Results 3,561-3,580 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: The business already exists. It is not a new task.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: They were concealing information-----

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I have no problem with a compliment coming my way.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: On a point of order. I have serious reservations about the Cathaoirleach's ruling but, having said that, he is entitled to make a ruling. Will he go through each of these amendments and give us a reason why they have been ruled out of order? With respect to the House, he should explain precisely why each amendment has been ruled out of order.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: Please, hear my point of order. It is terrible that the House would be going through this process. I would have thought that we would have learned from past controversies that have arisen from failure to monitor and scrutinise legislation. I am not challenging the rulings but will the Cathaoirleach tell us the reason for each amendment? I suspect that, in the absence of him not doing so,...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving us an outline for the reasons he has ruled these amendments out of order. Amendment No. 8 seeks to maintain the status quo. As of now, there is no imposition on the Exchequer. The Minister is instead abolishing the councils. On amendments Nos. 21 to 23, inclusive, if we cannot challenge specific aspects of the Bill’s principle, then it neuters...

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: The Cathaoirleach should think about this. As of today, we are looking for the retention of certain councils which the Minister is proposing to abolish. There is no imposition on the Exchequer, accordingly, as the cost is built into the current structure.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: It is arguable that the Minister is going to create more costs than is currently the case.

Seanad: Local Government Reform Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: There is no "might".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I thank the Chairman. I also thank Deputy Smith for giving way. I am grateful to Mr. Dorr for his contribution. I would like to hone in on two areas, the first of which is Northern Ireland. I have always felt that partition was a blight on this country and the people who were most adversely affected by it were Unionists. It has made them insular and they feel under threat as a result of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Review of Foreign Affairs Policy and External Relations: Discussion (15 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: My comments would be echoed my many people. What is Mr. Dorr's opinion on that? What should we do as a country or a Government to ensure in a future referendum there will be sufficient support for it to pass because I detect at the moment it would be impossible to do so?

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: That is anti-Catholic bias.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: That is surely a first.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I join those who welcome the findings of the European Court of Human Rights yesterday in the O'Keeffe case. The protection of children must always be prioritised. We should recognise that the State has rightly been very critical of failures in the church organisations and various other bodies to protect children, but often it is quite sanguine about its own responsibilities in this regard....

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I do not accept that the functions of that body should exclude Members of this House. It does not involve increasing the cost of the Exchequer but scrutinising and monitoring. There are many Members in this House who would be prepared to do this. Most of us would agree that Senator Sean Barrett, for example, would be a very valued member of the committee and make a good input. Will the...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: Residents will not be too reassured.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I thank my colleague for allowing me a few minutes to speak, and I also thank the Senators who tabled this motion. I support the broad principles of reform, although I do not support all the details in the proposal. All Senators in the House should be elected, as this is one way of getting away from group-think and the Government control of the Seanad through the very rigid Whip system. We...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: -----and ignores the public process. The recent raft of measures, without any consultation, will in reality disempower the Opposition. The Government has become-----

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: -----intoxicated by its own spin and this truncated debate is an example of that.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I understand we are finishing at 5 p.m. today - Wednesday - because the Minister will not make himself available after that time. That is unacceptable.