in Ireland should have resided in this country for three years before the birth to enable that child to qualify for Irish citizenship? As his party's spokesman on justice and a practising solicitor, Deputy Jim O'Keeffe will be very well aware that, judging from the volume of case law and material written...
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: For example, if a person with a wife and children dies without making a will, his wife is entitled to two thirds of his property and the children to one. If we proposed to change property law to change those fractions to half and half, three quarters and a quarter or 100% to nothing, everybody could understand the proposal. It is a simple aspect of land law just as this is a simple and direct...
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: Even before the British Government's statement it was evident the argument was threadbare. I refer to a letter to The Irish Times by Mr. Tom Hadden on 14 April. Mr. Hadden who is an expert in this area stated quite clearly that there was no problem. What Deputy Rabbitte says about various soccer players and other sports stars is beside the point. It could be said equally of any other EU...
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: Deputy Costello mentioned the passports for investment scheme. Every Government, including those in which the Labour Party participated, operated the scheme. It was a Fianna-PD Government that in 1998 finally abolished the scheme. Deputy Rabbitte, who was very vocal on the matter this morning, sat at the Cabinet table for three years in a Government that operated the passports for investment...
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: The next claim is that a constitutional referendum is very complex and that we got it wrong in the past and must live with the consequences. When did that happen? The Constitution has been in existence for less than 70 years. During that time it has been amended on no less than 22 occasions. Regarding 21 of those there was not a scintilla of controversy or criticism. The only amendment to the...
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: Deputy Rabbitte said that he was sickened to his stomach by the alleged collusion between the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Fianna Fáil on this issue. At the end of the Taoiseach's speech this morning, Deputy Rabbitte again declared himself to be sick. I am extremely sorry that anything this Government says or does is having such consequences for as important a part of...
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: I got a number of people in different electoral areas to question the Labour Party candidates who came to their doors on their views on this referendum. I have a miscellany of replies which were extremely interesting. Some candidates may count themselves fortunate that I do not have time to read them into the record. I welcome Fine Gael's belated conversion. It is extremely foolish to allow...
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: Under legislation which can be changed by the Government.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: Does that make the Deputy an expert?
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: It is a matter for the people.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: The Green Party will sort all that out.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: We never did and never will.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: What of every other country in Europe?
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: The Deputy's was confirmed by legislation, not by the Constitution.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: What about the other 100 plus countries?
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: It was 1981.
- Twenty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2004: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Apr 2004)
Willie O'Dea: I have heard enough. The Deputy is less than persuasive.