Results 121-140 of 7,652 for speaker:Joanna Tuffy

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Feb 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: Councillors will be allowed to run for the Dáil and they will be the ones to challenge this legislation. They have a mandate from the people and it cannot be taken away except through the Constitution.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I support the Fine Gael position on this Bill. I firmly believe the Bill is unconstitutional and that I and my fellow Senators have a duty to uphold the Constitution. I agree with Senator Bannon's submission on the constitutionality issue. For example, Article 15.14 requires that no person may, at the same time, be a Member of both Houses of the Oireachtas. If any Member of one House becomes...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: That has not been challenged. (Interruptions).

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Second Stage. (26 Feb 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: If the Minister will allow me to finish, I will go into that and explain it. The wording of the Bill itself signifies that there is a problem, legally and constitutionally. It does not just prevent one from holding a seat; it actually prevents one from running for election. The proposed new section 13A states that one cannot be elected to a local authority if one is a Member of either House...

Seanad: Adjournment Matter. - National Development Plan. (27 Feb 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I asked the Tánaiste to come to the House to outline the approach of the Government to managing the spend of €2.5 billion allocated to research and development in the national development plan. This country is committed to continuing to develop the knowledge based economy. The Tánaiste has often said that to sustain Ireland's economic growth we need to make the change from the investment...

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The Senator should trust the people.

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I support the position of my colleagues on the Opposition benches. The Government is wrong to roll back on a modernising and reforming Act that has not been long in existence. It is mistaken in its intentions and there is great potential for a public backlash. The Bill will ultimately work against the Government's interests. I fully concur with the sentiments of Senator McHugh that the public...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I support the request made by Senator Cummins yesterday that the Minister for Education and Science be called to the House to discuss the issue of third level fees. We have asked for this many times and it is now quite late in the academic year. There have been threats and hints about what will happen next year. It is not fair that prospective students and their parents do not know whether...

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The Fine Gael motion is a good one which I and my Labour Party colleagues support. It is a good idea that those appointed to prison visiting committees should have relevant expertise such as legal, medical, trade union, employment or education expertise. I would make an even more extensive list of relevant experience than that proposed by Fine Gael. In reply to Senator Walsh I point out that...

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: Yes, to be honest. All of us in political parties have to accept that there are things we can improve in the voluntary political system and that we can reach a consensus on such matters.

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The Labour Party has a good—

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: When the Labour Party was last in government it had a good record.

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: We are talking about—

Seanad: Prison Visiting Committees: Motion. (5 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The point I made was that nobody was saying he or she was perfect. This would be a good reform. Everybody had the notion that the Minister would be a breath of fresh air, that he would be reforming and different from old-style politics. Why will he not take this on when he has the opportunity do so? I would have thought that this would be an issue close to his heart. This is an opportunity...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I do not agree with their being discussed together because each relates to a different issue. Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 are more related. As I want to raise a different issue in relation to them, I do not want the three amendments to be grouped.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 17, to delete "either House of the Oireachtas" and substitute Dáil Éireann". I thank the Minister for coming. Amendment No. 1 proposes to exclude Senators from the change in the legislation. Many Members who spoke on Second Stage made the point that Senators were in a different position from Deputies. They have a relationship with councillors which...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The Minister said one did not have to be a practising member of a local authority to bring one's perspective to bear. I disagree. As a practising member of a local authority, one is aware of what is happening in the local authority at any given time. I bring to the House my perspective on problems with local government funding, housing programme delivery and so on. I do not just know that...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: I am not so sure.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: The Minister has an advantage in his role, particularly in the portfolio he holds. I have the ordinary county councillor's perspective of these problems.

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)

Joanna Tuffy: No, not all of them, but that is part of Fianna Fáil's reasoning behind the change. To my knowledge, the Taoiseach has stated this as a reason for attracting new people at local government level.