Results 14,861-14,880 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Grid Development Strategy 2017 and Proposed Celtic Interconnector: EirGrid (9 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I am aware of one instance where the strategy of a data centre operator was to have two matching plants for security purposes, one in Denmark and one in Ireland. Is it IDA Ireland that is driving this? Is a Minister asking how Ireland will comply with its sustainable targets for 20 years' time if IDA Ireland continues to sell the idea of data centres to Apple and such companies? Is anybody...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with Representatives of the Transport Sector (11 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I thank the three speakers for their contributions this morning. I differ from some here in that I believe the common travel area is almost certain to survive completely unchanged by the Brexit process. While I agree that we have to look at the worst-case scenario in respect of North-South and east-west transport and movement of people, I do not believe there will be immigration checks on...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with Representatives of the Transport Sector (11 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: Do not spend too much money on it, please.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I wish to raise the issue of the Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill and the opening of licensed premises on Good Friday. The legislation was the subject of some discussion in this House prior to the break and passed Second Stage unopposed. The proposers of the Bill understand that it is the intention of the Leader to make Government time available in the near future to deal with Committee...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: Does the Leader want us to draft the amendments or is the Department doing it?

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement with Ulster Farmers Union (18 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their presentation. I want to broaden it to the strategic. As I understand it, the 2020 guarantee is not very significant. The CAP is coming up for review in 2020. We are now in 2017 and Article 50 has been triggered, which will bring us up to 2019. The 2020 horizon will be on us very soon. The real question is what is Britain's policy on...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I agree with Senator Norris: I am sorry to see the demise of GLEN. I am someone who took the first steps to manoeuvre Irish public opinion and my partners in government at the time towards, first of all, the idea of civil partnership.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: They were a very responsible group of people and were very constructive at all times. I wish to echo a second remark made by Senator Norris, namely, the idea that people could be filled with such hatred towards other people that they would take out their children and take out themselves in the same moment. In this context, everyone is revolted by what happened in Manchester yesterday, and...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I do not remember them carrying out 9/11. I do not remember them blowing up innocent people right across the world. I do not see Shia people destroying young girls' lives in Nigeria. In that context, I resent bitterly the suggestion by President Trump that somehow all the evil is to be located north of the Arabian Gulf and that all goodness is now to be found south of it. Saudi Arabia is...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I believe we need a debate in the Chamber about where Ireland as a member state of the European Union stands in this new world, where grotesque distortions of truth and what we might call alternative facts are being elevated to international truth in rather alarming ceremonies held in conjunction with massive arms sales. It is, as Robert Fisk has pointed out on a number of occasions and as I...

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting: Statements (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister and endorse what has been said about the value of public service broadcasting. I disagree with virtually nothing that has been said, although a few of the comments have been colourful. One of the major functions of public service broadcasting is to act as a counterbalance to the counter-factual news spread on social media. In keeping up standards of public education...

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting: Statements (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: -----who go out there and get mangled on his television programme so that his ratings can look good. It is a case of car crash dummies for politicians. I do not know why they do it but they do. It has always struck me that this is the only case where the politicians are extremely kind to the public service broadcast. If any of them had any sign of rationality, no politicians would appear...

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting: Statements (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: -----but for some reason we are decent to the man and we respect his record in journalism and keep his programme going for him.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Communications Regulation Performance Review: Discussion (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I am sorry for coming in late. I was intrigued by one of the figures mentioned. Did I hear the commissioner correctly? Did he say ComReg has over several years paid over €1 billion to the Department? Can the commissioners tell me about that? Was this the product of competitions or is this a surplus generated on a reasonably predictable annual basis? How does it work out from year...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Communications Regulation Performance Review: Discussion (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I want to be clear because I may be slow on the uptake. The €800 million is part of the figure of €1 billion. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Communications Regulation Performance Review: Discussion (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: It is coming in pieces. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Communications Regulation Performance Review: Discussion (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: Is it something that will carry on in future as an income stream? Is it a fairly constant part of the horizon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Communications Regulation Performance Review: Discussion (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: That is interesting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Communications Regulation Performance Review: Discussion (23 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: I have some important technical information. I had a broadband service to my house in Roscommon. I noticed that it was very strained because it improved in the afternoon and then seemed to disimprove. Then I tried to work out whether my neighbours were watching television or something. It turned out that the explanation was that there was condensation on a joint. As the part at the top of...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Gender Pay Gap Information) Bill 2017: Second Stage (24 May 2017)

Michael McDowell: The group to which Senator Mullen and myself belong is not one bound by ideology or a viewpoint at all. I have to say that I profoundly disagree with what I have just heard. The Bill is timely.