Results 7,201-7,220 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: George Mitchell Scholarship Fund (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Feb 2010)

David Norris: Is the Minister of State claiming that the Government has actually made a payment of £20 million? Surely that cannot be right.

Seanad: George Mitchell Scholarship Fund (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Feb 2010)

David Norris: I am sure Ms Vargo would accept the £20 million were the Government generous enough to give it to her.

Seanad: Financial Regulation (23 Feb 2010)

David Norris: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady. As she may know, although my principal interest is in human rights, I contribute in a positive and constructive manner from time to time to the debate on economics. My positive attitude, however, does not mean that I am loath to be critical of either individuals or systems, as will be seen from a very significant case I raised last year...

Seanad: Financial Regulation (23 Feb 2010)

David Norris: I accept the Minister of State is not qualified in this area but her reply is a most astonishing statement. Of course, there is ministerial responsibility in this matter. I would not have been permitted by the Cathaoirleach to raise it if there had been no ministerial responsibility. That comment should be struck from the Minister of State's speech. I know this is not her area but I would...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: If there was a proper ordering of business and we had a reasonable amount of time for this part of the business, this would not happen. I am disgusted by it. I would not care if we had two hours on the Order of Business. It is the only part that is ever covered anywhere.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: We ought to play to our strengths. This is a nonsense and is intolerable.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: You need to be spoken to and well spoken to.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: This House is being increasingly treated with contempt and a classic example was last night when I raised a very significant matter about the economy of the country and serious violations and infringements of liquidity regulations in a consistent, deliberate and repeated manner. The answer I received from the Minister of State was that there was no ministerial responsibility. If there is...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: Sorry Cathaoirleach but I will continue-----

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: -----and you can throw me out if you like-----

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: -----because I think this is a disgrace.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: We are trying to decide serious issues-----

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: -----and we are not allowed to because of some puerile rule-----

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: -----for which the Leader of the House is directly responsible and I know that.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: There is no democracy in this House-----

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: -----because every section of the House wants it and there is one person standing up against it and it is the Leader of the House, Senator Donie Cassidy. If we had two hours every day it would be absolutely appropriate and I want this matter taken up.

Seanad: Report of Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children: Statements (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: I welcome the Minister of State and applaud this decision. Partial though it is, it is an improvement. We are starting from a low base. The Minister of State in his speech rehearsed criticism from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. When reporting on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1998, it stated that our approach to children's rights seemed to...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: I wish to share time with Senator Prendergast with the permission of the House. May I be greedy and take four minutes?

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (24 Feb 2010)

David Norris: First I wish to place this in a context. At the outset of this economic crisis, I warned that the Government was completely wrong to dismantle every agency that spoke out on behalf of the vulnerable. It did so and this kind of thing is the result. However, I do not believe that all virtue or human feeling resides in this House and I know my former colleague from this House, Deputy Batt...