Results 19,681-19,700 of 21,040 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: That is because the Minister is making different statements each time.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: He is.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: After the Bill is passed.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: And the stag hunting Bill.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: To sum up what Deputy Collins stated, we had the dog breeding establishments legislation. The Minister of State from Meath, Deputy McEntee, promised to reverse the legislation and now he is running scared from it. I had to put up with all that scaremongering for the three and a half years I was a backbencher and the 12 months I was an Independent but that is neither here nor there. The...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: No. I did not interrupt Deputy Coonan and therefore I intend to continue.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I did not interrupt him.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: There is no point. Misinformation is coming and God knows what misinformation will come next week. I want to read a letter into the record-----

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: It is about the amount and the standards. I received this letter on 10 January 2012. I read the letter into the record of the committee last week and asked the Minister to do something about it but I did not get an answer from either the Chairman or the committee. The letter states: Dear Sir I heard you speak on radio. My septic tank was registered in 1973 when a man from the Environment...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: How dare you? This is a sensitive matter. I ask the Deputy to withdraw that remark. I am about to read out this person's name. The Acting Chairman should not accept that. The letter further states: It was newly built. He removed the manhole cover from the centre of the tank & left the tank wide open. My 2 1/2 year old little boy was drowned in it that evening. I could go on & on. No...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: It is outrageous. These are the fears people have about this legislation. There have been Ministers in the Department since then, and I am not blaming him for that, but he is the Minister now. He is the strong man they tell us about who the Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, praised the other day. He said the best Minister we have is Deputy Phil Hogan who can drive the household charge...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: Tá áthas an domhain orm chun bheith an seans cúpla focal a rá ins an Chamber inniu. I am delighted the Acting Chairman, Deputy Ciarán Lynch, is present and that he is giving fair play to Members. I commend him on that. It is very important. Ar an céad dul síos, I tried to raise something on the Order of Business and the Ceann Comhairle got very irate at me. I acknowledged that I...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I am just talking about the letter.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I am not. No. I did not mention it.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: In fairness, I am nearly always in order.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I accept that.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I will turn the letter upside down and I will not refer to it anymore.

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: The Taoiseach informed the House this morning, again, in a demeaning kind of way that we wanted more time. He said he understood that the committee adjourned a couple of hours early last week. We got on fine on Committee Stage in the morning last week but when we came back after dinner, Deputy Coonan, who was Acting Chairman, had eaten something that did not agree with him. I do not know...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: Several amendments I had tabled on Committee Stage were ruled out of order for the nonsensical reason that it might result in a cost to the Exchequer. The argument does not stand up. The fact that I am speaking in the House today is a cost to the Exchequer. The Acting Chairman being in the Chair is a cost to the Exchequer. The water I drink is a cost to the Exchequer. It is patent...

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Report Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Mattie McGrath: Yes. We are dealing with Deputy Stanley's amendment. I said it is important to discuss it even if we discussed nothing else today. If the Minister wanted to be fair, honest and up front with people the very first thing he should have done was to publish a set of agreed standards for septic tanks and their treatment. That should have been the basic start of the matter. That is the kernel...