Results 3,681-3,700 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: Before the Minister continues, I want to say that I fundamentally disagree with a question of this importance being determined after a debate lasting 145 minutes, which gives less than one minute per Deputy in the Chamber. I propose that Standing Orders be suspended to allow for more time. I appreciate that the Government has a difficult decision to make but that decision must be made after...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: Will people be able to go to Christmas mass?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: I return to a matter I raised yesterday, which is the marts. I have now seen the regulations that the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, has said were introduced last night. Unfortunately, they were only published today, as is the norm, and there is mention of agricultural services. I raised this specifically with the Taoiseach but I do not know if the Tánaiste has ever been in a...

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: I want to begin by thanking my colleagues in the Independent Group for giving me the time to speak on this motion, especially those who do not agree with my views but who think that debate is important. Most of us should, as democrats, believe that debate is important. This needs to be debated. Giving Deputies 50 seconds each to debate what is the most fundamental set of restrictions to...

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: That is not true.

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: That is not true.

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: It was a decision of the Government.

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: No. I explained how important debate is to a democracy, because if it does not happen here, it happens somewhere else.

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: I call for the record of the House to be corrected. Regulation 5(1) sets out that a person shall not leave his or her home without reasonable excuse. Regulation 5(2) sets out what a reasonable excuse is. It states that a priest or a minister saying mass online only is a reasonable excuse. By extension, saying mass in public is not a reasonable excuse. Regulation 5(3) states that...

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: We could not have parliamentary accountability, could we?

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, just left the Chamber.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: Like colleagues in my group, I will vote against this Bill. The Bill is a fig leaf. It tries to give responsibility to An Garda Síochána to do the work the health service failed to do. Whether it failed to do that because it was mismanaged or was inadequately resourced is not pertinent. Either way, the responsibility for that rests firmly with the Government. The Minister of...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: Laws are made by the Oireachtas. Yes, we can delegate powers.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: Could I use some of the time the Government did not use?

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: I will conclude with the point that laws are made by the Oireachtas in accordance with the Constitution. I accept that we can delegate powers to the Minister, but there is a finite amount that we can delegate. An event is an event. A friend visiting another friend or a family member visiting a family member is not an event.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: A party is an event. Throwing a party in one's home at this time would be reckless and irresponsible but a family visit is not, so if the Minister intends to bring in fines for that, it gives rise to issues of concern.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: I want to speak on the section.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: We are delegating to secondary legislation what a dwelling event is.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: My problem with this Act and with this section is that it delegates the question of what a dwelling event is to secondary legislation. We are also delegating the punishment for contravention of the rules on dwelling events. I question that approach. It is not unusual to delegate powers to a Minister, but it is unusual to delegate powers that define a criminal offence. I am not aware of...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McNamara: I welcome the Sinn Féin amendments, which I will support. I thank Deputy Cullinane and his party for tabling them. I endorse what Deputies Howlin, Shortall and Bríd Smith have said. I hope none of them takes offence at my endorsement. I will take this opportunity to ask the Minister a specific question and I would welcome an answer to it. We are allowing the Minister to...