Results 1,741-1,760 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I agree that nobody should be excluded simply on the basis of membership of a political party but dozens of people who are qualified to sit on the Central Bank commission have no association with political parties. The suspicion that those who are closely associated with political parties can be relied on to do what their party demands rather than serve the interest of the State will be held...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: Having stuck rigidly to the issue, I plead with the Minister to think again on the Schedule and establish a system which separates the party in power from these appointments by at least one remove. I do not mind how he achieves this but the issue is of the utmost importance. I assume the appointments will be made in the next week or thereabouts. I ask the Minister to give some assurance...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I am staggered by what Senator MacSharry said. I do not know whether he ever heard of the Drumcondra mafia. It was not possible to be a member of the Drumcondra mafia without being a member of a State board. Perhaps it just happens that they were all incredibly qualified to sit on the boards to which they were appointed. However, it is fair enough to point out that this is an abuse that...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: There was at least one member of that group on the board-----

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: -----of the Central Bank, so Senator MacSharry should be careful.

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: Correct. I was making exactly that point. One only needs to look at the performance of the coterie that surrounded the last Taoiseach to know that every single one of them was slotted in to a position on one of the semi-State boards for which, in many cases, they were blatantly unsuited and under-qualified. It is absurd to maintain that that sort of thing was not going on. It was going on...

Seanad: Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: No one is suggesting that.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I do not know whether Senator Quinn seconded Senator Mullen's motion.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I support it. I have no hesitation in saying I will be voting in favour of the civil partnership Bill and have no problems with it. However, like Senators Quinn and Mullen I cannot understand why there should be a whip on this Bill. Particularly in this House it is important that we show respect for people on the other side of the argument and recognise the very strong feelings in all...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Banking Sector) Order 2010: Motion (8 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to explain this. I welcome the fact the commission is being set up. It is obviously required after the two earlier reports. There is a danger that we will have five reports in the same area fairly shortly, including the Honohan report and the Regling-Watson report. The Minister of State can correct me if I am wrong but there will be...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Banking Sector) Order 2010: Motion (8 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I apologise. I did not realise I was taking other Senators' time. If the inquiry is restricted to that period of time, it will tend to restrict itself to the fallen personalities rather than the present ones, and personalities are important. One of the values of the report will be that the commission will be in a position to criticise those people who are exercising power in the banks at...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Banking Sector) Order 2010: Motion (8 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: No.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I add my voice to those of Senators Corrigan, Bradford and others on the situation in Iran and congratulate the Department of Foreign Affairs. I echo the words of Senator Mooney - if the words of the Minister for Foreign Affairs had an effect last week, that is laudable and something we should encourage. The case involves a barbaric act, something on which we cannot be neutral. However, I...

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I am not going to rank capital punishment on various levels of barbarity and primitiveness. It would be appropriate, however, were we, at every possible opportunity, to make it clear to the United States of America, China and other nations that we also find their activities in executing people utterly unacceptable. We have abolished capital punishment ourselves in this country.

Seanad: Order of Business. (13 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: If we achieve success in protesting about the Iran case, we must also do it to our traditional friends and allies.

Seanad: Semi-State Bodies (14 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I welcome the Minister of State. The matter I wish to raise is one with which he will have some familiarity because he was a member of the Joint Committee on Transport in a former life. The issue is the refusal of the non-executive directors of CIE to appear before the Joint Committee on Transport. I regard this as an extraordinarily serious issue. These non-executive directors were asked...

Seanad: Semi-State Bodies (14 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: Of course, the reply did not answer the question and the Minister of State should be ashamed of himself for reading that script given to him by the Department of Transport. The issue here is not whether it is compliant. As he stated, CIE complied with all requests about procurement. The issue here is whether non-executive directors - take CIE out of the equation - should appear before and...

Seanad: Semi-State Bodies (14 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: It does not stop them coming in.

Seanad: Semi-State Bodies (14 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: I did not ask that question. I am sorry, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, I will not ask a supplementary. I will ask the same question and I want an answer to it. Does the Minister approve of non-executive directors on any issue being allowed not to come in and not to be answerable to the Oireachtas? Do not give me this stuff about procurement or about the Act. Does the Minister approve of them not...

Seanad: Semi-State Bodies (14 Jul 2010)

Shane Ross: It does not provide for Coco the Clown coming in either but he can come in too.