Results 2,661-2,680 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Local Property Tax: Discussion with Revenue (7 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I did not.

Seanad: Science Week: Statements (12 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I welcome the opportunity to take part in this discussion. It is not a debate because most people are of one mind on the importance of science and the welcome role Science Week plays in connecting young people to the area of science. A wide range of events are taking place, with nearly 1,000 events listed on the website. Schools and libraries in County Meath are hosting a considerable...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I thank Senator Mullen for tabling the motion. I also thank the Minister for being here because it is important to have a full debate on this issue. I am not going to go into the technology or health issues, about which I am not an expert. However, I will give the Minister my observations regarding what is happening on the ground, in an effort to be helpful. While the Government can be...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister was going well until he blamed the bailout.

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Only Rush. Not from Meath people. There was not a word in Meath about it.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Seanad has the power, not the committee.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Constitution.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: There appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the motions before us. This is not the type of EU scrutiny in which Senator Mark Daly engaged during the summer of a directive proposed to be implemented without scrutiny. These motions relate to the justice and home affairs functions of the European treaties. Ireland and the United Kingdom secured an opt-out from justice...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: We will not be doing the work we are obliged to do, in accordance with the Constitution, if we do not debate these particular motions.

Seanad: Passenger Name Record Data: Motion (14 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Leader for facilitating this debate and I thank the Minister for his presence. The Seanad, following the referendum, is very conscious of its functions under the Constitution and I am particularly conscious of our functions in regard to the justice and home affairs sector. It was put into the Constitution that both Houses of the Oireachtas would have to approve our opting into...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: On a point of order, it must be noted for the record that the Fianna Fáil group abstained en masse on the vote.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: They were found out.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I am staying within the remit of the amendment. We in Fianna Fáil are in a funny position. We certainly want to support the amendment but we have been where the Government is. On balance, the arguments put forward by Senators Bradford and Healy Eames make eminent sense. I was offended by the Minister's comments when he spoke about Senators Bradford and Healy Eames wanting to walk...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister did say that. He said they wanted to walk away with a pot of money, which is a very low thing to say about a parliamentarian.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I was here. I heard what the Minister said.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The record will show what he said. My recollection of a comment he made a few minutes ago was that they want to walk away with their pot of money and that is not what the system is designed for. The amendment seeks a deduction. I think my colleagues heard it similarly.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: There has been a dismissive attitude. If this issue was to capture media attention, which it has not really done, the Minister would be doing a U-turn in the same way he did a U-turn last week on freedom of information legislation. There will be no public support whatsoever. This would be particularly true in the case of Fine Gael because there has been such anger, such a hardline attitude...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I was a child at that time.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I appreciate the Senator was probably a Member of the Seanad at that time.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2013)

Thomas Byrne: There seems to be a different class of affairs going on in Fine Gael. They just want to get rid of these people out of the party because they voted a different way on a matter of conscience. I think we need to take a stand on this issue. The public would support them if the issue managed to gain traction in the media which has not happened as yet. I point to a flaw in the legislation going...