Results 1,141-1,160 of 7,404 for speaker:Mick Wallace

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: The credibility of the US President in challenging lawless social violence in US cities is undermined when he has his own personal kill list, in violation of international law, to wipe out enemies elsewhere. Following the Newtown massacre, Mr. Obama asked, in his plea for gun control, if Americans were prepared to say that such violence visited on their children year after year was somehow...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: Does the Minister agree with the Red Cross statement on drones? I asked about armed drones rather than drones in general, as many of them are used for surveillance, as I read in The Guardian recently. Many international bodies claim the use of armed drones is illegal. Bombing a family in the middle of the night in Pakistan because it is believed a so-called terrorist is in the same...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: I think the Tánaiste needs to be commended on taking the position that the embargo should not be lifted. Anyone who looks at history will see that it is pure madness to pour more arms into Syria. It is likely to cause more problems than it will solve. Two years of sanctions did nothing to sort out al-Assad, or bring him to the negotiating table. As it turns out, he seems to be more...

Other Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: Irrespective of what this person is guilty of and whether he should be in prison, he is entitled to certain human rights while in prison. Based on the details the family has sent to us, there is a big gap between the conditions they describe and what the authorities are saying. The conditions we have been told about are frightening. I do not know what sort of facilities exist for getting...

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: While the U-turn announced yesterday by the Minister for Education and Skills is welcome, the case remains that children across the country face serious cuts to SNA supports from September. The Minister was at pains to stress last night that there have been no cuts and no child who requires access to SNA support will be deprived of it. The word “access” was carefully chosen....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Shannon Airport Facilities (26 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: 39. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will consider ordering inspections of United States military aircraft passing through Shannon Airport in order to ensure that the aircraft are unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives, do not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question do not form any part of military exercises or...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: 58. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the continuing deterioration of the political situation in Libya; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30756/13]

Prison Development (Confirmation of Resolutions) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: I would like to share time with Deputy Clare Daly.

Prison Development (Confirmation of Resolutions) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: Although I have not been in the prison in Cork, I understand the new prison will be a huge improvement on what is there. It is hard to imagine that a good boy like me has been in four prisons in my time. The new prison in Cork should be designed to accommodate fewer prisoners and to provide for single-cell occupancy. I tabled an amendment proposing that "prisoners shall normally be...

Prison Development (Confirmation of Resolutions) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: I know that. The Minister of State is dead right in that respect. I would like to conclude by quoting Peter McVerry who knows more about prisons than I do. I imagine he knows more than most of us. If canonisation was still available-----

Prison Development (Confirmation of Resolutions) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: -----and meant anything, I would definitely recommend him for it. He has written:Ultimately it is society's attitude to criminals such as "them" that prevents any serious attempt to reduce crime levels. Most people now know that 196 young people died in, or shortly after leaving, the care of the State in the decade 2000-2010. Most died from unnatural causes - drug overdose, suicide,...

Prison Development (Confirmation of Resolutions) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: The real Opposition is here.

Other Questions: Road Safety Strategy (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: The Minister will be aware that the Road Safety Authority expressed an interest in an independent public inquiry into the termination of fixed charge notices. He will also be aware of some of the points that were raised by Members on this side in reaction to the report. We pointed out the lack of natural justice. The report offends against the rule against bias because the Garda...

Other Questions: Road Safety Strategy (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: There is not much point in the Garda Ombudsman Commission looking at the report, although an investigation by it in the first place would definitely have been interesting. The Minister may remember that the commission was very critical of how the Kieran Boylan case was handled. Suppose it had been the other way around with the Garda investigating the Boylan case itself and the commission...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: State Airports (27 Jun 2013)

Mick Wallace: 33. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the most recent safety consultation was conducted at Shannon Airport; if military operations were included in its assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31021/13]

European Council in Brussels: Statements (2 Jul 2013)

Mick Wallace: All members of the EU should be very concerned about the information that has come into the public domain in the past two weeks from Edward Snowden. It is a little scary. The notion of bugging European embassies and offices has nothing to do with the US's so-called fight against terrorism, and it might impact on the free trade talks beginning next week. President Obama seems to think that...

European Council in Brussels: Statements (2 Jul 2013)

Mick Wallace: Clearly, this has more to do with business and gaining economic advantage than it has with fighting terrorism. Is what the Americans did any different from what the KGB used to do? We used to criticise the latter for its actions. There has been a great deal of discussion with regard to the Chinese, who, it must be stated, do try to control the Internet. However, it is obvious that the...

European Council in Brussels: Statements (2 Jul 2013)

Mick Wallace: Is the Tánaiste referring to the fact that I have been on the receiving end?

European Council in Brussels: Statements (2 Jul 2013)

Mick Wallace: The Tánaiste will be relieved to hear that I am not paranoid. I just know they are out to get me.

European Council in Brussels: Statements (2 Jul 2013)

Mick Wallace: The collection of a significant amount of words and communications of people in Europe is a matter which the Irish State is going to be obliged to address. Privacy is not what it used to be but what one gives away voluntarily is very different from what an organisation or state might take from one. There was a time when privacy was the defining quality of a free people. In that context,...