Results 17,701-17,720 of 18,737 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I can tell the Senator that he will be waiting too.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I will be worse than retired.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: It is not agreed. I was unfortunately not able to participate in the Second Stage debate on the Bill. I would have liked to have said a few words about its general principle. I will take this opportunity on the section to make a few remarks about the Bill. First, in light of the judgment of the Supreme Court in Wayne Ellis v. the Minister for Justice and Equality, I believe the present...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: There is nothing that Senator Ward said with which I disagree at all. I know, from having been where he is now and from having served as an Opposition Deputy, a Minister and Attorney General, that there is always a clamour for minimum sentences. It is said that if you hit a Garda, you must go to jail for a year, for example. Minimum sentences go down well with some parts of the media. At...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I ask Senators to recall that section 40(a), of the legislation that was passed in 2007, states: The purpose of subsections (10) and (11) is to provide that in view of the harm caused to society by the unlawful possession and use of firearms, a court, in imposing sentence on a person (other than a person under the age of 18 years) for an offence under this section, shall specify as the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Second Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: A couple of things occur to me. First, we face a housing emergency and need to have dynamic and early response reactions to the housing crisis that is happening at the moment. Therefore, I commend the Minister on his hands-on approach. He is confounding some of his critics by the dynamism of his approach and his willingness to address the issues quickly. I must commiserate with the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Senator Fiona O'Loughlin has reminded us of the number of days that we are dealing with and the Cathaoirleach has also done so, but today an important opinion has been mentioned in the European Court of Justice process in Luxembourg, which is the advice of the advocate general on the issues raised in the Graham Dwyer prosecution and appeal. I regard what Europe has done in this area as...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: The court's suggestion that the retention of data should be reserved to national security is not practicable. We have instances of children abducted and there is an immediate requirement to find out where the abductor's phone is at any given time. That is nothing to do with national security, it has to do with plain humanity. The idea that somehow the privacy or dignity of an individual is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I hope I am not being disorderly in pointing out-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: -----because I know it is a point close to your heart, a Chathaoirligh, that if we had looked at a certain directive coming from Europe, we might not be in the current difficulty in respect of the Graham Dwyer case.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (18 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I warmly welcome the Taoiseach and thank him for coming to the House. I welcome the remarks he made about Seanad reform, starting with a potential role in the scrutiny of European directives. This morning, we had a very clear indication from a court in Brussels, in the context of the opinion of the judge advocate on the Graham Dwyer case, of the implications European directives can have for...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: What I want to say about this Bill is that I do not agree with the substance of it at all, that it is a fundamental mistake, that it is going in the wrong direction and that it will eventually, over time, reduce the amount of residential accommodation available for tenants in this country. I do not agree with the new concept of tenancies of indefinite duration. What we are effectively doing...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: I understand I am now going to breach my undertaking not to contribute any further to the debate but I want to make a focal scoire. I fully understand there is a housing shortage at the moment. I fully understand that people are being gouged for rent. I understand all of that. However, the amendment the Minister of State is proposing to section 5, which I realise I am being slightly...

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Tá leasú Uimh. 26 as ord.

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Tá baint ag leasuithe Uimh. 29 agus 30 le chéile agus pléifear le chéile iad.

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Ar mhaith leis an Seanadóir leasú Uimh. 29 a bhrú?

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Ar mhaith leis an Aire Stáit labhairt anois?

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: An bhfuil an Seanadóir chun an leasú a bhrú?

Seanad: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Michael McDowell: Cathain a mbeartaítear Céim na Tuarascála a thógáil?