Results 1,721-1,740 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Every now and again being in Opposition is a legitimate place to be.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: It is not a fate worse than death to be in Opposition. As a matter of fact, it is a very honourable place to be.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Fianna Fáil members need to understand that Opposition is part of the system we have, and they should not make presumptions that only they can be in the Government.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: They invented smugness. They are the people who understand smugness.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: They know all about it because they invented it. The criticism of Senator Bacik to the effect that she is questioning the mandate of the Government is nonsensical. Do we say when we lose an election that we suspend all powers of criticism? If we lose an election, do we have to go away and die? I hope that when Fianna Fáil loses the election, they will take an honourable position in...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Senator Feeney is very excited about the fact the Taoiseach has got going in the last few days. He is on radio and on television and he looks like he is back in business.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: I heard Senator O'Toole speak about this again. He will change everything because he is suddenly back fighting. I heard this prize fighter nonsense before about the Taoiseach. We heard it the last time and we are ready for it this time.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: The Taoiseach will not only have to give a bombastic performance on the "News at One", but will have to justify what he did and did not do when he was Minister for Finance, what he did and did not do during the worst economic crisis this country has ever faced, and he will be called to account by the people for the disaster he created and for the fact he did banjax the economy.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: He will be called to account, and all the smugness in the world from over there will not save him or any of the people over there.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: On the budget, there are many injustices. I want draw attention to one, in particular, the impact of the cut in child benefit on the poorest families. Child benefit was also cut last year, but some compensatory measures were taken to protect the children of poorer families. Why have no compensatory measures been taken this year? Presumably, the Social Welfare Bill 2010 will be before the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: If anything the Government does is criticised, the Senator's answer is that we would do the same in government. Is this the level of politics at which the Green Party has arrived?

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: I have a second question, on the important issue of the future of this and the Lower House. We deserve clarity, not just rumour. The airwaves have been full of rumours following the announcement of the leader of the Green Party on 22 November that it was time to have a general election and that it should be held in the middle of January. On the same day the Taoiseach stated: "It is my...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Just answer me.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: For goodness sake, the Senator should listen to himself.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: No. I cited the Minister, Deputy Gormley's statement.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: He did.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: He stated the general election would be held in the second half of January 2011.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Senator Boyle is making it up as he goes along.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Alex White: I wish to share time with Senator Buttimer.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Alex White: One of the features of this debate on the national minimum wage is the dearth of evidence on which the measure is based. A reference to the Forfás report, to which Senator Dearey referred, appeared in the Minister of State's speech. Perhaps Senator Dearey was going a little too far, even from the point of view of his own argument, when he said Forfás had confidently predicted job creation...