Results 1,481-1,500 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Martin Mansergh: I will not, by analogy, press for a renaming of my constituency to Tipperary South-Waterford West. Senator Browne has a valid point in that county council boundaries often do not coincide substantially with electoral boundaries. In County Tipperary, for example, we have North Tipperary County Council and South Tipperary County Council and two electoral constituencies, Tipperary North and...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Martin Mansergh: I hesitate to take issue with a Cork Senator although many of my ancestors came from Cork. What Senator Bradford argues is tradition versus geography. In any common sense definition, places such as Youghal, Cloyne and Midleton are in east Cork and not north-east Cork. I assume it was done because it is a more accurate geographical description, which on the whole should be preferred even if...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Martin Mansergh: With all due respect to the Minister I do not see that the south coast of Cork can reasonably be called north-east. I accept that might apply to Mallow and Mitchelstown but I do not see how it applies to places such as Youghal, Midleton and Cloyne.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Martin Mansergh: There is much sympathy in the House with the case of Leitrim. I come from what is in another sense a partitioned county. I have sometimes felt it was partitioned in 1838 as the most troubled county in Ireland, and that perhaps there was an element of divide and rule about that. However, there are certain practicalities in that regard. The question raised was where the counties would be...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Martin Mansergh: When one is talking about the county with the smallest population, which certainly lives up to its reputation as being "lovely Leitrim", a little more tolerance should be shown if that type of issue should arise again, although I am not suggesting we have unlimited tolerance. If Sligo-Leitrim had been left alone, I wonder whether there would have been a revolt or whether the Supreme Court...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Jul 2005)

Martin Mansergh: They do not.

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Jul 2005)

Martin Mansergh: Apropos of the matter raised by Senator Brian Hayes, there should be an automatic and expeditious inquiry into any death in Garda custody, for whatever reason. When the House resumes in the autumn, we ought to have a debate on the challenges facing what an expert from the ESRI called our "red hot economy". Employment is growing at 1,400 a week and we have the lowest unemployment rate in the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Sep 2005)

Martin Mansergh: During the summer recess the Taoiseach and the Government have achieved what all Governments since the foundation of the State have been working towards, the declared final, formal cessation of all IRA activity, an exclusive commitment to democracy and the decommissioning of the entire weaponry of that organisation. It should be noted that the Taoiseach did not spend all his time pointing out...

Seanad: Garda Investigations: Motion. (28 Sep 2005)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the motion and offer my support and solidarity to the Rafferty family. The case has many similarities with the Robert McCartney case. In both instances we have family members simply not prepared to suffer in silence in the face of intimidation and harassment. Over the years we have had groups rightly seeking justice for victims of State violence in the North. It is equally right...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2005)

Martin Mansergh: On the same subject, after the Order of Business the House will discuss the Employee (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill. In view of the relatively short time available until next Monday, those of us who hope to contribute may have the opportunity to say something about what I was going to call Irish Ferries, but which should perhaps be renamed "Central and Eastern European...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2005)

Martin Mansergh: Certainly, I have no inclination to book a crossing with Irish Ferries this morning and I dare say many others would react in the same way. On the subject of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, I have felt for a long time that if the Revenue Commissioners are overstretched and require more staff, the resources should be provided without question. They more than pay for themselves....

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2005)

Martin Mansergh: If all decisions must be successful, one will end up taking no decisions at all. Let us remember the observation of the President of the European Central Bank that this is a magnificently performing economy.

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2005)

Martin Mansergh: That should be the backdrop to all our discussions.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I warmly welcome the Bill. Listening to Senator Leyden made it clear to me that there was a glaring gap in the drafting of this Bill, which occurs in section 1. There is no definition of a key word, "undertaking". If there were a definition, we could answer the Senator's question whether the Bill applies to Departments and Government agencies,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Oct 2005)

Martin Mansergh: Last week, we discussed the situation at Irish Ferries on the Order of Business. Our industrial relations machinery and the institution of social partnership have once again vindicated themselves with both sides attending the Labour Court. Senator Finucane referred to working conditions for immigrants and the labour market generally, which will clearly be important subjects for the...

Seanad: Tax Evasion: Motion. (5 Oct 2005)

Martin Mansergh: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following: "—noting the substantive new powers granted to the Revenue Commissioners in successive Finance Acts since 1999; —noting the determination of the Government to take the necessary steps to combat tax evasion; —noting the success of the Revenue Commissioners in pursuing non-compliance through...

Seanad: Tax Evasion: Motion. (5 Oct 2005)

Martin Mansergh: It costs €80,000 to keep a person in prison for a year. Frankly, that is not a good use of the State's money. It is far preferable to recover the money with interest and penalties and to name and shame. I am aware from one or two people who have been caught that there is considerable shame involved. That is a more effective way of dealing with this. The vast majority of tax evasion cases do...

Seanad: Tax Evasion: Motion. (5 Oct 2005)

Martin Mansergh: It still is.

Seanad: Tax Evasion: Motion. (5 Oct 2005)

Martin Mansergh: I never suggested otherwise.

Seanad: Tax Evasion: Motion. (5 Oct 2005)

Martin Mansergh: Only ten have been sent to prison. There were 26 suspended sentences.