Results 301-320 of 7,637 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I should have known there was no danger of me quoting from a poem without Senator Norris responding at will with another quotation. As I indicated in our discussion on a heritage channel, I have a sense that in the area of broadcasting older people are taken for granted as civic minded participants in society and their specific needs are easily overlooked. Perhaps this is connected to the...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I do not think either of them are considering that,

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I thank my colleagues, Senators Doherty, Quinn, Norris, O'Reilly and Bradford, for their general support for this provision. The Minister of State said it is not needed as the issue is somehow addressed in the Bill. However, the question that must be answered is what harm would it do to include these subsections. They would at least have the effect of drawing to the notice of public...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: His son is a Fine Gael councillor. However, I think he likes to hear from me. I observe with interest my parent's programming tastes. The point is that research needs to be done. We owe it to older people not to make assumptions about what they like. We should require our broadcaster to do the necessary research to ensure they get what they like in terms of a programming diet. The...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I support the comments made by my colleagues Senators Norris, O'Reilly — who proposed the amendment — and Walsh. I was also in touch with the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland. It seems to be a reasonable proposal. It is a good principle to limit the amount of advertising in any one hour. However, like many principles it can be stretched to an absurdity. It would be an absurdity if...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: We were not persuasive enough.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I heard the Minister's objection to the amendment but surely it is possible to either accept this amendment or change it to ensure it does not allow the situation to which the Minister referred whereby broadcasters could consciously and premeditatedly load advertising into a particular hour slot. Surely it is possible to legislate to allow for the situation whereby, in the interests of good...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: If it were Gay Byrne, the legislation would be retrospective and would not be allowed under the Constitution.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I move amendment No. 27: In page 43, lines 38 to 41, to delete subsection (4) and substitute the following: "(4) A broadcaster shall not broadcast an advertisement which promotes the merits or otherwise of fortune-telling services, psychic services, palmistry or tarot card services.". These amendments deal with a number of related areas. Amendments Nos. 27, 28 and 31, relate to section 41...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Senator O'Toole and I might agree to disagree on that. One cannot have an advertisement for the Franciscans who might want to advertise or encourage people to consider vocations to the religious life. This suggests to me that a new intolerance has taken hold, almost by accident. What was originally a very sensible exclusion of a certain kind of advertising is now acting in a quite...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: They were predicting it earlier.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: They have let the Senator down so many times, I am suspicious.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I thank my colleagues for their comments, particularly those that were supportive. I am a little disappointed by some of the comments because when we make light of psychic services in that way, as Senator O'Toole appeared to do, it can have a chilling effect on legislators trying to legislate in the public interest. We are talking about channels coming into people's living rooms, not...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: No. I will clarify that.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I will be happy to hear the Minister's response. Some more issues need clarification.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I was hoping the Minister might be taking notes in advance of Report Stage.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Sorry. I am happy to do so.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: Not to RTE.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Jun 2008)

Rónán Mullen: I seek clarification on a number of matters.