Results 15,581-15,600 of 18,736 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: The Minister may be of the view that one of his colleagues thinks he is dragging this out but, with respect, that is not what is happening. The Minister referred to section 12 and stated that he is under a duty to request the Public Appointments Service to carry out a selection process where a vacancy arises. That is true. The Public Appointments Service, under section 12(2), is then...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: The Minister is-----

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: I just want to make one point and I will make it very simply. There is no reason on God's earth why there should not be a provision in this Bill saying that where there is a vacancy for the position of chairperson, the Minister may, pending the conduct of an appointment procedure under the previous section, appoint one of the other members of the commission to act as chairperson. I cannot...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: If he simply said that in the event of the position standing vacant, he could appoint somebody to be the chairperson of the commission pending the appointment under section 12, what would be wrong with that?Is there some determination to resist all suggestions that there could be anything wrong with this Bill, or that there is a hole in it? There clearly is a hole in it.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: We will have to put the matter to a vote.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: If anyone checks the record of this debate-----

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: -----I have never filibustered or been irrelevant.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: For the Minister to say these are far-fetched scenarios, I ask him to look at section 15(3).

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: I ask him to look at the section. It deals with the scenario in the context of a meeting of the commission where the position of chairperson is vacant. If it is not far-fetched in section 15, why is it far-fetched in section 22 when it comes to accountability? I do not see that it is far-fetched in the slightest. If we are going to have a vote, we can have a vote. My position is clear.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: If the Leas-Chathaoirleach is going to put the question, I want it to go on the record that I have asked the Minister to consider removing "or has been" from the first line in subsection (3)(a) because that is redundant and nonsensical-----

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: -----and to remove "or may [at a future time] be" and to put in the ordinary sub judiceground. I am asking the Minister for assurance that he is at least open to having a temporary chairperson provided for in this statute for purposes other than section 14(3) and the purposes of a particular meeting and for the general purpose of operating the Act.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: No amendments to section 23 have been tabled. The purpose of the section is to give authority to the Minister to advance to the judicial appointments commission, if and when it is established, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, such amounts as the Minister of Justice and Equality may, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, determine for the purposes of...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: The point is the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board has functioned with a staff of one or one and a half people and no dedicated office building. In general terms it has functioned well and decent and proper people have been appointed to be judges. Those who were unsuitable have been detected as applicants and have not been recommended. Successive Governments have, since the...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: Starting from that point, before we say "Yes" that it is all right for the Minister to have this power to disgorge sums of taxpayers' money, we have to ask ourselves what precisely has he got in mind for the operation of this new commission. I note the commission is to have a much more elaborate structure. It is to have an office and a director. It is important in those circumstances that...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: That is another question. He would have been required by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to set out how much money would be involved. Then we come to the question of how many staff it is assumed that this commission will have. It is to have a director and an office, and unless that is a complete sham, presumably the director is going to be directing people, and there are...

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I commend her on this overdue legislation, which I am sure will be worked on closely by Members. I am grateful to Senator Gallagher for permitting me to make a short contribution out of sequence. I propose to raise on Committee Stage the question of designating the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland as a university of medicine and life...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (10 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: As the Minister is aware, I am probably in a minority in this House in that I have not been an enthusiastic supporter of most of the legislation, only parts of it. There are parts that I still think are misguided, inoperable and a waste of time and that come from an attitude which is a little intolerant. Senator David Norris complains-----

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (10 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: -----that he goes to parties where people consume alcohol and become boring, monotonous and self-obsessed. Some start like that at parties. I will not put it any further. There has been a good deal of public rhetoric about the Bill which I have found annoying in this respect. A load of Members have said lobbyists and lobby group have been lobbying Senators and Members of Dáil...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (10 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: Second, the drinks industry in Ireland, taken at its broadest, is an important economic activity. It would be very strange if it did not organise to lobby for its interests. Third - this is the point I wish to make most strongly - the lobbying the other way by State-sponsored bodies which are fully funded by the taxpayer has been much more intense. I can say with certainty that the number...

Seanad: Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (10 Oct 2018)

Michael McDowell: There are a few other remarks I want to make, but I want to be orderly and speak to the amendment.Today I was listening to Radio 4 and looking at The Times, English edition. It is interesting to note that the number of people under the age of 25 in England who say they are non-drinkers has grown from one in five to one in three. Social attitudes to drink change. It is not just an...