Results 541-560 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

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

Alex White: I also thank the Minister of State for his attention and generosity in the course of the debate. I look forward to the fruits of our discussions turning up on Report Stage. It is important and, broadly, very good legislation. As was said on Second Stage, it replaces 50 years of legislation in broadcasting, which is a massively important area. Very good work has been done on Committee...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: In order to have any relevance, this House needs to debate the ESRI's recently published quarterly economic commentary. I support, and am happy to second, Senator Fitzgerald's amendment to the Order of Business to provide for such a debate. We are talking about the first recession in this country for 25 years. We are not talking about speculation but about a clear forecast of an increase...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: If Senator O'Malley wishes to read the ESRI report she may not like it, but we are talking about factual material which we need to understand before we can have the debate. The factual material, which is not speculative, points without question to the reality that this is a home-grown recession caused by developments over which this country, and the Government in particular, have substantial...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: We had an opportunity to do otherwise. We had years of self-satisfied, smug commentary from the Government, including from the then Taoiseach, about cranes in the sky, saying that everything was going to be great. We missed the opportunity, however. I want a debate on this report.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: People might not like this but I am entitled to make the point. We blew it in the sense that we passed up the opportunity we had to set down the basis for dealing with a downturn when it came. We did not do that. We simply decided not to do it. We did not fix the roof of the house when the weather was good and now we must face the bad times. Clearly we need an opportunity to debate this...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: A recession.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: Technically?

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2008)

Alex White: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Legal Practitioners (Irish Language) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2008)

Alex White: I move amendment No. 1: In page 8, subsection (3)(b), line 6, after "with" to insert the following: ", or attended a course of instruction or sat an examination for the purposes of seeking to comply with,". Ba mhaith liom fáilte a ghabháil leis an Aire arís as ucht bheith anseo inniu. Bhí díospóireacht suimiúil againn ar an mBille seo níos luaithe. I have tabled a number of...

Seanad: Legal Practitioners (Irish Language) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2008)

Alex White: I overlooked the fact amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, were being taken together and did not address amendment No. 4 which relates to people who did not sit the Irish examination or who sat it and failed it. It is an attempt to address the situation of people who were excluded from practice because of the compulsory regime in place. It is not putting it too strongly to say that they were...

Seanad: Legal Practitioners (Irish Language) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2008)

Alex White: I will withdraw amendment No. 1.

Seanad: Legal Practitioners (Irish Language) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2008)

Alex White: I join Senator Regan in expressing my appreciation to the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív. The Bill benefits from employing that tried and tested means of having matters deemed to be the case, even if they were not in fact the case. I appreciate the approach of the Minister and his officials. This Bill will introduce a more honest and realistic regime in the practice of law through the medium of...

Seanad: Situation in Zimbabwe: Statements (Resumed) (1 Jul 2008)

Alex White: On behalf of the Labour Party in this House I join my colleagues in what has been said. I especially welcome the clarity of the Minister's address to the House when he rightly described the election as an obscene charade and stated clearly and without equivocation the Government's rejection of this sham election. He correctly stated that the Members of the Oireachtas and the Irish people...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2008)

Alex White: I agree with Senator O'Toole about the basis on which we should have the debate on the economy, which I understand the Leader proposes to hold next Wednesday. That debate needs to be based on the facts. We can see clearly the facts. While we may differ in our opinions, we must have some level of shared understanding of the facts. I am less than hopeful in that regard when I hear some of...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2008)

Alex White: We need carefully considered debate on the matter in that committee and if necessary in this House — I have no difficulty with a debate in this House. It is not clear to me that the only way to resolve this matter is through another constitutional amendment. There is a real doubt as to whether that would be a sensible way to proceed. My party is considering the possibility of the matter...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2008)

Alex White: The Senator must speak through the Chair.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2008)

Alex White: I will not oppose the suggestion that the motion on the European Migration Network be taken without debate, but I ask the Leader to consider having a debate when we return in the autumn on the broader issue of migration, which would encompass this proposal but also the subject matter of the European meeting recently attended by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform at which the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2008)

Alex White: We have barely time to read these letters and e-mails before we must make proposals in the House on this legislation. This was dealt with yesterday and Senator Boyle said the issue of alcohol has been discussed before in the House. That may be, but we are charged constitutionally, as Members of this House, to debate, scrutinise and, ultimately, pass legislation, if we are satisfied with it....

Seanad: Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy (9 Jul 2008)

Alex White: On behalf of the Labour Party, I express sympathy to the family of Séamus Brennan and the Fianna Fáil Party on the sad and untimely death of Séamus this morning. As others have pointed out — although it is an understatement — Séamus was an exceptionally successfully politician over 30 years. To die at such an early age of 60 years having achieved so much in life is extraordinary. I...