Results 15,061-15,080 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: -----by an activist in the pro-choice movement. I was struck particularly by her reply when confronted with the appalling bad manners and cruelty of the remarks she had published. She said she did not know the family of the late Peter Mathews and did not know whether they had read the remarks she made. He was a classmate of mine for ten years at school.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: To echo what Senator Norris is saying, although I would not agree with him on many matters with regard to the issue on which she disagreed with him, he was a person who everybody in these Houses will remember as a thoroughly decent and good-hearted person.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: This makes me consider this point. Why do people risk their membership of Fine Gael's national executive council by putting things on the Internet which they would not dare put in a letter to the editor of the Evening Herald, let alone The Irish Times, which they know would never be published? Why do people consider that, under either the anonymity or semi-anonymity of being obscurely...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: It is all very well to talk about front-line defenders and to pose as the champion of journalistic free speech when one does things like that. We should have a debate in the House on freedom of speech. I do not believe in the current view that somehow social media are an opportunity to be utterly disinhibited and to say anything one likes about anybody regardless of the consequences. We...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: There was no mention of a brewery this time.

Seanad: Judicial Council Bill 2017: Second Stage (22 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: I warmly welcome the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, to the House and do so in particular because he is carrying the Bill under his arm. As Senator Wilson said, others have stood in the Minister's place and failed to deliver on this matter. I occupied his position for five years. Prior to my being Minister for Justice it was the desire of the Judiciary to have a judicial council established by...

Seanad: Defence Forces (Veterans Lapel Badge) Bill 2017: Second Stage (22 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: I welcome Senator Craughwell's Bill and I welcome the Minister of State.I join others in congratulating him on the measures he is introducing in regard to the Jadotville survivors in terms of honour their service to the United Nations and to this country, which is belatedly but properly being recognised. Other speakers have drawn attention to particular aspects of this Bill. One...

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: As the Leader, Senator Buttimer, provoked me into responding I will say that Dublin City Council now has a budget of almost €1 billion.

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: It now has nearly 6,000 people - perhaps more - on its payroll. Its functions seem to be diminishing due to the outsourcing of all sorts of engineering contracts, etc. Its stock of social housing has not expanded. The point I was making is that it is all very well to pay councillors more - and I do not begrudge councillors decent pay for the hard work they do - but the time has come to...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: I wish to be associated with the words Senator Boyhan spoke on behalf of our group in respect of Senator Landy. As one of the radicals in this House I say there should be more of us. On the way to the House this morning I was listening to my car radio and wondering about current political events when an ad break took place. I do not know how many other Members heard the particular...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: This is blatant political propaganda.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: For many years there has been a set of conventions on departmental advertising, that they are not used for political purposes, that they do not glorify individual Ministers and that they are factual and non-propagandistic. The advertisement breached every one of those principles. It should be withdrawn from RTÉ. It is a breach of the Government's duty not to spend taxpayers' money on...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: The Leader did not call them "Government of Ireland initiatives". The bad news is never referred to as a "Government of Ireland initiative".

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: The Government of Ireland brand was on none of them.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: I am not. I will tell the Leader this much.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: They are rebranding by the communications unit.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: I never did that.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: It is a rebranding exercise.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2017)

Michael McDowell: I am not putting the €5 million into that.