Results 3,301-3,320 of 4,085 for speaker:Dan Boyle

Seanad: Stardust Tragedy: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: I was 18 on 14 February 1981 and with tens of thousands of my generation in hundreds of locations throughout the country we were in premises not unlike the Stardust - large, cavernous and dark with no indication of where we were to go or what we were to do in the event of something terrible happening. The overriding feeling of many of us subsequently was very much one of "there but for the...

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: I am very happy to speak to the Labour Party Private Members' motion on broadband this evening. I hope it might be able to reciprocate the next time the Green Party has Private Members' time. That is a reference to last week.

Seanad: Telecommunications Services: Motion (8 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: It is important this debate is held on a regular basis. The questions raised in moving the motion and the contributions so far will help in developing our broadband infrastructure. I was struck on hearing the opening contributions that the statistics related to October 2007. While there are many issues one can accuse the Minister of, to have him solely responsible for the state of...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: Apparently I come from a party of tree worshippers.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: The offence of blasphemy is archaic. It is borne out of a jurisprudence which saw the development of events in an era where church and State were seen as a single entity. It is an offence that should be made obsolete and has been made so in other jurisdictions. It cannot be confused with the right of people to believe and to have that right respected. The difficulty in continuing to...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: I am giving my view on these amendments and how I would like to progress this issue.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: Members can take that whatever way they like. Ultimately, while I accept the reasons this is being done in this way, the effect of it will be that we will codify an offence that most people do not believe in on grounds that people will not be able to bring actions and even if they were able to do so, it is unlikely there would be prosecutions on foot of such actions. That makes a nonsense...

Seanad: OECD and IMF Reports: Statements (10 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: These reports, especially the IMF report, are neither a ringing endorsement of Government policies nor a crib sheet for the Opposition parties to say that things would be so much better if only they were in government. The reality is that the reports show the seriousness of our current economic position, one that was brought about by international factors that are affecting all other...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (14 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: Rights in a free society are hard won. They are protected by custom, precedent, common law, the Constitution, implicitly and directly, and legislation. A free society should strive to protect all such rights at all times. Very often rights are compromised by citizens who fail to act responsibly to respect the rights of others in society. Unfortunately, a group of no more than a few...

Seanad: Northern Ireland: Statements (14 Jul 2009)

Dan Boyle: I welcome the Taoiseach to the House. Today's statements are informed by the events of yesterday evening. The events are disappointing and still have a capacity to shock. There was a time when the events of last night were an everyday occurrence in the North. The sense of hopelessness and despair at that time generated indifference such that there would have been no shock in respect of...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Sep 2009)

Dan Boyle: I welcome this Bill and the opening comments of the Minister of State with responsibility for labour affairs in introducing it. In the context of a point raised by the previous Opposition spokesperson, we must be clear that part of the necessity for this legislation, in the first instance, has been the ongoing legal situation. As a Member of this House and when I was a Member of the other...

Seanad: The Economy: Statements (23 Sep 2009)

Dan Boyle: Just as Zhou Enlai said when speaking of the French Revolution, it is a bit too soon to tell about the international crisis and our own particular variant of it. However, there are some hopeful signs. We do not know yet whether the international crisis will be a V-type recession or a W-type recession. We have seen encouraging signs that France and Germany, two of our main trading partners,...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Sep 2009)

Dan Boyle: We are producing legislation on the matter.

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Second Stage (24 Sep 2009)

Dan Boyle: Regardless of where people are coming from in this debate, it is clear this country's approach to public transport has improved over recent years. Despite our straitened economic circumstances, the balance between expenditure on public and private transport is better than it once was. It is nowhere near equality, but it is better. The Minister's recent announcement of new Luas routes shows...

Seanad: Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009: Second Stage (24 Sep 2009)

Dan Boyle: While he made many fair points, he was slightly disingenuous when he said he believes this Bill can solve problems in all the areas he mentioned, such as spatial planning. I am confident that many of the issues he raised will be dealt with in parallel legislation, such as the new local government Bill and the two planning and development Bills. The fruits of this approach are evident in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2009)

Dan Boyle: Noting comments made already by Senators O'Toole, MacSharry and Norris, I ask the Leader that an opportunity be taken in this House to debate formally the newly agreed programme for Government. I lack a certain critical distance from it, but the House and the Oireachtas would benefit from having such an early debate. While it has been presented with some new priorities, it is a document...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2009)

Dan Boyle: If the Leader is so minded, an early opportunity to have such a debate will be to the benefit of both the programme and the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Dan Boyle: I wish to be associated with the voices that have welcomed the release of Sharon Commins and her Ugandan colleague from captivity in Sudan and thank all those responsible for securing their release. It is important that we are starting a necessary debate on the future of this House. I am grateful to the Leader of the Opposition in the other House for initiating that debate. I question his...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Dan Boyle: It has been responsible at local government level.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Dan Boyle: If the Members opposite are not prepared to take criticism for their own policies when they are in opposition-----