Results 17,861-17,880 of 18,738 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: The Deputy Leader told us-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: She told us that the Minister had made it clear that the Bill had to be guillotined-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: What?
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: Sorry, it is not what-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: -----the Minister said. It was on the Minister's instruction.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: I strongly doubt that we are being told the full truth. I refer the Minister to what was said-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: I refer the Minister to what went on in Westminster when on BBC Radio 4 an individual said that it was possible to construct a statement and for it to be true, but with your fingers crossed.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: The Deputy Leader indicated to us that she had gone and sought instructions as to whether she could allow a lengthier debate, and that the Minister had made it clear that this legislation had to go through this House on a guillotine because it had to go-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: Yes.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: Either the Government is coherent or it is not. To be clear, nobody said they spoke to the Minister directly.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: Nobody said that but the House was informed that, on consultation - through the Leader, I think - it was emphasised that the Bill had to go through this week and that, as a result, it had to be guillotined. That is what we were told.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: It is a matter of complete indifference to me whether the Minister is available or not. The problem is that-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: The Minister will not get away with weasel words here.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: The simple fact is that this House was led to believe that the Government-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: That is shameful stuff. I was here this morning. We sought extra time but were denied it. It was represented to us that the Deputy Leader had, through whatever channel, sought extra time but it could not be given.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: All I am saying is that this is important legislation. Senator Malcolm Byrne pointed out that it has been 50 years since there was last a Bill on this matter. That is all the more reason that, in dealing with an important Bill of this kind, we should not confine the Committee Stage, with so many amendments having been tabled, to four hours. By the way, what happened this morning on the...
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: If the Minister is suggesting the guillotine has been self-imposed by the Seanad-----
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: -----but we were given the opposite impression on the Order of Business today. I have to protest what has happened here.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: I resent people coming in with milk and watery explanations as to what happened, who did speak and who did not. Senator Chambers was clear that she had sought extra time and it had been denied to her.
- Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Jul 2022)
Michael McDowell: Who decided not to take the Minister up on that?