Results 5,561-5,580 of 11,812 for speaker:Denis O'Donovan

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I do not want to cross swords with my learned colleague and good friend, Senator Barrett, but I am speaking from knowledge in my own area when I say that the days when a solicitor would charge 1.5% for conveyancing are well gone. According to the most recent information I have received from my own area of west Cork, the average charge is approximately one third of that 1.5% charge. I was...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I accept the Accept Chairman's ruling but concur with my colleague that it is rather trivial that his amendment has been deemed to create a burden on the Exchequer.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I support the position set out by Senator Barrett. Given that the legal and judicial systems are, by and large, closely connected to the common law system, including the British system, perhaps the Minister will reflect on the provision that excludes persons from England, Northern Ireland or Wales from membership of the authority before Report Stage.While I will not push it any further,...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: To be helpful, would the word "disqualified" be more appropriate and cause less confusion? Disqualified indicates that for whatever reason, be it suspension or being struck off, one is disqualified. It is similar to a person being disqualified from driving. It would read more easily and make more sense if the word "disqualified" was used instead of "unqualified".

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Perhaps the Minister would examine it and we can discuss it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Is it envisaged that there could be a person managing a multidisciplinary practice who is not a qualified barrister, solicitor or accountant, such as a CEO who has experience of management? I understand that is prevalent in some of the practices at present; there might be somebody who is good at getting people together.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: That person must be a qualified solicitor or barrister.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: It would be helpful if the proposed amendments for Report Stage were provided to us as soon as possible.

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, to the House.

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Senator Norris has five minutes.

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I remind the House that we are scheduled to complete all Stages of this Bill by 5.45 p.m.

Seanad: Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I have stayed silent on a lot of this.Amendment No. 155 is puzzling. Is it in this grouping?

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: What is amazing is that the note to the amendment reads, "For the information of Senators, the text proposed to be deleted above was inserted by amendment 90 at Committee Stage in the Seanad." Are we going around in circles? It is confusing, to say the least. We made an amendment to this section a week or ten days ago and now we are deleting it. There is a quagmire of confusion. I do not...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I am bewildered. I am not making personal or derogatory comments towards the Minister or the draftspersons, but something is wrong and does not sit appropriately with me. To the best of my knowledge on reflection, we agreed to the amendment the week before last like lambs being shepherded by a sheep dog. A couple of weeks later, it looks like we were either stupid or naive. The note...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: On amendment No. 157, my complaint is not so much on the propriety of the proposal but on another matter. It is very annoying that the amendment states, "In page 41, to delete the section 81 inserted by amendment 91 at Committee Stage in the Seanad and substitute the following". We debated amendment No. 91 at length on Committee Stage and the Minister read a footnote into the record in this...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I accept that but I am saying it is very frustrating for Senators. We were present here for Committee Stage. There were very few votes, if any, but now we are being asked to amend what we agreed on Committee Stage, more or less. I object on principle. We have been waiting for this Bill for four years; it was published four years ago. At this late stage, coming up to the Christmas recess,...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: The amendment states: "In page 41, to delete the section 81 inserted by amendment 91 at Committee Stage in the Seanad and substitute the following". We are repealing the amendment made on Committee Stage. I accept there is a new section but the Minister has introduced-----

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Two weeks ago, amendment No. 91 was accepted on Committee Stage but we are now deleting what we agreed to in good faith in this House at that time and inserting a new section. If we came back here in three weeks, would we be making further changes? There is a lot of uncertainty. This is probably the most significant Bill that has faced the legal profession in my lifetime, yet it is as if...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I second the amendment proposed by my colleague, Senator Darragh O'Brien, as well as the amendment proposed by Senator Barrett, if I am permitted.