Results 1,601-1,620 of 4,810 for speaker:Liam Twomey

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Apr 2008)

Liam Twomey: There are ethical problems with IVF, pre-implantation genetic testing and embryonic stem cell research but there is no legislation governing any of these areas. A person could conduct embryonic stem cell research in this country with no legal obligations whatsoever, except if the person is a doctor and thereby subject to the ethical rules of the Medical Council.

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 Apr 2008)

Liam Twomey: With regard to Senator Hanafin's comments, both bodies were established and their boards appointed by Ministers. As for the Irish Medical Council, half its members are appointed by the Government and the other half elected by doctors. It has nothing to do with statistics. It is the Government's job. There is more hypocrisy in the House today. The only consistency shown by the other side...

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 Apr 2008)

Liam Twomey: The Government should do something about it instead of washing its own hands.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Liam Twomey: We should be grown up about this treaty. There is no need to call anybody on the "No" side of the campaign a "loo-la" or anything else. I do not really give a damn whether the rest of the member states ratify the treaty through their parliaments or through referendums. We always hold a referendum; that is how we do things in Ireland. We will accept the will of the people in the...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Liam Twomey: Senator Ormonde should hear me through. She might learn a little.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Liam Twomey: Every time there is a problem with a local issue, one is told it is caused by Dublin. When there have been national problems, Ministers, including those from the Fianna Fáil Party, have been heard to say, "Well, that is Europe for you." They have been saying it for 30 years. To some degree they have contributed to a feeling among a certain number of people that Europe is a negative thing....

Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage. (30 Apr 2008)

Liam Twomey: I was around when the Freedom of Information Bill went through Dáil Éireann in 2003 and I do not recall many concessions being made to the Opposition. There was plenty of discussion but very few Opposition amendments or views were taken on board. The Government had just been through a series of embarrassing situations due to information released through the Freedom of Information Act and...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: Was Senator White there with him?

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (7 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: With the eyes of 500 million Europeans upon us, the only disaster likely to befall us on 12 June would be if we brought the electronic voting machines out of storage. They are best left alone and we should stick to pen and paper for the referendum. Senator O'Donovan has taken a consistent and correct position on an important issue on which there is cross-party agreement, namely, fisheries....

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: I offer congratulations to Deputy Brian Cowen on his elevation to Taoiseach, and to all the other Ministers who have been elevated to Cabinet positions in yesterday's re-shuffle. In the past four or five weeks we have seen many tributes and congratulations paid to taoisigh in waiting and taoisigh past. During the same period unemployment rates have risen and consumer confidence has...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: We should ask the new Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the House to talk about the findings in the Morris report which are absolutely incredible. It is well worth the time of any Member of this House to read them. For the sake of the good gardaí we must discuss the report in this House.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: We will send down the Minister for Defence, Deputy Willie O'Dea, with some tanks.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: That is a lukewarm response.

Seanad: Economic Outlook: Motion (14 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move: That Seanad Éireann, in light of the 10% fall in average house prices in 12 months; the possibility that 100,000 young families will face negative equity by next year; the halving of house-building activity and the uncertain future faced by 150,000 workers and apprentices in this industry; the 45,000 increase in unemployment benefit claimants in the last 12 months; the threat to...

Seanad: Economic Outlook: Motion (14 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: The Greens are wilting.

Seanad: Economic Outlook: Motion (14 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: Is that why we got 20 extra seats and the Progressive Democrats lost six?

Seanad: Economic Outlook: Motion (14 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: If the Senator does her sums on the number of seats her party got back, the public will not believe her either.

Seanad: Economic Outlook: Motion (14 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: I thank the Minister for coming to the House tonight. His rapid rise puts him at a great risk of altitude sickness but I wish him very well in the next couple of years. While the Minister speaks much of what the Government has done in the past decade the most productive period in terms of real growth in our economy over the past 15 years was that during which John Bruton was Taoiseach and...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: Last night the House had an extensive debate on the economy. Will the Leader ask the Taoiseach to come to the House to explain a matter? Since the Health Service Executive was established four years ago, the number of senior managers has doubled, if not tripled. This morning we have learned that the HSE wishes to get rid of 200 of those senior managers. That is not the way to reform a...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2008)

Liam Twomey: They would know how much money there is.