Results 2,941-2,960 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: It is a good idea because too much time is spent in this House trying to be a mirror image of the other House and in shouting at one another. While I yet may do some shouting, this issue is worth discussing because there is a profound problem, both in Ireland and in western society generally, of disengagement from politics. It would be remiss of me not to state that this is not helped by...

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: The fundamental issue is that—

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: — politics has changed to a degree in western societies and ideological differences have become blurred, at least in the short term. While I believe they will arise again because of forces at work in the evolution of economies that will reinvigorate a serious ideological debate, in the short term, members of the public are easily persuaded that who is in power makes no difference. It...

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: We would hardly put that on the record ourselves.

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: I managed to avoid that experience, much to my relief.

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: They probably do not consult socialists.

Seanad: Petitions Committee: Motion (4 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: Senator O'Rourke is topping the poll.

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: Bhí aithne agam ar Tom Fitzpatrick agus bhí meas agam air. He was a man who seemed to be able to combine the qualities which meant one could warm to him and still have a sense of being in the presence of somebody who was worthy not just of affection but of respect. I was a new Senator and I may have been a little loud and brash but I found him a person to whom I could talk. He was...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: I hope the welcome will not be too warm tonight in Lansdowne Road.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: I wonder about the capacity of a centralised government to do anything right. I do not wish to politicise this matter too much by referring to the Government. Senator Brian Hayes referred to one issue and Senator O'Toole referred to another. I wish to refer to a small matter. The magnificent new Fermoy bypass was recently opened. A little bit of fuss was created when some people said they...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: Senator Norris thinks it is very funny. If he lived in Watergrasshill——

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: I do not think anybody would consider matters pertaining to An Post to be a matter of parochial interest. They are of enormous national interest. If An Post's policies are wrong then this is the place to deal with them. It is not the first time Senator Norris and I do not agree.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: I do not wish to have a debate on Aer Lingus and its privatisation. Neither do I wish to have a debate on whether people with beards are more or less left wing, as the Sunday Independent suggested last Sunday.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: I wish to have a debate on the quality of advice the Government received. I would like a member of the Government to come to the House and tell us how he or she believes that in spite of the €30 million that was spent on advice, the company in question did not notice the possibility that Ryanair would be lurking to try and take over Aer Lingus. Was there a hint in the extraordinarily...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: If the Government paid me €30 million, I might go away. Other people were paid less and got into a great deal of trouble. We have been promised new ethics legislation. I was going to make a little deal with the Government to the effect that we might leave the matter to the Government parties to discuss. Those of us on this side of the House have no problem with knowing between right and...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: Not at all. We dragged legislation out of the Government against its wishes in 1992.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: As Senator Mansergh knows well, the same people who came to the Labour Party and offered it ethics legislation did not——

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: I do not know what The Workers' Party has to do with this matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: The House's time will be taken up by dealing with ethics legislation, but none of us needs to know what is right or wrong. We have enough ethics legislation, but we need people who will admit that they know the difference between right and wrong. We do not need more ethics legislation. The Houses' time will be taken up. I was going to make an offer to the effect that we would stay out of...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (11 Oct 2006)

Brendan Ryan: Hear, hear.