Results 1,001-1,020 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: It is a constant source of entertainment to me on "Youtube". I was fortunate, along with hundreds of thousands of people, to have the "Nine O'Clock News" on live on that night. I was obliged to call my wife in, who had disappeared into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, and I was delighted when the group reappeared. I genuinely have a difficulty discussing this matter. To move on——

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: There is a punch line and I will get there. I seek an assurance from the Minister that when press conferences are held by him——

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: ——during the local elections, or indeed by his ministerial colleagues, that the initiative we witnessed on the "Nine O'Clock News" last Saturday evening was not a practice run for something that is going to be repeated during the course of the elections.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Will we see groups of mute and startled candidates running for the Green Party or the Fianna Fáil Party gathered around a Minister in a state of some distress, but unable to speak, in the hope that it would advance their political cause? It is important that we know this, because if we do not get such an assurance there may be a need to calculate the financial benefit of such an appearance...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: ——is worth 5% or 10% of an election spend in the 60 days leading up to a general or a local election.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I conclude by congratulating the Minister's Green Party colleagues at that party's national conference on not doing the same thing live, but in believing it necessary to have a practice run in the privacy of the conference building after the RTE "Nine O'Clock News" went out. That was a sign of originality.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I ask the Minister to clarify one aspect of the section. The Bill introduces a number of expenditure limits, which reduce based on a perception of constituency sizes and other factors. I am interested in the thought process which produced these figures. Why was an expenditure limit of €15,000 rather than €20,000 or €12,000 selected? Has a mystical measure of which I am unaware been...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: No, I do not see any logic.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: As the Minister knows, we are on Committee Stage, and as this is our national Parliament we must raise important questions, whatever the consensus. I have personal concerns about the extent to which this has been worked out, its implications and the science behind it. What the Minister has told me is that no one has actually worked out what a candidate might spend money on to get a message...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: The same act was practised by the Progressive Democrats for many years before the chickens came home to roost. This is a serious issue which will impact on the next general election if the Minister gets his way. The perception that an even playing pitch can be created simply by limiting candidates' spending is a fallacy and an example of ill-thought out political correctness. For the sake...

Oireachtas Reform: Motion. (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I thank my colleague, Deputy Hogan for tabling this motion. The way Members vote on it tomorrow will be a litmus test of the sincerity of Members on all sides who have rushed at every available media opportunity to talk about the need for Dáil reform. We do not have 20 Ministers of State because the country needs them. They are a tribute to the inventiveness of the former Taoiseach,...

Oireachtas Reform: Motion. (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: The experience in this House over the past 12 years is that Fianna Fáil in Government, regardless of the party that accompanies it, has sought to ensure that this Parliament plays as minimal a role as possible. There is no acceptance of parliamentary accountability or of responsibility for anything that goes wrong. There is no question of an incompetent Minister ever resigning, for any...

Oireachtas Reform: Motion. (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: The Green Party in Government, and members of that party have stated publicly there should be a reduction in the number of Ministers of State. Will they have the courage to vote according to their so-called beliefs tomorrow night or are they playing the cynical political game that was played in this House for so many years by the Progressive Democrats? They have one foot in Government and...

Oireachtas Reform: Motion. (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: ——and contribute no benefit of any description to the governance or the taxpayers of this country.

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 61: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on reports that retailers are continuing to demand that suppliers pay them for lost profit arising from the pork dioxin recall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11971/09]

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 176: To ask the Minister for Finance the consideration given by him to date on introducing a new scrappage scheme to stimulate business in the motor industry; his view on the proposal of a group (details supplied) that such a scheme be based on a 50% refund of the VRT on the sale of a new car subject to a minimum of €1000 and the imposition of an appropriate maximum when a vehicle...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 177: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 4000 jobs have been lost in the motor industry in the course of the past 12 months; his views on whether a failure to take emergency measures could result not only in further job losses but in the closure of a substantial number of car dealerships and further job losses during 2009; the...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 257: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the Hynes review of the circumstances surrounding the elapse of time in bringing to completion the Western Health Board inquiry into allegations of abuse (details supplied), which was received by her Department on 30 October 2008 has not been published; if she will publish the report; and if she will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 601: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that sectarian and racist chanting by Glasgow Rangers supporters again occurred during the course of the soccer match between Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic on 15 February 2009; the reason no meaningful action has been taken to date by the Scottish authorities; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Denominational Education: Denominational Education (24 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 1030: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position of the Protestant voluntary secondary schools within the free education system; if his attention has been drawn to the concerns expressed by a group (details supplied) in their letter of 2 March 2009 regarding the situation facing Protestant secondary schools here; his views on same; and if he will take immediate...