Results 2,261-2,280 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Litter Pollution. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: It was tragic to see my good friend and fellow Wexford man, Deputy Howlin, having constructed a very good piece of progress on waste in this country, trying to wriggle out of it.

Litter Pollution. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: We will not solve the problem of waste incineration by hypocritical posturing.

Political Donations. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: The present law relating to election expenditure and donations in Ireland was established in the Electoral Act 1997 and has since been amended on five occasions by means of the Electoral (Amendment) Acts 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. Under current provisions, political parties are allowed to accept a maximum aggregated donation of €6,348 from a single source in any given calendar year,...

Political Donations. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I thank the Deputy. Constituency contact in the period between elections and door-to-door canvassing at election time — the tried and tested way — are and should remain the essence of engagement with the electorate in our political system. They constitute the part of the political system that the people enjoy.

Political Donations. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy should be careful when he refers to focus groups.

Political Donations. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: While all aspects of electoral law are under ongoing review, I have no proposals at this stage for changes to the donations limits.

Political Donations. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy can take it that I meant precisely what I said. I have no intention at this time of changing the limits.

Political Donations. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I have not changed my mind.

Political Donations. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I have not changed my mind.

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: To be fair, the Deputy's party supported me on the WEEE directive.

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I welcome this opportunity to address the House in response to this Private Member's Bill. I thank Deputies Eamon Ryan and Cuffe who came to see me and we spoke at some length about this Bill. All of us in this House are agreed that climate change is taking place and some of the evidence has been outlined. The most visible indications of this trend include the retreat of the ice sheets on the...

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I would argue that the Government cannot subscribe to a Bill which seeks to set long-term reduction targets on a legislative basis. These targets are properly the area of Government policy. Climate change policy has been adopted on foot of decisions taken by the Government and is based on international commitments that Ireland has signed up to and ratified, including the United Nations...

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: This commitment is already demonstrated by Ireland's signature and ratification of the Kyoto Protocol which represents a real and significant contribution to combating global climate change. Ireland's Kyoto Protocol target is to limit emissions to 13% above 1990 levels. This target is the product of negotiations at international and subsequent EU levels. The Kyoto Protocol set emissions...

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: However, such targets need to be set out in the appropriate place. Law is not the appropriate place. No other country is doing this.

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: No other sane country is doing it.

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I will come back to consider the strategy and I will deal with the specific points. I would ask the Deputies to afford me the same courtesy as I afforded them because I listened to everything they said. I listened carefully to them because I was waiting for practical suggestions.

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: Returning to the Government's grounds for opposing this Bill and quite separate from the Government's opposition in principle to enshrining targets in legislation, it is entirely inappropriate for legislation made by the Oireachtas to contain reduction targets on which there is as yet no international consensus.

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: Scientific consensus is one matter. There is international agreement between either the EU 15 or the other members to the protocol as to where we will be on these issues in a number of years' time.

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: It is a matter of the grossest political irresponsibility——

Climate Change Targets Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I recognised Deputy Cuffe's positive contributions on two occasions. I believe in praise where praise is due but also believe in the truth in this. Sadly, while the Deputy's sentiment is correct, this Bill would make no sense. It would do us irreparable damage and there is no logic to what the Deputy is proposing. The overall greenhouse gas reduction targets to which the Bill refers are not...