Results 12,501-12,520 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is seriously flawed but I am not making that point. I am not nit-picking. I am suggesting there are serious strategic errors in the Bill and its orientation, if I may use that phrase with regard to it. Let us all sit down and spend the time needed to get this right. There is no rush to get it right before the election. It is far better to put in place a decent law, even if it takes...

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is. A series of things are wrong with it.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I will. For example, the Deputy attempts to decide the Zappone case in section 5.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I know when people are grandstanding.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: This is grandstanding. This is the first Government——

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: ——-to bring in an Equal Status Act, an Employment Equality Act——

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: ——-and all of the measures to which I referred, which were designed to give fairness to gay and lesbian people. It was the first and only Government to do it.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Labour was in Government from 1992 to 1997 and achieved nothing in this area.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: Despite having a full-time Minister for Equality and Law Reform, it achieved nothing tangible for the gay and lesbian community.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The Deputy keeps repeating it is not true but I tell him it is.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: All of the legislative innovations, including Mr. Charlie McCreevy's huge steps forward in regard to inheritance law and taxation, which were done in part for the gay and lesbian community, have happened on our watch and not on the Labour Party's watch.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: The suggestion that this Government has achieved nothing, is being hypocritical, is avoiding the issues or is afraid to deal with the issues is simply untrue.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is simply untrue. The Bill is a lazy-minded, ten section effort to achieve what a Bill in the United Kingdom took 264 sections to achieve.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is lazy-minded grandstanding. That is the first point. The second point is that the Bill does not address the position of cohabitants, which the Law Reform Commission suggested should be reformed.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is not a separate issue. It is the same issue.

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: It is the same issue, namely, there are people in our society who are not in a position to enter into a marriage, for one reason or another, but who want to have legal recognition for the attributes of mutual dependency which arise out of their relationship. The third point is that the Bill assumes the only set of recognition principles this House will make available to anybody is a status...

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I came into the House——

Civil Unions Bill 2006: Second Stage (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I came into the House to point out what has been and what will be achieved by the Government. I had one thing in mind, namely, that having listened to Deputy Howlin, I would put on the record the difficulties and problems with his Bill, but Deputy Howlin has constantly interrupted me. The truth is that in five years the Labour Party did nothing. The Government, however, has done a hell of...

Written Answers — Stardust Inquiry: Stardust Inquiry (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 209 and 237 together. The Victims Committee has been advised that an external and independent examination of their submission is to be carried out by an eminent legal person. The arrangements for this examination are the subject of ongoing communication with the Committee's solicitor and will hopefully be agreed in the short term. The Deputies will also...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Accidents: Road Traffic Accidents (20 Feb 2007)

Michael McDowell: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the fatal road collision referred to is being investigated by the Gardaí at Buncrana Garda station and an investigation file was submitted to the Law Officers. I am also informed that queries recently received from the Law Officers are currently being addressed by the investigating officers. A number of the queries refer to matters outside of this...