Results 12,901-12,920 of 50,453 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: It is 15 months into the Government's term of office and this is a promise the Taoiseach made with great solemnity well before the last general election.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: We did not. Actually, we made none. We deliberately made no promise before the election.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: I said at the time that this was no time to make promises that one could not fulfil.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: Unfortunately, the Taoiseach made too many of them and the people now know that he could never fulfil them. He has lost a lot of trust and credibility as a result. Coming into government, there was no document, preparatory work or research. Over the past 15 months, we have had various announcements about this matter and now the constitutional convention is being established. I asked...

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: I am asking about the Seanad.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach is filibustering. We know all this.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach is assuring me of nothing. The setting of a date for this referendum is continually being pushed out. I recall the Taoiseach being equally as adamant a year ago that it would be held this year. The Taoiseach definitively said then that it would be held in 2012. He now says it will not happen during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union because he does not want anything...

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: I will deal with that now. Unlike the Taoiseach, I have no need to filibuster.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach said a great deal of work has been done.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: Will he share that work with the Oireachtas?

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: Never mind that nonsense. I am asking the Taoiseach to share the work which he says has been done. With the greatest of respect, the Taoiseach gives a great deal of silly responses.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: The Taoiseach should treat this House with a little more respect.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: Fianna Fáil's spokesperson and Chief Whip, Deputy Ó Fearghail, attended the briefing which was just a role-out of the convention.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: It was a sham and everybody knows that.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: I am asking the Taoiseach if he will share the work that has been done on the abolition of the Seanad with the Oireachtas. Why will the Taoiseach not do so? Will it publish that work so that the Oireachtas can discuss it?

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: What I said during the election - I made this very clear - is that we believe in real reform of politics in this country-----

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: -----and of the relationship between the Executive and the Parliament. We did not favour abolition of the Seanad on its own.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: We favour abolition of the Seanad as part of a broader reform of our political system.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: We made that very clear at the time. Reducing the number of Dáil Members by eight and abolishing the Seanad while doing absolutely nothing to change how we behave is not radical reform. It is optic politics and playing to the gallery.

Abolition of Seanad Éireann (10 Jul 2012)

Micheál Martin: That is all the Taoiseach is doing. As far as I can see what the Taoiseach is doing in terms of abolition of the Seanad is playing this out until such time as he considers it most politically opportune to throw it into the frame, from an electoral point of view.