Results 1,641-1,660 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I give notice to the Government that the Fianna Fáil Party will adamantly oppose the Gaeltacht Bill. It is the latest example of cronyism and jobbery from the Fine Gael Party. Members opposite can laugh.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Where once we had democracy, Gaeltacht residents in County Meath will have their representatives on Údarás na Gaeltachta appointed by county councillors in Waterford and Cork. It is cronyism and jobbery of the worst kind.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The councils are controlled, on the whole, by the Fine Gael and Labour parties. The democratic element of Údarás na Gaeltachta is being abolished by this Bill, which is a half measure for the Irish language and shows the contempt the Fine Gael Party has for the Irish language. The central plank of the Bill is to remove the democratically elected members of Údarás na Gaeltachta and have...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I call on the Leader to make arrangements with the Minister to have this Bill taken off the agenda for tomorrow. He did not expect us to oppose it. Members from the west and Tipperary who had planned to tour new constituencies and new areas and shed crocodile tears about lost areas can think again. They will have to be present in the House to vote if they want the Bill to pass because...

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I assure the Minister that despite the Opposition defeating the Government twice in the Seanad this morning, the Fianna Fáil side wholeheartedly supports the Bill and will ensure that it is passed. I find very little done by the Government to be persuasive but the Minister's speech here has been extremely persuasive, not that we need persuading. He clearly outlined the security situation...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Again, I rise in this House to offer the full support of the Fianna Fáil Party for the motion to continue the operation of section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009. I say that in light of our majority here today, but also in light of the fact that the Labour Party opposed this legislation in 2009. In fact, Deputy Tommy Broughan lost the party whip for voting with the then...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Or for changing your mind.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Shame.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: It came into his head as he was arriving in Citywest.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: You were banned from speaking.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Why are there no people here?

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Some of your other Members have said what the Government espoused.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I hope that my county colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, conveys the deep anger that has been expressed in the Chamber today about his party colleagues being banned from speaking in a debate. He would never want to be banned from speaking because he is outspoken and rightly so. They have been banned.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The evidence is there.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: A stream of Opposition speakers have made their contribution. In all my time in the Seanad it has never happened that nobody-----

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Contributions has gone from one Opposition speaker to another.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Nobody from the Government has offered and that is evidence that they have been banned from speaking. No Government Senator spoke and that is the evidence. It is a shambolic day for democracy in this country.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: It is revenge for two Government defeats in the Seanad this morning. It was a good jolt to remind the Government that this country is a democracy and run by the people and not as my colleague, Senator Marc MacSharry said, by 15 people around the Cabinet table. I urge the Leader to get his colleagues into the Chamber to offer their views no matter whether they are for or against the motion....

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: We have had more Committee Stage debate immediately after Second Stage than ever before.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: As I understand it, the guillotine was rarely used-----