Results 6,981-7,000 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: May I add a little extra inducement? If the Minister accepts the amendment, I will happily vote with the Government.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: What will happen to the people concerned between now and then?
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: I will incorporate the Minister's valuable suggestion in an amendment for Report Stage if that would satisfy her. What will be the position for the people concerned between the passage of this Bill and the passage of the social welfare Bill? They would be at least advantaged if this Bill were passed with the inclusion of my amendment, but if it is passed without it, they will continue to be...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: Senator Healy Eames is out of order.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: If I may make a brief point without disturbing the Minister's train of thought, I am a little concerned on the basis that the Minister referred to a possible investigation, but there are no guidelines except for this debate and I doubt if the entire island of Ireland is listening in avidly to what we are saying here this afternoon. There are no guidelines for the investigating officer to...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: It would be difficult to try anyway.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: That is disgusting.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: I thank the Minister for her clear and cogent replies. It is always a pleasure to deal with a Minister who is on top of her or his brief. I am sure I will be asked whether I intend to press the amendment. I do not. However, I wish to explore one issue. I am horrified to learn that, as the Minister has let slip, at least one employee of the Department was sitting outside someone's...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: Why not?
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: I expect Peeping Toms consider it a vocation.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: I am absolutely staggered by this revelation of the sexual vigour of the population; that this is rampant all over the country. What an interesting observation.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: Many people are living together. I understand there is a question of fairness and that conditions are set down. However, I am interested in the intrusiveness of the situation, which I consider regrettable. I take it that the conditions refer to a situation where, for example, a woman or man â I assume men are entitled to the same payment or are they----
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: It is mostly women but it could be men. I take it that this kind of prohibition really concerns the father of the children, or are the lone parents required as a condition to remain celibate for the period of their receipt of the money? I do not see why they should. Sexual activity is a perfectly natural human function. I do not see why it should completely cease just because no one is...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: Is celibacy a criteria? Is it as clear cut as that?
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: It is not being pressed in light of the Minister's very helpful attitude and her undertaking that this will be addressed in the spring whenever that arrives. I hope it is a calendar spring and not a climatic spring.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: I also have a few questions for the Minister. Will the time limit operate both ways? It will apply to contributions that have been inaccurately taken from a contributor such that the State will be in the debt of the person. If it is the other way around and there has been underpayment as a result of the State's inefficiency due to an oversight on the part of the payer, will this be subject...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: It should do so.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: The Minister raised more questions as far as I am concerned. Can she give me an explanation as to why in these circumstances there was such a considerable increase? I cannot think why. It is not as if people who were hard pressed were trying to defraud. It is coming the other way, unless the State was trying to get more money, as the banks did. What was the reason for this statistical...
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: I never said that.
- Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)
David Norris: He is into it so we will hear his little Christmas message.