Results 541-560 of 1,677 for speaker:Ned O'Sullivan

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Should organisations such as these, as well meaning as many of them may be, be able to spend money without answerability and accountability about how much they are spending and, more particularly, where the money is coming from? People on the street are asking that question. Where is the money coming from? There are murky suggestions about some of it.

Seanad: Promoting a Sustainable Future for the Post Office Network: Statements (4 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: As soon as they are available, we will distribute them.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil): An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed): Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: This is an unhappy debate. It is a sad day for the Oireachtas and, in particular, for the Fine Gael Party. My colleagues in the party know that because I have been watching their expressions over recent days. I regret that because, even though I am in Fianna Fáil, I always have respect for members of other parties and Fine Gael has always prided itself on being the party that founded...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil): An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed): Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Fine Gael spat him out but de Valera had him well stopped by then.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil): An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed): Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I do not compare the Taoiseach to General O'Duffy but an element of the general's arrogance is attaching to him. The most recent example of this was in the Dáil last week when the bank tapes were revealed. The Taoiseach's response was not the same as every other individual in the country, which was to focus on the criminality of the bankers. He directed his ire and animosity against...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil): An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed): Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: -----and another decent man who tried to do the best they could in difficult circumstances and who succeeded in producing a roadmap which the Minister for Finance and others have followed since. It should not be forgotten that Fine Gael supported the bank guarantee at the time. All that pales into insignificance compared with the arrogance of pulling the proposal for Seanad abolition like a...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil): An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed): Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: And Jack Lynch did.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: The Government is making fair inroads into the Constitution already. It is trying to get rid of one part of the Oireachtas.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Follow that.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Will the Minister of State sing it for us?

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Senator Barrett has been reading too much Patrick O'Brian.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: That is a big one.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House for another joust. He drew the short straw in government today-----

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: -----because he will spend quite a lot of time here. I do not know who will look after the office. It is significant that the Government benches are so empty. It speaks volumes. No one in the Fine Gael or Labour parties has any stomach for what the Taoiseach is doing. By their absence, they are verbalising it. I wish to discuss for a moment the idea of democracy. Some excellent...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: One does not destroy it in one fell swoop. The history books show us that those who subverted democracy did so in an insidious way by inches. All of a sudden, one woke up in the morning to find one's parliament was gone. For our ancestors in the cave, there was no democracy. The biggest caveman with the biggest club became the tribal leader and everyone else did what he said. To a...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Yes. In more modern times, we have seen how fragile democracy can be. With the exception of the French revolution, which was an overnight and sensational affair, other governments were gradually taken over. The classic example was the fascist movement. Mussolini appeared to be a man of the people at the beginning, but he then decided to usurp control and famously marched on Rome,...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: Very relevant, because it is about democracy. As Senator Walsh and others have stated, it is about opposing "abolition day". I rage against that expression. It will be a day of shame.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: "Abolition day" sounds like a farmer saying that he or she will kill a pig next week. We will have an abolition day because the Taoiseach wants to kill the Seanad. This is why I am contributing on the Bill, rehearsing old democratic institutions and discussing fascism, of which this country has some experience. I referred to it on Second Stage. A famous member of the Fine Gael Party stood...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: I do not believe so.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2013)

Ned O'Sullivan: It is nice see Government Members filling the benches. Clearly, they have no stomach for this debate. I was speaking about the danger to democracy and how a previous Government, under the leadership of Éamon de Valera, also had to contend with a subversive organisation, the so-called IRA. It spent the Second World War collaborating and playing funny games with the Germans and raided...