Results 221-240 of 501 for speaker:Maurice Hayes

Seanad: Road Network: Motion. (24 Nov 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I hope it will not damage the Minister of State's metronome irreparably to discover that I support the motion and oppose the amendment. I had hoped that the motion would be taken on its merits but the amendment invites us to consider and either endorse or condemn a range of motorway issues. I have enormous regard for the work done by the NRA. It has done wonderful work — including the...

Seanad: Road Network: Motion. (24 Nov 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I wish to raise a procedural point. Is it appropriate for the Minister of State to respond to a debate with a speech written in his Department before the debate commenced? This approach negated the point of the debate.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (25 Nov 2004)

Maurice Hayes: The Cathaoirleach will be relieved to hear that I do not intend to refer to decentralisation. I am so completely decentralised myself that I sometimes wonder where I am. The House might wish to be reminded of the release yesterday of a young lady from County Armagh who had been held as a hostage for 37 days. It is a source of great relief to everybody. Perhaps the Leader would convey to the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I refer to the matter raised by Senator Brian Hayes and indeed to the fact that it was raised at all. I do not believe Members are in the least endangering the peace process or negotiations in Northern Ireland, as these are the very matters that need to be clarified by other parties in Northern Ireland. We have moved on from the guns, which have been largely silent for a while, to all these...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill 2004: Second Stage. (1 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I thank Senator Dardis for sharing time with me and I welcome the Minister to the House. I was cheered by the tone of the Minister's speech on which I commend him. It is important to put this Bill in a context in which this country is seen to be welcoming to those who come to contribute to it. I look forward to the discussion paper on migration law. Our future economic development will depend...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I too deplore murder wherever it takes place. I deeply sympathise with Mrs. McCabe. She should not have heard the news in the way she heard it on the public airwaves——

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: ——but there may be reasons for that. I spoke about this before and people did not like it and they are not going to like it again. We are in severe danger of applying a different moral tariff to the murder of a policeman north of the Border and the murder of a policeman south of the Border. While I think of Mrs. McCabe I think also of the families of 307 members of the RUC who were...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I also favour some strengthening of the reference to and the protection of human rights in the Bill, partly because of the work of the Patten commission which was suffused with this issue. When debating this section, we may be confusing three aspects. One of these is the function to protect human rights in the same way as protecting property and life. One might say that this is implicit in...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: Could the Minister make that a mandatory code? It uses the word "may" but if the word "shall" were used, it would cover many of those things.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I am persuaded by the Minister's argument as regards the inclusion of the function of protecting human rights. What is important is how gardaí behave towards citizens. It may be too difficult or restrictive to begin to try to define how gardaí should behave in every circumstance. Could the matter be dealt with by the code of ethics and force orders?

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: People whose houses are damaged are entitled to be recompensed by the State. However, the appropriate place from which such recompense should be sought is the complaints mechanism. I would be worried if this section were not included. We are all aware of the hay which organised crime could make of an investigation if at every stage a garda could be brought to court and asked to justify his or...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I strongly support the Minister in his proposals for a volunteer force. For all the reasons he has set out, it is very important. One of the reasons the Patten commission was so keen to have a part-time reserve for the Police Service of Northern Ireland was precisely to enable it to recruit people fairly quickly from areas from which police recruits had not come previously. There are many...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: Absolutely.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: No.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I strongly support the idea of a reserve force. Senator Cummins's idea of having pools of retired gardaí is a very interesting one and it could be extremely useful. I do not think other people should be excluded from the reserve force. To clarify a point about the position in Northern Ireland, the Patten commission recommended that the full-time reserve be stood down. It seemed to us that a...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: If the Minister is seeking to provide for a multicultural force, should he not make some provision to allow for affirmation on a basis other than God? I am not making an anti-God remark, but am considering that people have different conceptions of him. Some might find it difficult to solemnly and sincerely declare in the manner set out in the Bill. There should be room for affirmation or...

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: What particular expertise would the Minister for Finance have brought to a discussion of this sort?

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: As long as it was a draft and not the idea that a financial valuation was being imported into the Bill.

Seanad: Garda Síochána Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (7 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I was just a little concerned about the reference to the Minister doing something, with the approval of the Department of Finance.

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Dec 2004)

Maurice Hayes: I thank Senator Mooney for his promotional remarks. Anything I have to say will be found at greater length tomorrow. I would welcome a debate on Northern Ireland. It would be particularly appropriate given the tone that is being set by Members of the House. This is not a time for recriminations and for throwing things about. It is a time to recognise the pressures that are on people on all...