Results 3,181-3,200 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: One can be sure it will be a point of disorder.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the statement made today by the Chief Justice with regard to the need for ethics in corporate governance. It is welcome and I ask the Leader to consider having a debate on the matter. We can all see the difficulties, and ongoing revelations in the newspapers show the dearth of ethics particularly in the banking sector, although this also applies in other sectors of business. I do...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: -----when it comes to voting on this terrible legislation, which unfortunately has been introduced by the Government.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: Section 1 deals with the abolition day and brings into focus what the Bill is about. We have a Government with the largest majority in the history of the State. We have seen the consequences of such a majority where the Government wants to assume onto itself extraordinary powers. We have witnessed the totalitarian tendencies, referred to by a number of Members, including me, in the past 18...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: Absolutely but I ask the Cathaoirleach to bear with me while I come to the point. It also said the House should devote more time to legislation and Senators should be provided with more research facilities to assist them in their work. It said, specifically, that Seanad Éireann should be given a watch-dog role on secondary legislation. Many statutory instruments become law with no...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: It talked about allowing 20 seats to be directly elected, with the remaining 23 seats being voted in by local authority members. Finally, it stated that Fine Gael would consider the potential of a system allowing voters in Northern Ireland to participate in Seanad elections. As the Cathaoirleach will be well aware, that was the Fine Gael document on Seanad reform, which was presented to...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: No. I am talking about the abolition date. After that day, we will not be able to talk about these things if the Seanad is abolished. People need to be aware of the consequences of what they are doing. Within the last few weeks, I spoke about visiting Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, which is the museum dedicated to the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust. One of the first plaques one sees...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I know that but people should have had a clear choice of abolishing or reforming the Seanad. That would have been democratic and a much more advanced way to go.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I know that. It is because it does not suit the agenda of the Fine Gael leader, in particular, and the quotient of support he has within his party.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I am accepting that one cannot do it, but the Government could have done it. That point has been made over quite a long period by many Senators on both sides of the House. If we embark on this route, it will lead to a situation where the proper and effective functioning of the House will be seriously challenged. All of us here are on one Oireachtas committee or another. When the abolition...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I do not object to the principle of the people having a choice, but if we are really serious about reform, this Bill is not reforming legislation; it is about dismantling our democracy. It is a bit like what the Government has been doing in local government by dismantling town councils.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I know that.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: The Bill is dismantling our democracy and our democratic institutions. The Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, who was previously Leader of the Opposition in this House, was in New Ross for the 50th anniversary commemoration of the JFK visit. He saw the tremendous work the town council had done there.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: The Minister of State is agreeing with me that the town council has done tremendous work. It is symptomatic of town councils across the country. I am concerned about the tendency of the Government to gradually erode our democracy and the rights of our people, while giving bankers more power so that they can crucify people, having landed the country in this mess. It is all in the interests...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: Before the budget.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I dtosach báire, ba mhaith liom aontú go hiomlán leis an méid atá ráite ag an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh. Ba mhaith liom freisin aontú leis an leasú a chur sé maidir leis an Riar Oibre inniu. I agree with Senator Ó Clochartaigh.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: Yes. I wish to raise an issue which has not been sufficiently highlighted in this House, namely, that we are back in recession. For the third quarter in succession we are in negative contraction, which is very serious. I acknowledge that various schemes have been established to address the unemployment situation. However, all they will do is tinker at the edges of the problem. Real and...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: I urge people to view it and to inform themselves so that when they come to the House to vote they do so from an informed position.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: These are conscience issues.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (16 Jul 2013)

Jim Walsh: When first elected to this House in 1997, I expected to be involved in debates on socio-economic issues along the lines outlined by Senator Conway, who I respect. In all my expectation, I never thought I would be debating the most fundamental right, the right to life. With more sadness than anything else, I rise to make this contribution. My guiding principle throughout my life, in...