Results 3,601-3,620 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions of the Passport Office (29 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: Deputy Byrne has prompted me to ask the first question, which relates to head scarves or the burqa. How does the office handle those situations? Reference was made to the surplus that is being generated. The State does not have a great record of reducing prices. Invariably, we increase them. Is the approximate €10 difference between the €63 and €52-odd in the cost...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I join my colleagues in the expressions of sympathy on the unexpected and sad death of a former Member of this House, John Carty. As many have recognised, he was one of nature's gentlemen. I called to see him a few months ago and he was in fine form, which is an indication of how quickly life can change for people. I ask the Leader if he would arrange for the Minister for Justice and...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: -----is totally unacceptable.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: That is not a point of order.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: That is not a point of order.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: The comments were made for all to note. The programme is available online and can be accessed. Senators Power, Bacik and others will be aware of the hate campaign on Twitter at present.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I am looking for a debate on it but I also want to condemn the hate mail going to an organisation that has recently suffered a very tragic event as the result of the death of one of its senior members of staff. Members of this House sympathise with those in the organisation on their loss. The organisation is now getting e-mails telling people in the organisation to kill themselves. I ask...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I am asking the Leader if he would agree that the Iona Institute, in particular, has never had abusive comment or derogatory remarks made against it nor has it ever been in any way homophobic. What it stands for, a view which I and many people in this country share - I also look forward to the debate in the lead up to the referendum - is that every child in this country is entitled to have a...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: It is very relevant in view of the fact that RTE, as our public broadcaster, failed once again to meet the threshold of being balanced in its reporting and programming. That is unacceptable and I ask that the Minister come into the House to have a debate on that.

Seanad: Humanitarian Situation in Syria, South Sudan and Central African Republic: Statements (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House for this timely and important debate. The extent of the humanitarian crisis in the regions we are speaking about is alarming. I wish to recognise the commitment of the Minister of State to this area. His aptitude for the job is well known and recognised and I commend him on the efforts he has made to try to ensure the humanitarian aid programme...

Seanad: Humanitarian Situation in Syria, South Sudan and Central African Republic: Statements (30 Jan 2014)

Jim Walsh: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: I ask the Leader if he could arrange for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to come to the House to clarify his comments that debate can be robust, heated, personal and sometimes even hostile if one enters the public arena. He said that one cannot expect that the Queensberry rules will apply. Unfortunately, those comments were made last Friday when on the same day...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: Yes. The e-mail continues: "Please don't take what I said lightly. End your life-----"

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: I will ask the Leader a question once I put this e-mail on the record of the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: The e-mail continues: "I would not think twice about kicking your f***ing face in ... I hope you die a horrible death".

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: I ask for a debate about freedom of speech which is essential in a democracy. It is not only those comments in the e-mail but the other night in a programme, Susan Phillips said she was getting hostile and hateful e-mails. A gay man-----

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: -----who opposes gay marriage, who believes that marriage is between a man and a woman, has received death threats.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: I have a question for the Leader. Can we have a debate on freedom of speech with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources? Can we deal with these dangerous, vicious elements in the gay ideological movement? I appeal to those more reasonable voices-----

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: I call for the more reasonable voices within the gay groups and particularly GLEN, which I have always found to be responsible, to condemn this type of activity. It is totally unacceptable and is clearly intended to intimidate or prevent people from engaging in open debate on a matter of social re-engineering.

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Jim Walsh: The motivation behind all these amendments is to improve road safety, which the Minister is also endeavouring to do. Very practical issues have been put forward, although I am not sure whether one should include them in legislation. I have some concerns that the plethora of offences are such that motorists are confused. We should be encouraging a change of culture in our driving, as the...