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Seanad: Agriculture and Fisheries: Statements, Questions and Answers (20 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I thank the Minister for his time and the diligent and efficient manner in which he responded to questions. I will allow Senator Ó Domhnaill to make a brief concluding comment.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. As a former Member of this House, it is good to see that his distinguished political career continues to flourish. There is a long history of controversy and disagreement whenever electoral amendment Bills come before either House because they relate to a sensitive issue for politicians. This Bill is no different in that regard. I support much of...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I am coming to that. It was also interesting to discover that Laois, because of its extraordinary increase in population, now has sufficient numbers for four seats. This suggests either that Laois-Offaly will end up as two three-seaters or that Laois will get four seats of its own. County Leitrim has had a sorry history in the area of constituency amendments. It has been sundered by...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Yes, and he probably did so for nakedly political reasons. Just because something has become practice does not mean it should not be reviewed. I know it is set in stone, but I think it is worth looking at in the context of the terms of reference of the boundary commission and maintaining county boundaries. There may be a way around it. Should counties Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon become a...

Seanad: SPHE Curriculum: Motion (20 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: My intervention is directed at the Minister for Education and Skills but as the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, and I have previously exchanged opinions on this area in its wider context she will understand what I am about to state but may not agree with it. Yesterday, I raised a matter on the Adjournment which was taken by the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, on behalf of the Minister for...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I, too, join with colleagues on this side of the House in wishing the Taoiseach well. It reminds me of American citizens who will compete effectively and in some cases bitterly in the lead up to a presidential election but once the President is installed everybody supports the President in times of national need. I would like to think the same would be true in our time of need. It has been...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: There are other issues I wanted to raise. The aforementioned issue is one the Leader may consider addressing through the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I compliment him on his wonderful initiative.

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I stand in awe and admiration of the breadth of Senator Cullinane's contribution which somehow managed, dextrously and efficiently, to transform a section on definitions into a treatise on the health service. If ever there was to be a question mark over the future of this House, with respect to the Senator, anyone from outside listening in would wonder what the debate was about apart from...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Regardless of whether it was synonymous, I would be the first to hold my hands up for the sins of Fianna Fáil and I hope Members on the other side of the House will be equally culpable for and humble about any mistakes their parties have made. It has always been a great source of amusement to me that all the sins of this State seem to fall exclusively on the shoulders of people who support...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: That is a matter for the people. Ultimately, this is about the people deciding. One of the great mistakes made by political commentators and activists is that they accuse a party of being in government for a long time but continually ignore the fact-----

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: -----that every party puts its policies before the people and the people decide. Is the Senator suggesting that the people were wrong in the most recent election? I would be happy to go along with that view if he believes they were. Sovereignty resides in the people and it is the people who ultimately make the decision. This old blather about our longevity in government is not a criticism...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: -----is insult the electorate. By the way, I do not believe it is in the best interests of democracy that any political party should spend more than perhaps two terms in office. There are term limits in America which I am not sure could be applied here but I have no difficulty with the concept. It is right and proper. Indeed, I am the first to acknowledge, as many Members on this side of...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I welcome the Minister of State. I should have referred to the following and I had hoped somebody else might have done so. In amendment No. 12, which is quite detailed, references are made to people who should be eligible to vote. There is a view, which has been gaining ground over the past number of years, that the process under which people are eligible to vote is restrictive. Other...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: And are sadly missed.

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Much of this debate is the reaction to a populist view. I could not help but be amused by, and agree with, my good friend and colleague, the Minister of State, when he talked about the man sitting in the bar who did not vote but was propounding on the issues of the day and criticising the elected Member. Over the past number of months, in the course of attempting to introduce valid...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: In my initial contribution I attempted to suggest that, in the context of the amendment tabled by my group proposing that an interim report be published for public consultation, I was questioning the need or desirability of having a constituency commission at all. I referred to an article by Mr. John Coakley, the detail of which I have already acknowledged in my earlier contribution. Mr....

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: -----Carlow-Kilkenny and Longford-Westmeath later became familiar combinations. This resulted in peculiar combinations such as Kerry West Limerick, Waterford East Tipperary, South Mayo South Roscommon, East Mayo Sligo and Leitrim North Roscommon, which gives me some fuel for a further debate on another amendment on the reasons why I think the Leitrim should become a single entity. However,...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I will reserve making any further comment until we come to deal with the section. End of Take

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I fully accept the Minister of State's bona fides, of which there is no question. We are all in agreement that the independence and integrity of the commission must be maintained. However, I will attempt to illustrate that perhaps there is a requirement for the Government to examine whether the commission model is now fit for purpose. After all, it was introduced on foot of a political...

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