Results 4,841-4,860 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Lisbon Treaty: Statements (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: The Minister of State is welcome to the House. I will comment briefly on his speech. He spoke about the interest in the Euro barometer. We would have been very interested if those in Europe had not stifled it for the past six months and refused to ask questions about the response to the treaty. Why did they do that? Why did they muzzle their own Euro barometer? There is an issue of trust...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I am disappointed with the Minister of State's lamentable response but I will put him on probation and will not push this to a vote. I ask him to reconsider, however. He argued that the matter is more appropriate to the Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources but I disagree. RTE is to be urged to provide this signal but we know perfectly well it is not doing so at...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I am struck with admiration for Senator O'Reilly's fluent Irish with its Cavan blas. I did not realise he had it but it is lovely to hear. I will not hazard it this evening, although I have spoken Irish here in the past. It is, in its own way, something dear to my heart. I rise to formally second the number of amendments in the name of Senator Joe O'Toole. It is notable that a number of...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: They are all grouped in the list I have. I must be working from an earlier group.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: In that case, amendments Nos. 90a and 96a are in the name of Senator O'Toole on my list.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: They have been already discussed. I wish to make a point on this. The way in which the amendments are issued is rather confusing and I wonder if anything can be done. I do not mean to criticise.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I understand but it is a little confusing when there are amendments Nos. 90a and a90a and so on.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: On a point of order, sometimes the Leas-Chathaoirleach says the amendment is withdrawn and sometimes that it is not moved.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I understand. Senators O'Toole and Mullen both asked me, if I was here, to withdraw or formally move their amendments as necessary in order that they could be resubmitted. Does this difference mean they cannot be resubmitted on Report Stage?

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: That is fine. That is all I wanted to know.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I was not going to intervene at this stage but I welcome the fact that Senator Walsh has opened up discussion on this matter. I am chairman of the Friends of the Library association in Trinity College and I take an interest in archives. We have a fine national archive and there are archives in the National Library. In addition, an important social archive was delivered to the National...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I wish to make an additional comment. I sympathise very much with what has been said about GAA matches. I do not watch a great deal of sport, but I fear if it was required that RTE broadcast a match that was nearly a half century old, this kind of material has a tendency to deteriorate fairly badly, particularly having regard to the way in which it was originally held, and the transmission...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I could not give a damn about that.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I wish to made a brief comment on that. I will not follow all the hares because I have few hairs left.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I cannot let the idea go unchallenged that the sense of a disconnection was because of a lack of information and a lack of information and broadcasting, although that may have been an element. When the most senior politicians in Europe are saying the Lisbon treaty was deliberately obfuscated so that it could be sold to the Irish people, who could then be relied on to do what they were told,...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I support my colleagues on this issue although I will not choose between the amendments. The Minister of State has a couple to choose from. I strongly support the objective of the amendments. Statutory provisions were made some years ago in the television sector and they led to an efflorescence of talent in drama and other programmes. One need only look at TG4 and some other stations to...

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: May I speak briefly?

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I was going to mention individually some of the radio programmes but I was floored by Senator O'Reilly who not only knew the names but the producers and everything else and was extremely impressive. He was better briefed than me. "Duck Soup" is the name of a Marx Brothers film. I did not hear the radio programme but I read the book. I remember very clearly that it is called Bird's Nest Soup.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: I wanted to get in the film by the Marx Brothers.

Seanad: Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

David Norris: Yes.