Results 4,801-4,820 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: A Lisbon lecture, take 18.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: We know he is not going to be interrupted.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: No, it is a gentleman's club.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: To get off stage.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: This is the last day we will have an opportunity to discuss the Lisbon treaty. For this reason the debate we will have this morning is important. This is the first time I have committed myself against the treaty. It is important that I am allowed to state this. The people taking a conscientious position on the "No" side have been abused, misrepresented and treated with a fair amount of...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: Yes, there have, including by the President of the European Commission, Mr. Barroso, who stated we would pay for it. I wish to ask a couple of questions.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: It depends. I am not that sensitive. However, being called a flake is not a compliment. I am not getting all dithery about it. One can call me a flake if one wants. I may be a "loo-la" but I will ask questions that the Government side, and in particular the Leader, does not like answering.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: We have known for sometime that the Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen, has not fully read the treaty. We then discovered the Commissioner has not fully read the treaty and stated that anybody who did would be an idiot. This was glossed over by stating, as I pointed out previously, that Members of the Dáil voted for the treaty not having read it. The Minister for Finance has read it, however,...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: Fianna Fáil never had a principled position on neutrality and de Valera was pragmatic when he adopted it. Fine Gael would walk us into NATO if it could and it is perfectly open about it. The problem is that the Irish people——

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: ——have a principled commitment to neutrality and this is the problem that politicians have. They want to get around the Irish people but they will not.

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty Report: Statements (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I wish to share time with Senator Quinn. I welcome the Minister of State who made an interesting case to the House. I also compliment Deputy Perry on the report produced by the joint committee he chairs. It is important that both sides of the debate are heard today, as has not been the case thus far. Mr. Pöttering, for example, was invited to the House to advocate the treaty without a...

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty Report: Statements (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: On the question of the Commissioner, we were told historically it was vital for us to have a Commissioner. Apparently now it is not. We were told in recent weeks by a Minister that we could not give the farmers a guarantee on the veto because it would weaken our negotiating position, but now that has been overturned. I will yield to Senator Quinn, but there are many reservations. I ask the...

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty Report: Statements (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I am not Senator Ross.

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty Report: Statements (5 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I hope the Senator had a better answer than Justice Iarlaith O'Neill.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: That is an indicator all right.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I very much welcome that this House has responded so immediately to the situation after the referendum on the Lisbon treaty and I congratulate the Leader on taking this action. I had actually submitted a Standing Order 30 motion that this was a matter of urgent national importance but I have withdrawn it in light of this welcome move. We are in a remarkable situation. I, for the first time,...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: That is profoundly undemocratic, as is the response of some of the leaders of Europe, who should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. If there is egg on faces, the massive quantity of it should land on the people in Brussels who attempted to bully and hector, and who said we would be punished economically and would be the first victims financially. There were even people saying we should...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I am sick of asking questions in this House. I asked a series of very detailed questions about the military aspects of the treaty — that was why I voted against it — including the European Defence Agency, coyly renamed from the Western European Armaments Group, and the redefinition of the Petersberg tasks to include intervention in a third country because of a threat of terrorism, which...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: This is a scandal. Its headquarters at the old veterinary college were sold and it was told it was to move to Greendale community school. It has now been told, however, that it is being axed and the Department of Education and Science has put out a press statement that misleadingly suggests it is going voluntarily. This is wrong. We must have an explanation why these 40 teachers are being...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: What a surprise. However, I am not done yet.