Results 1,581-1,600 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

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

Dick Roche: This discussion is very interesting. Senator Brady is correct on the 1961 Mr. Justice Budd judgment in the O'Donovan case. That was an interesting decision because most of what we have to say on the Constitution and the variance between the numbers of seats and Deputies flows from that judgment. Mr. Justice Budd made the observation that counties do not have a constitutional existence. They...

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

Dick Roche: This touches on issues of constitutionality. A court challenge may be made at any time to any matter. By the time the election takes place in the spring or early summer of 2007——

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

Dick Roche: Sometime in May, if I was a betting man. The Taoiseach likes long nights.

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

Dick Roche: Let us not follow that route.

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

Dick Roche: It is an interesting question. If the election was held at that time——

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

Dick Roche: I am talking about May 2007.

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

Dick Roche: If the election is held earlier, this debate would not be pertinent. If the election is held in May 2007, we will at best have the preliminary report from the 2006 census. Two documents will be published. The preliminary report was mentioned in The Sunday Tribune article, which, while I queried some of the issues raised therein, represented a good piece of journalism. The preliminary report...

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

Dick Roche: I will return to the point I made earlier. This is essentially an issue of nomenclature and does not interfere with the principles of the commission. I must admit to the House, being a truthful man and a novice in office, that when this issue first arose I was disposed to agreeing. I then received advice as to why I should not, which is why I mentioned the nomenclature earlier. If we had...

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

Dick Roche: ——of the title of the county but it would also have got rid of much of this debate. I understand the point made about Cork North-East. It seems to be a common sense geographical definition. Carlow and Wicklow are mentioned. What would we call that? Would it be Wicklow North-East Carlow? Then there would be Kilkenny and the rest of Carlow. It becomes odd as we go down the list. Part of...

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

Dick Roche: I suggest to Senator Bradford if this causes offence locally a submission should be made to the next commission. At that stage the population will have changed and he might be worried about more than nomenclature.

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

Dick Roche: No doubt if he gets there——

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

Dick Roche: ——it will be deserved because he made a distinguished contribution when he was there. He has been a good and constructive representative both there and here. If we were to make this change in one or two constituencies we would have to make it in quite a few others. I am not in a position to accept the amendment. I am not unsympathetic. When I thought it was simply north-east Carlow and...

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

Dick Roche: That issue is between Senators. I will not enter into discussion.

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

Dick Roche: I think the Senator is right.

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

Dick Roche: That is a convention speech.

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

Dick Roche: If one wants to discover anything about the geography of Ireland, even interesting events like the Battle of Tang, the place to come is Seanad Éireann. On the last point, to be fair, the commission did not have that option. If one considers the judgment in the O'Donovan case and the constitutional law provisions, Mr. Justice Budd suggested a figure of plus or minus 5%. To go beyond that...

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

Dick Roche: ——-and south Leitrim "south Leitrim".

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

Dick Roche: I understand. It is usual that the north side and south side have difficult relationships, but there you are.

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

Dick Roche: Leaving karma and all the rest aside, I will continue to support the commission's finding with regard to Leitrim, although I fully understand the hurt felt on the issue. On another point, I can only claim credit for the four children I have. I cannot claim any credit for the——

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

Dick Roche: I thank the Senators who have contributed to this good natured, constructive debate. The issues considered were wide-ranging and issues relating to nomenclature will factor into the discussions of the next commission. Regarding Senator Paddy Burke's point about the green man at Garda stations, in circumstances where the green man cannot stamp one's card it is possible to go to the local...