Results 4,841-4,860 of 25,799 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: Here we go.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: Is there any other town or village the Senator has not mentioned in east Galway? He should mention it now.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: He said Fine Gael had made a bags of it. He blamed Phil.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: We welcome that.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: A plebiscite is different from a referendum.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: And Croke Park.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: That is a joke.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the Minister to the House. He might have difficulty getting his head through the door on his way out after all the compliments he has received from colleagues on the other side of the House.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: I am quite astonished to see Fine Gael and Labour Party Members coming in here with a very scripted, pre-prepared approach which involves having a go at Fianna Fáil-----
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: Colleagues opposite are not even talking about the Bill. It is a lot of nonsense. Some of the remarks have been absolutely incredible, including, in particular, those of Senator Mullins and the Leader. There was reference to people in urban areas not having ever paid for water. What a load of rubbish. One need only look at how the property tax was structured as an anti-urban charge to...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: People living in a one-bedroom apartment in Dublin are paying more than the owner of a five-bedroom house in Tipperary. It is a nonsense to say that is fair. I ask Members opposite not to go on with that type of stuff. I recognise that the Minister has rowed back and tried to rectify some of the terrible decisions of his predecessor. Of course, those decisions were made with the agreement...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: I am certain Senator Whelan, of course, has never played politics with anything in his life.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: Senator Whelan went back to the 1977 general election when Fianna Fáil abolished residential rates. I was three then, so I cannot be blamed for absolutely everything.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: Instead of Members on the Government side talking about the Bill, they have simply come in here-----
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: Sorry, Senator Keane. They have simply come in here and like nodding dogs have put forward the party line on everything. They have not even acknowledged that after 14 hours of debate in the other House no amendments were accepted. The plebiscite proposal in section 2 was not what was requested by the Seanad. It is not belt and braces on the ownership of Irish Water. If anyone believes it...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: If the Minister is serious about not privatising Irish Water-----
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: Why not have a referendum then? There will be a series of important referendums in May. The Taoiseach has spoken about a referendum day. What is more important than water? It is a source of life. Senator Mullins talked about this as being the most important day since the establishment of the ESB. What a load of nonsense and complete and utter rubbish. He does not believe that himself....
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: I urge the Minister to examine the amendments that will be tabled tomorrow. This Bill will be rejected outright. One of the main issues is about the ownership of water. The provision in section 2 for a plebiscite will not cover it. There is no reason on this wide earth as to why we cannot have a referendum on the ownership of water. The Minister said it was complicated and had gone to...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: I appreciate the contribution the Minister has made. The Bill and the Government’s plan for Irish Water are flawed. The Minister has tried to correct some of the mistakes of his predecessor but this is still a bad plan and bad legislation. Irish Water is a bad company with which the Government should not proceed. The only way to do that is to reject it through the Seanad. The...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
Darragh O'Brien: The Senator is the first to do so, in fairness.