Results 661-680 of 1,625 for speaker:Pat O'Neill

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Pat O'Neill: Will the Senator please resume his seat?

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Pat O'Neill: Will the Senator please resume his seat? I invite the Minister of State to continue.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: Will the Leader invite the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to the House for a debate on the CAP negotiations? What happens in the next three weeks will define the future of agriculture for the next seven years. We face this event every seven years and it is important that each party outline its position. We know what the Minister's position is, but we are getting mixed...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: I thank Senator Crown for proposing the Bill and Senator Norris for seconding it. I acknowledge the work of Senator Crown in bringing the Bill before the House. It is exciting that a Senator would take the time out to do so. I congratulate the people who worked with him on bringing the Bill before the House. We have had some excellent Bills before the House in the history of the Seanad...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: I am coming to that.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: I agree with Senator Crown and I do not believe the Seanad should be blamed for what happened or used as a fall guy to try to make politics look fair again. However, I cannot support the Bill this evening. I call on Senator Crown to consider sections of the Bill. Section 5 deals with universities and the election of six Senators. Other people have referred to this as well. Instead of two...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: I believe that is a flaw. If approximately 470,000 people vote in the university panel then they cannot vote on other panels. Senator Crown would be creating elitism in this way. The six Senators would be elected by university graduates and the rest of the House would be elected by the ordinary people. Senator Crown would be creating elitism.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: People will say that it is creating elitism.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: Section 6 refers to nominations. Senator Crown is criticising the party system and the party whip. One cannot always criticise the party whip. The party whip is in politics to ensure legislation is passed. One may hold that some legislation is flawed or guillotined but we should consider what would happen if the House had 60 Independents.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: There has to be a whip. Under the proposed reformed Seanad if I wanted to run I would have to get 1,000 people to send a letter to my local returning officer. I could walk around the streets of Kilkenny or the Town Hall in Kilkenny and ask people to do that, but would the people of Donegal who may have a vote on the agricultural panel know who Pat O'Neill was? I ran on the agricultural...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: Have I finished?

Seanad: Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage (6 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: What does that have to do with the reform of the Seanad?

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: The CAP agreement was referred to. I congratulate the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, on it. It is an honour for Ireland because we have held the Presidency of the European Council since January and will hold it until June. That the agreement was reached under the Minister's stewardship is unique and I congratulate him on it because I do not believe the...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: We never said that.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: I am delighted to see that Fianna Fáil has finally nailed its colours to the mast in calling for transfers from Sinn Féin in the by-election in Meath. It proves that Fianna Fáil will enter coalition with anybody.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: The people should be aware.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: Not that worried.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: There was a great deal of debate in the House on the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012. I congratulate the 430,000 people nationally - representing 86% of people - who have registered their septic tanks. The counties most opposed to the legislation were Donegal and Galway. I congratulate Senator Ó Clochartaigh on the 35,000 people who have registered in Galway and Senator Ó Domhnaill...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, to the House.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Pat O'Neill: Recommendations Nos. 22 to 26, inclusive, are out of order as they involve a potential charge on the Exchequer. The section is opposed by Senator Barrett.