Results 18,201-18,220 of 50,830 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: Exactly. That is the point.

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: I thank Deputy Mathews for his kind comments and his erudite contribution which goes to the heart of much of what is wrong with our Parliament. The Parliament has not moved with the times and is losing its relevance to the public. When I mentioned the Chairpersons of various committees, the Minister of State took umbrage, yet in advance of the Seanad referendum, the Government produced a...

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: The Government celebrates getting rid of urban councils as the best reform in 100 years. It is not. It is removing a fundamental, low-cost element of our democracy which gave people a voice and allowed them to try to help their local communities.

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: We now have a situation with in Ukraine, Crimea and Russia which should remind us all-----

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: -----of the absolute imperative of democracy, the importance of democracy and the degree to which we should cherish it. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, and his party will never again put up posters exhorting people to vote "Yes" for fewer politicians. What an appalling message to send young people in this country. What appalling cynicism. Some of Deputy O'Dowd's backbenchers...

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: -----and the power of debate. I do not know whether Deputy O'Dowd saw Seamus Mallon's excellent programme with John Bowman yesterday. I noted Mr. Mallon's comments about how he enjoyed the House of Commons. What he enjoyed most was the debate, the engagement-----

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: -----and the ideas. I was taken by that contribution because that goes to the heart of what democracy is about - alternative voices, debates, competing opinions. There is too much uniformity here. We as a political party need to change as well; I am not saying otherwise. Of course we have to change. We go forward in a spirit, in the aftermath of the collapse, of having learned lessons...

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: This is Second Stage of the Bill. We acknowledge that it can be improved. The Second Stage speech of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, was almost like a Committee Stage contribution, going through the technical issues, the problems and so on. Apparently, it is impossible for us to allow our citizens to vote in embassies overseas, yet for many other countries there is no difficulty in...

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: -----so that we can have a meaningful discussion with Members of the House. Some of his own party's members, even in their later contributions this morning, indicated they wanted that kind of debate.

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Murphy stated earlier that he would welcome an opportunity to contribute. Therefore, I ask the Minister of State to allow this Bill to proceed to Committee Stage so that we can have discussions on it.

Seanad Reform Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Mar 2014)

Micheál Martin: It is depressing that the Taoiseach is ruling out any further referendum and ruling out any legislation to allow for direct franchise, which would get rid of the elitism on which the Minister of State rounded so agitatedly during the referendum campaign.

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: It is a week since the departure of the former Garda Commissioner, Mr. Martin Callinan, following a visit to his home by the Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality in which he conveyed the Taoiseach's view that the issue of telephone recordings was very serious. The following morning the Commissioner resigned, retired or was, as is my view, forced out of office. Last...

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: I find the Taoiseach's response incredible and difficult to comprehend. I will read into the record what the Minister said: "I was not briefed on this matter until approximately 6 p.m. on Monday, 24 March 2014 in the Department of Justice and Equality". The Taoiseach said in his response to me that the Minister for Justice and Equality had assured him that he was not briefed about the...

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: The two people who were having the conversation in the house knew about the correspondence. It defies belief that the Minister would not on the Monday evening have been briefed by departmental officials about the content of the letter. The Minister in his speech used words such as "furnished" and "received". What I am talking about is the content of the letter. One could not but be aware...

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: I have read the section.

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: The Secretary General did not inform the Taoiseach that the Commissioner had sent him a letter?

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: What were the Taoiseach's concerns on the Monday evening?

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: Will the Taoiseach respond to my question about the Monday evening briefing? Was the Taoiseach briefed on Monday evening by his officials about the content of the letter?

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: Was the Minister briefed about it on Monday?

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2014)

Micheál Martin: Perhaps the Taoiseach would answer my question about the briefing.