Results 3,401-3,420 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, lines 38 to 40, to delete all words from and including ", having" in line 38 down to and including "occasions" in line 40. The Minister made a valid case in respect of a pattern of behaviour. The Labour Party was concerned about the person having to meet the child more than once.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I move amendment No. 7: In page 6, line 31, before "inviting" to insert the following: "in the case of a child who is more than 5 years younger than the person concerned,". The wording of section 6(b)(e), concerning the definition of sexual exploitation, is peculiar. The Minister stated that no court would entertain a charge but the Bill concerns the consequences of grooming. The section...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: The Bill suggests any activity of a sexual nature is a form of exploitation. I will not engage in autobiography because it could be a banned book. It could be a case similar to the The Tailor and Ansty, with a large chunk of the Official Report being deleted because we do not want the nation to be corrupted.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Not yet, although it will be withdrawn due to time.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Nobody argues with what the Minister says. However, I am thinking of the irate father who comes home to find his 16 and a half year old daughter, slightly dishevelled, with her 17 and a half year old boyfriend. The father is angry and knows the local Garda sergeant. I believe it would be possible to prosecute the 17 and a half year old for this if it were the couple's second or third date....

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: ——demanding that 17 year olds be prosecuted, but we ought to be clear about what the legislation means. I believe it means that teenagers, where one is over age and the other is under age or where both are under age, could be prosecuted for things which, to put it bluntly, most of us did.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: No.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I will when I am ready. I will not hold up the House. I know what the Minister is trying to do but I also know that it means something different. I was a Member of this House when the first pro-life amendment was passed. We were going to defend this nation against abortion. However, that section of the Constitution ultimately resulted in the legalisation of abortion. One cannot have...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: The Chair is very keen for me to withdraw it. Is there some reason for that?

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: While I fight with the Minister on everything and disagree with him about most matters, he is one of the more forthcoming members of the Government. It is worthwhile to engage with him on Committee Stage. I believe the Bill will present problems in criminalising matters that are not intended to be. The sooner proper codified sexual offences legislation is introduced the better because we...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I will report him.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I had not been going to speak at all, but reconsidered. I thank God that we are to do away with the distinction between high-quality dual carriageways and motorways. I remember reading a report in which a Bord Pleanála inspector said that he could not figure out the difference. If he could not manage it, who could? Second, when will we have national electronic tolling? I use it...

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: When will that be introduced?

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Is that going to happen?

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I hope it does not take as long as integrated ticketing covering Dublin Bus and the Luas.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: On the Fermoy bypass, it is now time for coercion. Like Senator O'Rourke, I believe that trucks should be banned from small villages unless they have business being there.

Seanad: Roads Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Second Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Such an initiative has been taken successfully in Dublin whose taxi-drivers have told me of the wonderful effect that it has had on the free flow of traffic. It is disgraceful that An Post, a public organisation, has a policy of not paying tolls. I am delighted that action has been taken on service areas. Many of us have suffered considerable discomfort, to put it mildly, travelling certain...

Seanad: Education System: Motion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Education System: Motion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: What a dreadful thing to do six weeks before a general election.

Seanad: Education System: Motion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Only when it suits Senator Mansergh.