Results 41-60 of 445 for speaker:Eoghan Harris

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eoghan Harris: At the risk of introducing a premature note of Christmas cheer to the proceedings, I would like to inform the House that a former Senator of this House, Professor Murphy, had lunch with myself and Senators Ross, Norris and O'Toole.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eoghan Harris: In the course of the lunch, Professor Murphy, who otherwise spoiled the lunch by his argumentative nature, remarked that this Seanad seemed to be more sparky, more lively, more entertaining and more to the point than when he was around. He said that with some kind of nostalgia and regret. There was a general consensus at the table that much of this was due to the influx of new, opinionated...

Seanad: The 70th Anniversary of the Constitution: Statements (30 Jan 2008)

Eoghan Harris: I had not intended to make a contribution until I heard the extraordinary and lucid exchanges between Senator Regan's fine exegesis on the background to the Constitution and the Minister's subsequent response. It is not often that one is unwilling to leave the Chamber. While I had planned to attend to more urgent business in my office, as I listened to them I realised there was nothing...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2008)

Eoghan Harris: I wish to correct an impression Senator Regan may have inadvertently left, namely, that the Taoiseach is less than generous in paying tribute to fellow Taoisigh. The Taoiseach, in his Westminster address, was most careful to pay tribute to John Bruton's work for peace. I was glad to note his comments in this regard. It is not true to state the Taoiseach is cavalier or indifferent....

Seanad: The 70th Anniversary of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (7 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: On the day that is in it, it is worth pointing out that one of the valuable provisions of the Constitution is Article 38, which provides for special courts. I do not want to rain on the peace process but it produces platitudes from time to time. It is good to examine the credit and debit sides. On the credit side, there is the Taoiseach's visit to Dundalk to meet the First Minister and...

Seanad: The 70th Anniversary of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (7 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: At the same time, the pressure must be kept on Sinn Féin, which has done good deeds and bad. Recently, Senator Maurice Cummins spoke eloquently on the murders of Paul Quinn and Robert McCartney. The ledger on the good side of the peace process is very attractive but there is a downside that legislators like ourselves must watch. It is not good enough for us to congratulate ourselves...

Seanad: The 70th Anniversary of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (7 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: Like Senator Norris, I wish to assure the Cathaoirleach I do not intend to breach his recommendation not to discuss our move. However, Senator MacSharry is quite right to raise the matter of the image of the House and I wish to make a small comment on this. Like any political institution, the greatest danger facing the Seanad is that of being too pompous about its image. The Seanad has been...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: I accept that. However it came about or however it may be reformed in the future, the Seanad is likely to be a permanent part of the institutions of the State, not least because it would require approximately 50 amendments of the Constitution to remove it. In the meantime, I suggest we go about our business. The populist sneer is that we are a talking shop. What else would we be in a...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: It is with great reluctance that I rise to put on the record of the House my concern about today's report in The Irish Times that it is proposed to remove the poetry of Cathal Ó Searcaigh from the Leaving Certificate syllabus. I say "rise with reluctance" because it is almost impossible to say anything about this terrible matter without being misunderstood. For the record, I do not approve...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: I was struck by the silence of The Irish Times on this issue. Everyone is petrified of the Ó Searcaigh case. There is total silence — not a word of protest — from the great liberal organ The Irish Times this morning. I deplore any abuse by Cathal Ó Searcaigh of his position in the Third World, but I also deplore any measure that would remove a poet from the syllabus in Ireland. We...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: Have the Members finished?

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2008)

Eoghan Harris: They have all been waffling; they should give me some order. I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on what Buddhist meditation experts would call his startled reaction time. The speed at which he now reacts to Senator Regan's coat-trailing is getting faster and faster. I will not interfere and have him rule me out of order. However, I cannot let it pass without referring to Senator Regan...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Eoghan Harris: The remarks made about the Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources are unfounded. I read the letter. It is a very calm letter and it sets out, in some detail, to query the wisdom of 18 RTE reporters interviewing, in many cases, each other about the tribunal. It is very hard to argue that this should not more properly be the business of RTE...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Eoghan Harris: ——and that 18 RTE reporters should be deployed on it. RTE senior personnel were very quick to query and express their unease at my appearance on "The Late Late Show". However, none of them mentioned, nor did anyone on the Oireachtas committee, to be fair, that on the previous week's "The Late Late Show", there had been great criticism of the Government and the week before that there had...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Eoghan Harris: It just shows that RTE has a very deficient notion of balance at the moment.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Eoghan Harris: All of this arises from the distortion caused by tribunals themselves. I am actually surprised——

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Eoghan Harris: The problem is that other people go down the road but I am stopped from going down it. I am not specifically going down the road of the Mahon tribunal.

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Eoghan Harris: The question of tribunals needs to be examined. I remember suffering indirectly under the first one set up on money lending by Fianna Fáil. I have no brief for Fianna Fáil in tribunals. I do not agree with tribunals because they do not give due process. We need a debate on the operation of tribunals in this country, as a general proposition because there is a new symbiotic relationship...

Seanad: Order of Business. (4 Mar 2008)

Eoghan Harris: It is time that we had——