Results 17,501-17,520 of 18,737 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: They will have to buy more stamps.

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: On a point of information, the number of Irish passport holders amounts to approximately 800,000.

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: Will the Senator give way for a point of information?

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I always put on the record the fact that the efforts to have the Citizens' Assembly, which came up with a diverse set of proposals, to consider this proposal were stopped as well. The assembly was prohibited from discussing the matter.

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister of State for his remarks and I thank everybody who has participated in this debate. It is important that this debate should have occurred. I do not have as heavy a heart as I had when I stood up to move the Bill. The reason is that I accept what the Minister of State has said, that he is committed to reform of the Seanad. The fact that there was not unanimity on every...

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: The point I am making is that the number of Senators allocated to each of those panels under the present constitutional framework is variable. One could slash the agricultural panel to five Senators and increase the allocation to those involved in voluntary social services on the administrative panel to ten Senators. There is nothing sacrosanct about the present distribution of seats....

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State. I want to make a few general points about opening up the economy. I am not one of these sceptics who believes in deriding the measures taken by the Government but I am sceptical about blanket measures which are non-discriminating in the effects they have and are not based on proper science. I echo the remarks made by Deputy Eoghan Murphy recently in a...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I will support Senator Boyhan's amendment and make a couple of general observations. Something that has perhaps been accentuated by the pandemic, but was certainly happening for some time before it, is a change in people's general access to information. At one level, one could argue that the Internet provides extensive access to education, in that from one's living room one can consult any...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I would say that in large measure all of those political organisations have shrivelled to a paper existence now. Whether it is the comhairle dáilcheantair of Fianna Fáil or the constituency executive of Fine Gael, these are the organisations that actually run political parties. Branches of these organisations do not meet in the way that they used to, and the clock cannot be turned...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: She said "end the debate".

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: Let us go back to basics here. Currently, it is mandatory to have a public meeting. That is the law. This Bill is changing the law and saying it is no longer to be mandatory to hold a public meeting. That is the purpose of the Bill. The explanatory memorandum makes it clear that it is not intended as a pandemic measure. It is intended to be a permanent part of our law from now on that...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I am not talking about the development plan. I am talking about the relationship between councillors and the executive. I am saying the executive is not always a kind of meek servant of the council. Quite the reverse is the case in that it can have its own agenda items. Senator Fitzpatrick knows as well as I do that, to some extent, one has to play ball. There has to be a bit of...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: Maybe Senator Boyhan would reflect on the fact that Senator Higgins is a lifelong opponent of limiting length of contributions.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2020: Committee Stage (30 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: We have been talking about the need for public consultation, public meetings and the like. Given that we are in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic I would like to take this opportunity to draw to the Minister of State’s attention that there is one venue for public meetings in Rathmines Town Hall which, unfortunately, is used for ridiculous other purposes. A tiny group of ad...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Engagement on Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (2 Dec 2020)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister. I also welcome the pragmatic flexible approach he is indicating that Ireland is taking. People sometimes elevate principles to too much importance when practical matters are more important. Following on from Senator Lombard's point in respect of fisheries, my take on it is that when Ireland and the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1972, we had different...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael McDowell: Senator Higgins is being reasonable about this amendment, therefore I do not think I need to say too much about it. However, our immigration controls must be practical and workable. They cannot be an obstacle course of impenetrable presumptions against the proper conduct of immigration control. Therefore, it seems to me that were we to accept the amendment in its present form, it would...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael McDowell: I believe this amendment is reasonable. If we are to designate or dedesignate countries as safe countries for the purpose of this legislation, there should be an onus on the Minister who makes these decisions by statutory instrument to report to the Houses of the Oireachtas on the rationale of why a country has become safe or unsafe for these purposes. This does not prevent a Minister from...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael McDowell: The problem is that the Minister does this by statutory instrument. Frequently these Houses are not in a position to adequately understand the rationale behind a statutory instrument before it is made. Having an annual report is a good idea and should be acceptable to the Minister. If she has made changes to the list of safe countries, we should have an annual report on Ireland's approach...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael McDowell: In view of what Senator Higgins is saying, I agree with the Minister State that there should be scrutiny and reporting but the Houses of the Oireachtas will be in a position to do so without a plethora of reports and therefore, that seems reasonable. I want to note for the record of the House that the Leader’s amendment to the Order of Business has effectively been to guillotine the...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael McDowell: I wish to make one brief comment on the Long Title, which will not delay us. The United Kingdom leaving the European Union is a real tragedy. Whatever the views other member states may have of this, Ireland should adopt the position henceforth that the United Kingdom would be very welcome back into the European Union as soon as the people of the United Kingdom so wish and that no obstacle...