Results 17,541-17,560 of 18,737 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I wish to comment on Senator Ward's withdrawal of his amendment. There are issues relating to politically exposed persons which I wish to consider. Senator Ward's amendment simply sought to consolidate the law in that regard, but in saying I agree to him withdrawing the amendment, I am not abandoning the issue of the need for reform in this area, which I will return to later.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 7: In page 11, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “11. The Act of 2010 is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 37: “Guidelines For Enhanced Due Diligence – Politically Exposed Persons 37A. (1) The Minister, where he or she considers it necessary or expedient, may, with the consent of the Minister for...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister of State and I understand that he could not take the amendment on board. I am not proud of any particular version of it but the idea that there should be some way in reserve of bringing common sense into the administration of this legislation is important. In the amendment, I tried to tiptoe through the minefield of not offending European law in doing it. I will say...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (8 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister of State for his consideration that the provisions of section 40 seem to prevent any relaxation in respect of transferring the obligation to another institution in regard to politically exposed persons. I do not think that is necessarily mandated by the directive. In the circumstances, with the leave of the House, I am not moving this amendment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I will ask one supplementary question. I was not saying that whoever made the decision was unaware of the political consequences. It was that it was, legally, completely wrong. The annex and Article 16 are not applicable, as the Minister of State's own statement says, to the moving of vaccines through Ireland into the UK. It simply was an abuse of the protocol and in flagrant breach of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: It was my intention to draw the attention of the House to the motion in my name and the names of other Senators, including Senators from all groups and parties in this House, namely, No. 8 on the Order Paper concerning the fate of Mr. Richard O'Halloran who is being detained in China. Last week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, called me about this motion and requested that,...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State's amendments. Since we are dealing with amendments Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, I want to thank the Minister of State for listening to the debate and the contributions of the Members of this House, and responding in this manner to the proposal which I made. I fully accept what the Minister of State said that it is not possible to effectively amend the requirements...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I did not want to mention Sinn Féin and-----

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I echo what Senator Ward has said.

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time". The Children (Amendment) Bill 2020 has emerged in certain circumstances which may be somewhat surprising to many. The Court of Appeal's civil division delivered a judgment on 29 October last. The presiding judges were the President of the court, Mr. Justice Birmingham, Ms Justice Kennedy and Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh. The case was...

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I do not wish to add very much to what the Minister has said. I thank her for her contribution and appreciate that she went to the Cabinet and got leave to support this legislation on terms, so to speak, that the Cabinet understood. However, I ask the Minister not to write that in stone either because there are issues to be teased out.I will give the Minister an example. If there were a...

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: Next Monday week.

Seanad: Remote Working Strategy: Motion (15 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I will not oppose this motion. I admire greatly the commitment of Senator Currie to the whole concept of remote working. To me, it is something that will obviously be part of our future to a greater extent than was ever envisaged. As Senator Currie stated, the process has been dynamised by the Covid-19 lockdowns as people are beginning to see it is possible to work remotely and to shift...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: Over the last number of weeks, the Houses have discussed the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters at length. Pressure on time and speaking slots has made it impossible for me to contribute. However, I want to take a few minutes today to put my views on the matter on the record. Unfortunately, the report of the commission was...

Seanad: Covid-19 (Transport): Statements (26 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister. Looking around me, we are surrounded by members of the Green Party, including the Acting Chairperson, Senator Garvey. It is a happy situation that the Acting Chairperson is here. I want to express my agreement with Senator Pauline O'Reilly that we have to rethink many issues, but the rethinking is not all one way. It is not all rethinking on the part of people who...

Seanad: Covid-19 (Transport): Statements (26 Feb 2021)

Michael McDowell: I know Roosky particularly well.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: Ba mhaith liom, ar dtús, aontú go hiomlán leis an méid a bhí á rá ag an Seanadóir Boyhan i dtaobh an tUrramach Enda McDonagh. Maidir le Riar na hOibre, go ginearálta, táimse i gcoinne aon rún chun Bille ar bith a phlé agus gach Céim le chéile ar ócáid shingil ach ba mhaith a admháil go bhfuil staid...

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad (1 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: I welcome what the Leader has said and I understand the background to it. I am confident there will be good developments. The less said, the better.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister to the House. This is genuine and I deprecate the recent media coverage of many of the aspects of the crisis that has tended to personalise the problems we have and, in particular, to do so unfairly with regard to the Minister. Normally I would be wholly opposed to a proposal, and I said this as Gaeilge níos luaithe, to debate a measure of this kind in such rapid...

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1: To delete subsections (1) and (2) and substitute the following: “(1) The Children Act 2001 is amended by the substitution of the following for section 252: “Anonymity of child in court proceedings 252.(1) Subject to this section, in relation to any proceedings for an offence against a child or where a child is a witness in any...