Results 7,981-8,000 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

David Norris: Do you, Senator Feeney, believe they have confidence in the Government?

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

David Norris: That is Senator Feeney's answer, but I find it impossible to believe it is true. I echo President Clinton's remark, "It's the economy, stupid", and do not mean it as a vulgar insult to Government Members.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

David Norris: That is what President Clinton said, because that is where the living heart of public life is. However, people are being put to the pin of their collar while they see fat-cat bankers and other individuals trading on our gullibility. I wish to say something which my friends in Fianna Fáil have also said. Perhaps some of the Members present will pick up on it. I regularly hear people on...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

David Norris: I believe Deputy Bruton would.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

David Norris: I spoke twice yesterday on the economy and put on the record a heart-rending letter from a woman who is experiencing the impossibility of meeting her very basic commitments to her family. I am not going to read the letter into the Order of Business again, but we have to realise that one simply cannot get blood out of a stone. We have all got to take whatever cuts we can, I would tell the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

David Norris: Hear, hear, well said.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

David Norris: They should get a negative bonus.

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

David Norris: This is really a technical Bill but it has given us an opportunity which I am glad my colleagues have exploited perfectly correctly by putting on the record very serious issues concerning health and the machinations of the tobacco industry. With some of them I agree and with some I disagree strongly. I wish to set the scene by pointing out that 16 people per day in Ireland are killed as a...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

David Norris: -----the smoking ban. The previous Government, which was of a similar complexion to this one, introduced several good measures which I have never denied. The smoking ban was remarkable and put Ireland to the forefront of world policy. Ireland was the first state in the world to implement such a ban, a fact of which we should be very proud. Not only that, we got away it. At the time, it...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

David Norris: I suggested we should be careful of those who encourage us to have them.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: I have one theme today, that is, whistleblowing. I congratulate the Government on ensuring our ambassador to Norway, Mr. Gary Ansbro, attended the Nobel peace prize ceremony to honour to Liu Xiaobo, who is a whistleblower about human rights in China. I fully support Mr. Julian Assange, the organiser of WikiLeaks. It is extraordinary that his reputation has been impugned in the way it has...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews. It is a somewhat guarded welcome, although I commend him on a number of matters, including his recent performances on television. He has had a lonely and isolated position. He has put forward a reasonable view of the Government's performance in very difficult circumstances and I respect the decency and balance with which he has done...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: It is disgraceful that the Bill is being rushed through and that the debate on it is being guillotined. For that reason and because I do not agree with it - I believe we should renegotiate - and because I do not believe we should penalise the most vulnerable-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: -----I will vote against it on every Stage. I will vote in favour of every amendment tabled to it. I will vote down the Bill if I have power to do so-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Second Stage (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: -----and urge my friends in the other House to vote against it also.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: I shall come back to it. The Minister can leave it alone. I have heard his answer and will deal with it.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: I will make a brief intervention because I know the business of the House must continue. On the troubled matter of Tús, I heard the Minister's intervention. He explained it with a seanfhocal which I understood. If I am correct, it means "a good start is half the work". I said I assumed it meant "start" or "beginning"; therefore, I was right. If the Minister considered my inadequacy was...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: The application of mathematical models to human disability is a rather unattractive trait in government. That is what we are seeing in this instance and I do not like it. I have always believed in the old socialist maxim, from each according to his or her ability to each according to his or her need, but I am not sure that is what the Bill does in any convincing way. The Minister has not...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

David Norris: Including the blind.