Results 341-360 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Alex White: I would rather talk about something else.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Alex White: Will I have an opportunity to respond to that?

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Alex White: I will respond presently and inform the Minister of State of my precise position.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Alex White: I do not want to add to the Minister of State's discomfiture in respect of this discussion, but it is lamentable that he has not properly addressed the issue put to him by Members on both sides of the House in terms of what is right and what ought to be done in regard to the provision to be made to protect victims. On enabling provisions in legislation, I stated on Second Stage what has...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Alex White: Will the Minister of State indicate whether he is prepared to address these issues in advance of Report Stage, which his colleagues on the Government side have asked him to do? I reiterate what they said. While the advice given by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is vitally important in any legislation, it is a technical matter. The Minister of State is in charge of policy. This is...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Alex White: I also intend to raise this matter again on Report Stage.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Alex White: I move amendment No. 13: In page 10, before section 12, to insert the following new section: 12.—A victim of an offence under this Act shall not be prosecuted for entry into or presence in the State or for carrying out the labour or sexual acts, insofar as such entry, presence or carrying out labour or sexual acts were a consequence of the trafficking of that person.". This amendment was...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2008)

Alex White: I support the call made by Senator Fitzgerald for clarification, perhaps by the Leader, on the remarks made yesterday regarding whether fair procedures exist in the tribunal. I have no intention of trespassing into areas which are the province of the courts but for this House to give the impression that it believes the tribunal does not exercise fair procedures is a very serious matter. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2008)

Alex White: It appears not all are intelligent enough to avoid creating the impression that the problem in this country is the tribunals rather than the people whose actions led to their establishment in the first place.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2008)

Alex White: The normally mild mannered Senator Ó Murchú has given the impression that he believes the tribunals are the problem rather than the people who caused their establishment. I have just come from an excellent conference organised by Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society, MEAS. Yesterday colleagues asked the Leader to facilitate a debate on alcohol and alcohol abuse, and I repeat that request...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2008)

Alex White: Or rushing to report.

Seanad: Civil Marriage: Motion (27 Feb 2008)

Alex White: I support Senator Norris's motion and oppose the amendments put forward. Having been detained in a committee meeting for the past two hours, I have not had an opportunity to hear any of my colleagues' contributions, so I am somewhat constrained in responding to the debate. We all know that the married family, if I can call it that, is at the heart of our Constitution. The Supreme Court has...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Alex White: A Chathaoirligh, I thought you were a little hard on Senator O'Toole as he was doing very well with his comments on the construction industry, with which I agree. He also dealt well with Deputy Cregan's letter that Senator Fitzgerald raised. This would not be the first letter or article in a newspaper which was of a politically partisan nature, dressed up as a concern for balance in the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Alex White: Members of that tribunal are prepared to challenge their own chairman. Given what we have heard today, there is a serious question mark over the chairman of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal and the integrity of that body. The Minister must come to the House to explain his views and state whether he agrees with me that there is now a serious question about the operation of the refugee appeals...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Alex White: The Senator is on dangerous ground now.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Alex White: He cannot say "No" to that.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Alex White: How is that a point of order? That is not a point of order.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Alex White: We will support the Deputy on that.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Alex White: I concur with Senator O'Toole that if the Minister for Education and Science has something she wishes to say or concessions or variations in policy planned, she should make a public announcement in the House, rather than at a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party. I raised this issue a couple of weeks ago.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Mar 2008)

Alex White: The chorus line on the Government benches has reduced this serious political and constitutional issue to one of jealousy. Government Senators should understand that our system does not have a parliament within a parliament but a single Parliament. They gave out on the previous occasion I raised this matter and asked whether Senators should be prevented from speaking to Ministers. I have no...