Results 221-240 of 405 for speaker:John Ellis

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: The amendment has already been discussed. The Senator can move the amendment, have it seconded and press it to a vote but he cannot discuss it. Is the amendment being pressed?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: Amendment No. 27 arises from committee proceedings.

Seanad: Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (10 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: I wish to share time with Senator O'Donovan. Will the Acting Chairman let me know when I have spoken for three minutes?

Seanad: Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (10 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss what may have been one of the most frightening agricultural crises since the BSE scare. I hope that, by discussing the matter, the House will not do the food industry unnecessary damage.

Seanad: Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (10 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: That industry is up to scratch in practically every sense of the term. The problem was not caused by the food. Rather, it was caused by the process through which products were dried for use as animal feed. Two or three questions must be pursued vigorously. Why is a recycled oil that is banned in other countries allowed for use in Irish industry? Derogation was sought, but I hope the...

Seanad: Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (10 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: I hope that immediate action will be taken. To satisfy multinationals, farmers are being asked to accept prices that are lower than their production costs.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: As with the other Members, I compliment the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Taoiseach on the way in which they dealt with the crisis over the past week. They proved they would not stand idly by and probably went past what was necessary, but when dealing with people's food and health, one must err on the side of caution rather than take risks. The incident poses a...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2008)

John Ellis: The Electoral (Amendment) Bill will come before the House after Christmas. This Bill is based on a report by the Boundary Commission which was given certain terms of reference which were not adhered to in the preparation of the report on which this legislation is based. Is it open to the House to obtain legal opinion on the validity of the Bill? My information is that the Bill is flawed...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (29 Jan 2009)

John Ellis: On a point of order, will the Minister clarify something in his speech? With regard to the commission's 2007 report, he stated: The main features of the commission's report in relation to Dáil constituencies are as follows: firstly, no change in the existing level of Dáil membership — that is to say, 166 seats. Is that the true position?

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (29 Jan 2009)

John Ellis: I welcome the Minister to the House. I do not welcome the Bill and I have made statements in this regard long before today. The Minister is committed to the legislation because he inherited the commission report, which has become the most secretive document we have had in the country for a long time. I have made requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1997 regarding the report, only...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (29 Jan 2009)

John Ellis: At 2.30 p.m. next Tuesday, 3 February 2008.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: I wish to comment on the way in which the electoral commission prepared its report for the Minister.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: Section 4 is probably the most relevant one because it also deals with electoral divisions. On Second Stage, I raised with the Minister the question of how the commission had gone about its business. Its terms of reference stated that it should examine county and geographical boundaries, and all other considerations. It had the right to work with between 166 and 168 Members of the Dáil....

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: I appreciate the Minister's problem. I suppose not many of us appreciate that some of our colleagues have had their areas cut in two. We all accept this happens. My gripe with the commission concerns its report. The commission was given terms of reference that stated that county boundaries should, where possible, be sacrosanct. However, it broke the county boundaries in many places and...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: I accept that. However, the first thing that will happen is that the Minister will run into the Murphy judgment which states that the tolerance should be no more than 2.5%. This is part of the problem. Until we decide that we will be flexible with regard to the number of Members of the Lower House, we will have problems. Rural areas will see themselves as losing representation and the one...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: That is part of what I am getting round to. If one sets off on a political career with a base, one does not like to see it cut in pieces at the first available opportunity. While I know we will never get to the bottom of the decisions made, I believe they were made deliberately to get at certain individuals within the Dáil. I am not saying I was one of those because I was not a Member...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: Detriment.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: He can take up that amendment on the next day we resume discussion of the Bill.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (12 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: One cannot win them all.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (18 Feb 2009)

John Ellis: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Kitt, back to the House. Like his senior colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Minister of State probably feels that very little can be done to address the points that were raised the last time we considered this section of the Bill. It is clear to everybody that the terms of reference given to the...