Results 5,881-5,900 of 5,932 for speaker:Eugene Murphy

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: I thank the Cathaoirleach sincerely for giving me the opportunity to bring this very important Commencement matter before the House today. I welcome the Minister of State. He always seems to be the go-to person and he is always here to answer my questions. I understand the Minister for Justice is not available this morning. I thought long and hard before I brought this Commencement...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: I thank the Minister of State very much. I understand that he is subbing here. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, knows our county very well. I know her personally and I know that she wants to ensure people in the county are safe, but in the short term we must consider manning the bridges across the River Shannon coming into County Roscommon. We had to do it in previous years when we had...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: We must lock up those people and not let them out on bail if they have committed a second offence. I have gone over time. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his patience.

Seanad: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: I welcome the Minister and his officials here today. This is a very important Bill and Fianna Fáil welcomes and supports it. Sometimes as a nation we forget how important the agrifood sector is to all of us. This is not just about agriculture. This is about jobs, families and income. The agrifood sector is our most indigenous industry providing almost 200,000 jobs and accounting for...

Seanad: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: Hear,hear.

Seanad: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: Next Tuesday.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: Ms McLoughlin and Ms Nolan are very welcome. They have started an important debate. One of the problems I have, as an Oireachtas Member, is when people are away on holidays at election time and they come to us in their droves to ask whether they can vote. They get really irritated when they learn they cannot do so. In Northern Ireland people can vote while they on holidays.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: We need to start with little things. In Northern Ireland, people can vote while they are away on holidays.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: Yes.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: We should start off by doing little things like that, acknowledging that this is a big issue and the lack of voting rights does frustrate and annoy people. I know it is not the intention of our guests but I want to make it clear that a person who returns from abroad has his or her vote straight away. If a nurse or doctor returns, he or she can go on the register straight away. Somebody who...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: We have local elections, Dáil elections, European elections and presidential elections. With European elections and Irish people living in Europe, you would think they should have a say in who will represent them in Europe. What are the views of our guests on that?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: That is a fair point. Reference was made to the logistics. Should voting be done online or should people have to go to an embassy?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: Yes. I mentioned the four categories of elections in this country. If a process were to start with one section of that electorate, where do our guests believe we should start - with Dáil elections, European elections, presidential elections or local elections? Do they have a preference-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: -----just to get it up and running to see how it would work?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: That is a very good answer.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: When I discussed this before with people, I was surprised by some saying they did not want people who have gone out of the country deciding on their future. However, I do not believe it would be like that.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: Maybe what was said about a presidential election, where the electorate would be voting for a figurehead, let us be honest-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: That person would not be making Government decisions. The President has to examine and sign off on Bills but he or she is a figurehead.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: Maybe we should start there and see how it works.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Voting for Irish-born Citizens Abroad: Discussion (17 Oct 2024)

Eugene Murphy: That applies only to Defence Forces personnel and such people who are working-----