Results 3,181-3,200 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: At the moment, a private e-mail that I send to someone could be requested under freedom of information because the Houses of the Oireachtas have never acted on that constitutional provision.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: That is a major gap. The idea that the local county councillor has more-----

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: He does, because while the request in respect of the counsellor will be refused, Members are exempt in the same circumstances if Standing Orders are introduced. The constitutional provision has nothing to do with freedom of information, because the concept had not been heard of in 1937. It has to do with court proceedings and all sorts of privilege. It is much wider than freedom of...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: The constitutional provision does not provide a carte blanche; the constitutional provision is there if we decide to enforce it and change Standing Orders.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I want to be very clear in case the media misunderstand. This has nothing to do with expenses or financial records or anything like that. If anyone makes that mistake he or she will be in trouble and the Minister knows I am clear on this. It is about our private papers, the records we hold about constituents and the papers associated with our parliamentary work. The Constitution does not...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: To be clear, we are not trying to hide information that has been generally available to the public over many years.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: For instance, if someone made a freedom of information request on my diary or on Senator Bacik's diary or on e-mails or papers in our respective offices; it could be argued that the Constitution did not envisage e-mails.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I raised this issue with the Minister of the time when I was in the Dáil. I might ask the Chairman of the CPP as the Cathaoirleach, to examine it, to ensure the House has a proper provision while not restricting the normal information about Members of the Houses that journalists may request under freedom of information. I will not press amendment No. 21 but I am depending on the...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I wish to raise an issue about some of the smaller port companies that are akin to local authorities. While I picked them out without researching each one, there are proposals to merge some of these authorities with local authorities. Some of them are extremely small, are not really commercial semi-State bodies, although that might be their title, and manage areas that in many cases could...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Particularly the smaller ones.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (30 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I do not request preferment but by ruling out the matter I wished to raise, the Cathaoirleach has decided the Seanad cannot discuss a matter directly relating to it that has been widely discussed in public in the past week.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (30 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, is at the centre of a national controversy relating to the Seanad, and the Cathaoirleach will not allow a debate on the matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I understand Mr. McNulty has withdrawn from the by-election - according to Twitter - so we will see how this changes things. It is the right and honourable thing for him to do. He was put in a terrible situation by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, who owe him and his family a complete and wholehearted apology. He has been put through the mill...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2014)

Thomas Byrne: There are already Fine Gael votes in the ballot box. If Mr. McNulty wins will there be another by-election? Is that what is going to happen?

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (1 Oct 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Tá áthas orm mo chomhbhrón agus comhbhrón mo pháirtí a chur in iúl inniu sa Seanad maraon le mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Labhrás Ó Murchú. I, too, am glad to offer my sympathies today on behalf of my party, along with my colleague, Senator Ó Murchú, and express them to the family. I met former Senator Haughey on one...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2014)

Thomas Byrne: On a point of order, the Leas-Chathaoirleach has moved on from the very important amendments that Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have tabled that were to be discussed with amendment No. 1. He allowed for a discussion on amendment No. 2.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2014)

Thomas Byrne: What amendments are they?

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Which is the Government amendment that deals with this?

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:“(c) in the definition “community hall” by deleting “other than a premises of a club” and substituting “other than the licensed premises, of a club”.This is the amendment that the Minister of State says he will deal with later. Essentially it is the same as our...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (1 Oct 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I have listened to the Minister of State's comments. My understanding was that there is a map of licensed premises, as there usually is with any application for licensing. It sets out the usual red line. If the Minister of State is indicating that is incorrect, I will accept it, but what he is proposing would not go as far as we intended or what Government Deputies are advertising in their...