Results 2,521-2,540 of 4,092 for speaker:Michael D Higgins

Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Real slow.

Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Might I ask about promised legislation that is on the list?

Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: The atmosphere is becoming bucolic, a Cheann Comhairle.

Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Might I ask about the foreshore legislation on the Government list to change functions and amend the Acts, 1933 to 2005? I believe there is also to be related legislation on port development, in so far as a number of ports have submitted plans that involve reclamation. Will legislation be introduced in this session or during this year, and in the meantime will foreshore application licences...

Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Gabh mo leithscéal, cén reachtaíocht a bheidh os do chomhair i mbliana?

Order of Business (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Go hiomlán, agus céard faoi na ceadúnais a luaigh mé? An mbeidh siad i measc na heagrais forálacha atá á chur isteach go dtí na Roinne nó an mbeidh——

Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Motion (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: I wish to share my time with Deputy Kathleen Lynch.

Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Motion (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: I agree with those who have said that it is very difficult to deal in five minutes with what has been proposed. I hope we shall have an other opportunity to look at the inter-parliamentary arrangements, in discussing topics such as this. Such a time allocation is insufficient for anybody who wants to deal with the matter. In the time available, I want to make a few points that I believe...

Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Motion (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Nobody will mug those who are shifting money between the banks.

Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Motion (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: We need to break the culture and now is a good time to do so. This has happened in the United States and Britain and it is happening in Europe. I do not have time to develop that argument other than to note that the issue involves more than persons or personalities. We need to break an arrogant circle of people who never justified their remuneration. For those who want to make a connection...

Recapitalisation of Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland: Motion (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Gamblers.

Overseas Development Aid. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Question 2: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason, in the recent reassessment of national expenditure, that part of the budget assigned to overseas development aid was cut by a higher percentage than those cuts made in other Departments and areas of Government spending; and if he will explain the implications this will have for Ireland's assurance of devoting 0.7% of GNP to ODA...

Overseas Development Aid. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: I appreciate the Minister of State's reply and commitment on this matter. Would he not agree that it is distressing for those who work in this area and particularly those who benefited from Ireland's programme that the cuts in overseas development aid were disproportionate? The cut of €95 million is an entirely disproportionate cut compared with cuts in any other Department. It...

Overseas Development Aid. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Will the Minister confirm that the cuts will fall more on the multilateral side than on the project side?

EU-Israel Relations. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: I welcome the strength of the interventions the Minister has been making on this issue, particularly in light of the messages Members have received from those who are not interested in anything other than laying down preconditions of such a nature as to make peace impossible. However, his views are exceptional in the European Union at present and, indeed, certain countries are opposed to...

EU-Israel Relations. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: It is illegal.

Arms Trade. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: What is revealed in this type of question is another contradiction at the heart of the European Union — I say this as somebody who is in favour of the European Union — in terms of diplomatic activity which is scant in regard to, say, the Middle East, with all due respect to Javier Solana and Tony Blair, whose presence has not achieved much. During the past four and a half years, the...

Arms Trade. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: At the same time, there is a shortfall in terms of diplomacy. Deputy Deasy and I noted, when in a remote part of Africa called Karamojo, where people are being slaughtered, that spears had given way to AKs. Often there is not even a single weapons producing factory in the countries on the receiving end, which is an obscenity.

Arms Trade. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: That does not make it a good thing.

Arms Trade. (12 Feb 2009)

Michael D Higgins: Yes.