Results 1,641-1,660 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I have not been abusive to anyone. I will repeat what I said. There are pseudo-liberals in this House, as there are in society. There are also aggressive secularists in the House, as there is in society.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I find they are tolerant of everything and anyone except those who have views contrary to their own. That is an absolute intolerance and we have seen examples of that many times in this House and elsewhere.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: People have the freedom to say those things in the same way I have the right to rebut what they are saying with the comments I have just made. That is the essence of free and democratic debate.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I certainly make no apologies for it. I make the comparison with Senator O'Toole's contribution on Tone republicanism. I regard myself as a republican and the essence of that is tolerance for other viewpoints. That should be injected into the debate. I do not think anyone will be a victim of this Bill. It will be difficult to prosecute. It does not interfere with the freedom of speech...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: That is not a point of order.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: That is not a point of order either.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: One cannot claim the Bill was guillotined. Those who listened to this afternoon's debate will have noted that Senators adopted a pedantic approach and took the scenic route to finalising the legislation. I thank the Minister for coming to the House, albeit not necessarily for bringing this legislation before the Seanad. I find the blasphemy section the least offensive part of the Bill. I...

Seanad: Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty of Lisbon) Bill 2009: Second Stage (9 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey. It is appropriate that he is here for this debate, because his father served as President of the European Council in a distinguished way in 1990. It was a pivotal part of the history, development and evolution of the European concept. His grandfather, the late Seán Lemass, pioneered Ireland's entry into the European Coal and Steel Community...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Transport yesterday that more than 200 km of dual carriageway has now been upgraded to motorway standard. I raised this matter in the House previously. This upgrade will bring the speed limit on such roads up to 120 km/h. It is only right that the huge investment we are making in our road network will benefit the economy. Time is money in...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, to the House for this important debate. Much legislation relating to the criminal justice system has come through the House in recent years, most of which has been targeted at the serious criminals involved in the drugs trade. There was an element of turning a blind eye by society when such persons were murdering their gangland...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: That is not a point of order.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Second Stage (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: That is a point of information, not a point of order. In addition, it is being belaboured.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: Is Senator Bacik seriously arguing that an accused who may have been charged in this instance with being the leader of a criminal gang-----

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: Yes, the suspect is going to face charges of a very serious nature. Are we going to indulge in technicalities? This is the kind of thing that brings the whole law into disrepute. Many people are aghast at some of the technicalities that are used by lawyers. Instead of looking at that, we need to look at what people want, which is justice. We should not just think of the human rights of...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I did not personalise the debate at all.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: She must be fair in her comments. I stuck to the issues, on which I have a deep conviction.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: I asked a question of the Senator.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: They have human rights as well, the Senator will agree.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: And defended.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2009)

Jim Walsh: And part of that is-----