Results 1,041-1,060 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: It is a great pity that it takes such enormous effort to get a Government to realise we are not all Luddites because we are wary of the method of electronic voting that is being introduced. The constituents I serve in the NUI are an undemanding group by and large — some say that is why they vote for me. Many a Fianna Fáil member has tried the same route and failed gloriously so I would not...

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Why would they do such a thing?

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: A body has been set up. I have a document produced by Relate telling me how it will be done. The Government suddenly decided it would not do that, but would do it a different way. This is a Government which has given us lectures about decentralisation and taking power out of the centre, but it grabs back to itself €180 million to spend as it wishes over the next six months.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: We need to hear in detail in this House why that decision was taken.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: On the recommendation of a committee.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: It was introduced as a result of the DIRT inquiry.

Seanad: Revenue Commissioners: Motion. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Welfare offenders are sent to prison.

Seanad: Revenue Commissioners: Motion. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: In their egos.

Seanad: Revenue Commissioners: Motion. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: And in court.

Seanad: Revenue Commissioners: Motion. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I thank Members for what was a reasonably serious debate. What prompted me to raise this issue, and I did so on the Order of Business, was a report, which I have not heard contradicted, that the Revenue had concluded that there was no evidence that any bank encouraged people to set up bogus offshore accounts of which there were 145,000 in their heyday. I am supposed to believe there is no...

Seanad: Revenue Commissioners: Motion. (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: We are talking about serious offences here. In the same period, between 2,000 and 3,000 people have been convicted of welfare offences. What I would like to highlight is that there are very exacting evidential standards to be met in order to satisfy the criteria for a successful prosecution. Why is that not the case when 300 or 400 people per year are prosecuted successfully for welfare...

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: Just like in a polling station.

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I gather the paper records will be kept.

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: The Government does not trust the electronic system.

Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (18 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: That is another way of saying the same thing.

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: In my experience of Dustin I have found that he is well able to answer for himself and has dealt with far more formidable critics than Senator O'Toole. I will leave it to Dustin. I fully agree with what the two previous speakers said about electronic voting. Why did Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas insist that a detailed paper trail, requiring the signature of four Members of each...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: We do not trust it when we have a public vote. While we vote in public we still want a paper record verified by four Members, yet we are telling the electorate that this will not be available to it. Why are we so different from the electorate? Representatives of the OECD recently visited this country as part of a review of higher education. Many bodies, including the Higher Education...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: At least it was possible to see the ballot papers.

Seanad: Competition Authority Report: Statements. (25 Feb 2004)

Brendan Ryan: I agree with a good deal of what Senator Minihan said.