Results 401-420 of 5,294 for speaker:Michael McCarthy

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: That depends on which machine is used.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, before section 2, to insert the following new section: 2.—Section 48 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001 shall not apply to European Parliament elections held in the year 2004.". Section 48 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001 allows the Minister to apply, by order, electronic voting to European elections. The Minister is provided with the power to...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: Regarding the amendment tabled by Senator Bannon, we had a very good debate on electronic voting in this House last week. However, the Minister's period of reply was just 15 minutes, and if he were here for 15 hours he might not have answered all the questions put to him. The famous 41 questions came from the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government, and were put to the Minister...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: We must look at systems used internationally and at countries where these machines are in operation. We have a unique situation in this country. The UK, for example, does not have multi-seat constituencies, nor does it use PR, other than for European elections. Senator Brennan also raised a good point on the issue of duplication. I do not think the secrecy of the ballot will be spoiled. A...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I have noted the Minister's reply to amendment No. 2 and I agree to withdraw it.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, before section 2, to insert the following new section: 2.—Section 6 of the Act of 1997 is amended- (a) in subsections (1)(b) and (2) by the deletion of 'statutory declaration' and the substitution therefor of 'statement pursuant to this section'; (b) in subsection (2) by the deletion of 'said declaration' and the substitution therefor of 'said statement':...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 4: In paragraph (c), in page 4, to delete lines 39 to 47 and in page 5, to delete lines 1 to 18. It is totally illogical to ban the dual mandate for those who relinquished council seats last year while not leading by example and applying the same practice to Dáil Members who will be elected to the European Parliament in June, if that is the case. It is very convenient...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: We are all old enough.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I am not aware of Fine Gael policy in this area. The leader of our group in this House gave a commitment when the issue was debated on Second Stage last week that he would resign his Seanad seat if elected to the European Parliament. That is the only implication for Oireachtas Members of our party contesting the European elections. On the direct elections in 1979, the whole project was so...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: That was an interesting history lesson from Senator Bannon. I support the amendment. The Minister of State will be more aware than many of us in this House that MEPs get very little publicity. In my opinion, if the European elections were not to be held in conjunction with the local elections, the turnout would be much lower than in general elections, even though that turnout is already very...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I presume the Minister of State could accept the amendment if he wanted to and could rename the constituencies. The point was made about the independence of the boundary review commission but I wonder if all its decisions are unanimous. It was a good idea to remove political input from such decisions — we only need to go back to the infamous Tullymander which was supposed to favour the...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (19 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: Political analysts and politicians did not see what was coming and the scale of it. It was important that politicians were removed from the equation because all Governments would act to strengthen their own position and weaken that of the Opposition. The commission's independence is important. It is, however, also important to remember that the commission should be aware of the distance...

Seanad: Order of Business. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: Given that a historic two day international conference on the AIDS epidemic is taking place in Dublin Castle, it would be timely for this House to debate the issue. According to the United Nations, 1.5 million people infected with HIV will be brought to the doorstep of the European Union by virtue of the forthcoming accession. In the first half of 2002, the National Disease Surveillance...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003 [Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "(3) As soon as may be after the passing of this Act, the Minister shall prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas, a statement as to the implications of introducing a system of registration of guardianship orders and agreements.". We debated this amendment at some length on Committee Stage. It is...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003 [Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I concur with Senator Brian Hayes. The Minister's response is inappropriate to say the least. It is a sad day not alone for this House but for democracy in general if the Minister persists with this course of action as she quite evidently plans to. There were many valid calls for a system of guardianship registration to be introduced and this is a retrograde step. The Minister has been...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003 [Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 2: In page 15, line 38, after "State" to insert "or to which section 26 or 27 applies". The register of births covers all children born in the State and there are two additional cases of children born outside the State, those children born to Irish citizens permanently living abroad where there is no system of registration or where if there is, a birth certificate may not...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003 [Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: I agree with the Minister that provision is made in sections 26 and 27. However, to give effect to that, section 13(1)(b) must be amended to include the same wording as section 13(1)(a), namely after "State" to insert "or to which section 26 or 27 applies". If this amendment is not accepted, the anomaly is quite obvious. The Bill in itself becomes contradictory which, to say the least, is bad...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003 [Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: The wording——

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003 [Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: ——"or to which sections 26 or 27 applies," confines section 13(1)(b) to within the State and the registration of foreign stillbirths is not covered, in terms of the literal meaning of the amendment.

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003 [Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (24 Feb 2004)

Michael McCarthy: That is correct. As the interpretation of section 13(1)(b) now stands, it refers to a register in the State. However, if the wording, including the references to section 26 or 27, is applied, it does exactly what the Minister for Social and Family Affairs has just said and will inextricably link the wording of section 13(1)(b) with sections 26 and 27. The literal meaning of section 13(1)(b)...