Results 841-860 of 4,915 for speaker:Jim O'Keeffe

Order of Business. (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: An amendment has been proposed about which I would like to make a simple comment. The idea of the Minister granting the Parliament of my country the time to discuss an important Bill, the manner in which this has been presented, appals me.

Order of Business. (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: However, two hours for this Bill is not——

Order of Business. (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: It was rushed through at the time.

Order of Business. (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: Deputy McDowell will be arresting people in public houses at six o'clock in the morning.

Order of Business (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: May I raise a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle?

Order of Business (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: In all sincerity, would it not be in the best interests of this House if this very serious issue was clarified?

Order of Business (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: The point is it could reasonably be——

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: I think it unlikely we will reach section 57 so I wish to make a few comments on the ombudsman at this stage. It is vital the institution now put in place will have public confidence. I firmly believe the Minister is still on the wrong track, despite the amendments he has made. Having one of the three-person commission as a chairperson, as suggested by Deputy Costello, is an improvement but...

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: The House can give its consent that it would be inappropriate if the Minister were not to be allowed to speak then.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: I approve of this change.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: I strongly support the amendment tabled by Deputy Costello. It goes to the heart of the involvement of the Oireachtas in issues of primary and secondary legislation. Having called to the General Office just half an hour ago to seek the complete up-to-date list of all the amendments on Report Stage of the Bill, I was appalled that the only document the office could give me was the one which...

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: It is hopelessly incompetent in many ways. It is arrogant to deal with the Oireachtas in this fashion.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: I am drifting a little, but I am normally a most reasoned and reasonable Member of this House. Arising out of what Deputy Costello said, this House has a genuine function in the preservation and development of our democracy. I found myself more than cross, not just at the general way in which this House was dealt with by the Government and the Minister with regard to this Bill, but by the...

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: I thought the Ceann Comhairle would be interested to know of my experience in the past half hour in the General Office looking for the complete list of amendments on Report Stage, which unfortunately is not available.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: I understand that the Ceann Comhairle also has a job to do, but it is important that the trend of using the Oireachtas almost like a rubber stamp should be counter-attacked.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: This is part of the counter-attack. Deputy Costello proposes that all regulations would have to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and that it would have an adequate length of time to deal with those. In some ways I would go further because there are different ways of dealing with secondary legislation. I fully endorse Deputy Costello's proposal in so far as it goes, but there are...

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: Yes, that concerns me.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: Was it fair to the Bills Office to submit 112 amendments on Monday evening? Is that a fair way to deal with the officials of this House?

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: That is my point.

Garda Síochána Bill 2004 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed). (23 Jun 2005)

Jim O'Keeffe: The Bills Office does a great job considering the pressure it is put under. It is absolutely unfair to put it under the pressure the Minister has applied this week. It is part of the unseemly rush to get the Bill on to the Statute Book without appropriate deliberation. With regard to the amendment, for once I agree with the Minister that there is inadequate scrutiny by the House of secondary...