Results 761-780 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Report Stage and Final Stages. (7 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: On what page of the EU-IMF agreement was that?

Seanad: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Report Stage and Final Stages. (7 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Níl áthas orm labhairt ar an rún seo. Tá an Rialtas nua ag déanamh an rud céanna le gach píosa reachtaíochta a thagann os comhair an Tí agus ag déanamh rudaí ar bhonn ad hoc. Maidir leis an rún seo agus an chuid seo den Acht, section 46 refers to Acts of Oireachtas, it does not refer to developments plan, official translations or anything else. Let me read Article 25.4.4o of...

Seanad: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I would not like to ask them to do anything I would not do.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for coming and congratulate him on his appointment. He will make an excellent Minister of State and it is great for someone so young to rise so quickly. He is a good man and I know he will do good work. I am bringing this motion before the House in order to be helpful. I have often found the Department of Education and Skills to be lacking in terms of forward...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Minister. I did not expect an answer that was much different from that. I acknowledge the Department's work in the area and the provision of Coláiste na hInse, which was mentioned. However, the reason I raised this issue is that I do not feel the Department has got it fully right. I ask that it reconsider in particular whether there is adequate second level provision in the...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I second the amendment. I pay tribute to Senator O'Donovan and Senator Mullen for raising this issue. It was most unfortunate of the Minister to respond on Second Stage to what were not criticisms of the Minister with very highly personalised criticisms of Members of this party who spoke in the debate. They dared to exercise their rights as Members of this House. It stuck in my craw, in...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: That is par for the course. We are raising very serious issues-----

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: -----but I fully expect the Minister to reply again with personalised comments. No criticism of the Minister was made in the debate on this Bill. We simply said there is a back story here involving the Department. My recollection is that I said the Minister was perhaps not aware of the situation that was relayed to Members of this House. When concerns are raised it is correct that we...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: There is a flood of legislation being introduced at the last minute, much of it guillotined-----

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: -----at short notice, which does not give Members time to study it properly. That is a concern. To return to this Bill-----

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: -----the amendment is an opportunity to discuss serious and genuine concerns. We are not out to get a Minister. We are trying to ensure greater transparency and to get answers to questions. As Senator O'Donovan said, the spokespersons for the main parties should have been briefed. They could have been told: "Look, we have a serious problem. We need to pass this Bill as otherwise we will...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: That was not said.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister could have explained matters on Tuesday

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: That is precisely the point.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I wish to raise two issues, the first of which relates to the Family Home Bill published today by Senator Marc MacSharry and me. As Senator Darragh O'Brien said, it forms part of the Fianna Fáil strategy to deal with mortgage indebtedness and personal debt. Protecting the family home is a priority for everybody in the House. As Senator Darragh O'Brien said, there was cross-party support...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: If it is relevant to be asked by-----

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The Taoiseach should be brought before the House to discuss this issue because I have never heard such an allegation being made before. Unnamed Fine Gael Deputies expressed this concern at the weekend.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is a most serious issue and one that badly needs to be addressed because we see Ministers running to protect their own areas. My second point relates to media reports at the weekend that sources close to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, were seriously criticising the Taoiseach about his commitment on the issue of income tax. Whether that is true should also be addressed in...

Seanad: Finance (No. 3) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (13 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Today's debate brings to mind a meeting of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party, when the Leas-Chathaoirleach and I were at the vanguard in supporting the civil partnership legislation. While the legalisation of homosexuality was introduced in 1993 on foot of Senator Norris's legal action, it is a point of pride for us that our party implemented it and introduced the civil partnership Bill....

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jul 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I endorse all the calls for a debate on the publication of the Cloyne report. I support the calls for it to be held after a suitable period of reflection and reading because it is important, as people have said, that if people are to contribute to the report, they would do so. We primarily think of the victims, living and deceased. It is important to remember some are deceased because of...