Results 101-120 of 1,591 for speaker:Eugene Regan

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I agree with the Minister that there is no contradiction in this regard. The defence should fail if there is malice, which is not unusual. The criteria by which "reasonable publication" is determined are set out in section 2. It is a different assessment to judge bad faith, improper motive, spite or malice in general. There is not the contradiction to which Senator O'Toole referred.

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: The parallel with personal injury actions is not quite correct. The reality is that in personal injury actions, one tries to determine liability for the purpose of securing compensation. In the case of defamation, although there is a general view that an individual who pursues an action in defamation seeks money, the apology and admission that an individual has been defamed is also...

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: The correction seems to apply only to declaratory orders. The section refers to where the defendant has no defence to the action, the same wording used in the declaratory order. That is the intention. The prominence of the correction, to which the Minister referred, is appropriate. Is the High Court the only court with the jurisdiction to issue a correction order or would this extend to...

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I concur with Senator O'Donovan's statement. Guidelines are set out in the legislation and it would usurp the function of the courts to include any such provision. It would be inappropriate.

Seanad: Defamation Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed). (11 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: We must have the courage of our convictions. If we are to establish a press council, we must provide for it to act independently. There is a provision in section 43(5) which states: If the Minister is of the opinion that a body for the time being standing recognised by order under this section no longer complies with the provisions of Schedule 2, he or she may revoke that order. I would...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I wish to refer to one matter which featured last week in the discussion on the budget but which was lost in all the various figures and discussions on expenditure, namely, the very basis of our national finances. After ten years of the Celtic tiger we should not have a national debt. What has featured in the Budget Statement by the Minister is that we have a return to borrowing and an...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I say this because it underpins our entire national finances. I call on the Minister to come to the House to address the specific issue of how we are dealing with the national debt, why we are not debt free at this stage and how in terms of budgetary control and value for money we will be able to sustain continuing budgetary deficits as forecast for the coming years.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: On a genuine point of order, I asked for a debate on national finances and the national debt as distinct from the budget. We had a debate on the budget. I know it was not intentional on the part of the Leader but I have asked the Minister to come to the House to discuss the national debt.

Seanad: European Union Reform Treaty: Statements (12 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I have been involved in European affairs since 1974, and my own personal experience is that Europe has been good for this country. We have found our way in Europe, we can work within the system and it has benefited the country enormously. Fine Gael was unique in embracing integration and has been at all times a consistent supporter of European integration. I pay tribute to people from Fine...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: On Senator de Búrca's final point, the group in question is referred to as a "reflective group". There seems to be a suggestion that this group might be somehow undesirable. In that context, one need only consider the achievements of the group chaired by Jim Dooge, former Cathaoirleach of this House. The Dooge report, which was produced by that group, formed the basis of the Single...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: We have been successful in that regard. However, loose budgetary discipline and uncontrolled expenditure in recent years have brought us back into an era of deficits and increases in the national debt, both in absolute and percentage terms. It is this aspect about which I am specifically concerned and I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on it. I previously called for a debate on standards...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: However, I wish to raise one point regarding a statement made by my constituency colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, who stated that Ministers must be paid well in order that they will not be susceptible to outside interference. I was surprised and disturbed by this statement because we have been assured on many occasions that the bad old days of Fianna Fáil...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: If it is, does this need to be included in the terms of reference——

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I ask that the Minister come to the House to explain that statement. If that is a reality——

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: ——then perhaps that should be included in the terms of reference of the review body on higher remuneration.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I ask that the Minister explain that statement and come into the House to do so.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I have a point of order. The question I asked the Leader was about clarification of the statement of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. I ask him to address that rather than the general point——

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: It is on the procedure of addressing the questions that were asked. I believe it is a point of order.

Seanad: Integration Policy: Statements (Resumed) (13 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to outline his policies on this important subject. As with much of the business in the Chamber, Senators are making statements on a policy issue, as distinct from dealing with legislation. It would be preferable if we were to deal with legislation such as the immigration Bill, as it would allow us to focus on precisely what action is...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2007)

Eugene Regan: I draw the attention of the House to two decisions in the European court this morning in cases relating to the Schengen Agreement. Ireland and the United Kingdom opted out of that agreement with the exception of certain provisions, but both have applied to partake in two aspects of the agreement. One relates to the EU agency, Frontex, which is concerned with co-operation on external...