Results 17,581-17,600 of 18,737 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: I will finish this sentence. The Government was dealing with an emerging situation. As it concluded, the matter had to be dealt with at a constitutional level and could not be dealt with at a statutory level. The issue was, when would a referendum be held and would it be a single issue-only referendum or would it be on an occasion when the people were going to the polls. The view at the...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: I have more to say on the next occasion.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister for coming in to the Chamber today. I believe strongly that the rights of tenants need to be carefully protected at this stage. I am talking about the legitimate rights of tenants. Obviously, I agree with the previous speaker about somebody who is not paying his or her rent. There are, by the way, some extraordinary, egregious cases of people who have run up...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: The definition of the emergency period is one of a period where the 5 km restriction is in place. That is, unfortunately, what we are doing. It probably makes no difference, because at the snail's pace at which things are happening it probably will stay in place. I am just saying that anybody who thinks the 5 km will be changed in the next few weeks should read this Bill and the 2020 Act...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement: Mr. David O'Sullivan (30 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: I thank Mr. O'Sullivan for being here. It is good to see him again slightly in the flesh or as near as circumstances permit him to be in the flesh with us this evening. It seems to me that the investment court system, ICS, issue is one on which it is possible to take a number of different stances. I want to explore with Mr. O'Sullivan the following. As I understand it, going back to our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement: Mr. David O'Sullivan (30 Mar 2021)

Michael McDowell: Given that the provisional acceptance effectively makes CETA operative in nearly every respect except the investor section and the ISDS bit, is there any urgency to this at all? Nobody is suggesting that there is a major investor confidence issue between Canada and the EU so is any real damage being done by a delay in its implementation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Impact of the Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement on Irish-Canadian Trade and Relations: Discussion (13 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: My question is addressed to all of our speakers. I am grateful for their attendance. I will not reiterate what others have said about the ISDS system in general. Am I right in thinking that a US company could, by making an investment through a Canadian subsidiary, attract protections under CETA that would not exist if it was a direct investor in Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Impact of the Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement on Irish-Canadian Trade and Relations: Discussion (13 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I understand that there is an exclusion for letterbox companies and that there has to be a substantial connection, but I am talking about substantial companies. There are substantial companies created and established in Canada that have American shareholders. I think those American shareholders can decide to operate through their own companies when investing in Ireland or through a Canadian...

Seanad: Children Amendment Bill 2020: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (19 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister for her kind words. I want to express my happiness that the legislative process has addressed the difficulties that arose from the interpretation by the Court of Appeal of the Children Act 2001 and, in particular, section 252. The Court of Appeal invited the Oireachtas to look at this issue if it was unhappy with the outcome of their decision. Everybody wanted to...

Seanad: Criminal Procedure Bill 2021: Second Stage (19 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the principle behind the Bill, but I want to sound a few warnings. Senator Conway has just spoken about the speeding up of trials. That is illusory at the moment on two fronts. Ireland has a very poor record on the timing between the detection of an offence and the trial relating to that offence. A cynic told me recently that Bernie Madoff would probably be on his second...

Seanad: Criminal Procedure Bill 2021: Second Stage (19 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: It is not agreed by me but I will not push it to a vote. We need plenty of time to consider this legislation.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: New and Future Relationship Between the UK and Ireland: Discussion (19 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I welcome Mr. O'Ceallaigh and thank him for participating and his oral and written contributions to today's proceedings. There are several matters of which I strongly believe Ireland should be conscious. One of them has already been mentioned by Mr. O'Ceallaigh in his evidence to the committee. When I was a Minister and, before that, the Attorney General, I had occasion, particularly as...

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: New and Future Relationship Between the UK and Ireland: Discussion (19 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: That is good.

Seanad Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: New and Future Relationship Between the UK and Ireland: Discussion (19 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I thank Mr. O'Ceallaigh for that. I will add that the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad is proposing to hugely increase the role of the Seanad in looking at draft legislation from Europe. He deserves the support of the public service because, as Mr. O'Ceallaigh said, this is an area in which we are, by common consent, falling down a bit. I have not seen much effort being put into pre-legislative...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 7: In page 9, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 91 of Principal Act 11.Section 91 of the Principal Act is amended— (a) in subsection (1)(e) by the insertion of “or a confirmation of truth” after “statutory declaration”, (b) in subsection (1)(g) by the deletion of “has made a...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I agree with Senator Martin that the vast majority of people behave fairly and are genuine. The amendment has been drafted from the point of view of practitioners but all they are doing is signalling. The amendment is not drafted from the point of view of massive banks. It is merely saying that if we are going to remove this constraint, let us not have a situation where debtors will be...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister of State for his considered reply. I wish to reflect on the points he has made and, therefore, with the permission of the House, I will withdraw the amendment and consider whether to resubmit it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Criminal Procedure Bill 2021: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and express my appreciation for the amendment made to the Order of Business today in respect of this Bill. I will make a few points in respect of the Bill. First, I think this Bill needs to be more carefully considered than perhaps it was in Dáil Éireann. They had a debate there and a number of amendments were put down by the Sinn...

Seanad: Criminal Procedure Bill 2021: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: I hope Senator Ward was not implying that I was asking that we go back to the times of Robert Day because I was not.

Seanad: Criminal Procedure Bill 2021: Committee Stage (26 Apr 2021)

Michael McDowell: However, I am saying that the whole process of jury trial has become much more complicated. I agree with Senator Ward that many aspects of the current system are protective of the accused and the rights of the accused. In the context of what is the most liberal bail law of all the common law jurisdictions and the delays that exist, from the point of view of the victim of crime, the period...