Results 18,741-18,760 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Health (Scoliosis Treatment Services) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister. I note what she says about the apparent concentration of some surgical procedures in Blackrock. I ask her, the Department and the HSE to ask why that is happening and whether there is a differential between patients who have insurance and patients who do not in being seen in that context.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I am happy to leave the final words from those who are not members of the committee to Senator Black. As I understand it, what Mr. Smyth saying is that, as between member states of the European Union, there is a treaty entitlement to prevent the importation of goods from one country to another on public policy grounds. That is a treaty right. Am I right in also thinking that with regard to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I know, but I am saying that in this particular case, an orange grown in Jaffa is in Israel and would not be covered by this, whereas an orange grown in the occupied territories would be covered by it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: Can we take it then that the public policy relates to the origin of the goods and not their nature? That is the second point. I understand Mr. Smyth's point that we do not have the regulatory platform that we do in relation to goods expressed in European law and regulation. Can I put the following proposition to him? It seems to me to be utterly devoid of common sense that Ireland could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: Yes. Suppose there was an agreement for the supply of services and no mention of the nature of the services, and Mr. Smyth says that Ireland is not in a position to say "No" to the supply of the service that it could say "No" to from Luxembourg, Holland or France because this is an EU competence under a general power under the treaties. Does that not strike Mr. Smyth as extremely contrived...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025 (1 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I heard that but regardless of the categorisation, I am suggesting to Mr. Smyth that this is a contrived, artificial distinction without any basis in common sense.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I want to raise with the Leader of the House the possibility of having, before the House rises for the summer vacation, the opportunity to collectively consider a resolution on the situation in Gaza. Today, it is reported that Israel Katz, the defence minister for Israel, has announced a plan that the IDF is working on to remove all of the 2 million people from Gaza to a compound which it...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his attendance. There are many features of this Bill with which I am in complete agreement and there are others on which I am mainly in agreement, subject to some criticisms I might have to make. One of the principal functions of this legislation, as introduced by the then Minister, Deputy McEntee, was the abolition of juries in the High Court....

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: Very fashionable.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: Normally, I would not comment on a section of this kind but I want to draw the attention of the House to what we are doing. We are proposing to amend the Planning and Development Act 2024. I have a copy of it here. The Act will be twice as long when it is translated into Irish. We are waiting for that process to take place. I want to put on the record of the House that the Bill was...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I share Senator Keogan's reservations about the Office of the Planning Regulator. I understand what the Minister has said on it emerging from one of the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal but, with the greatest of respect, the fact the tribunal had to deal with allegations of corruption in respect of zoning and rezoning by local authority members never required something as draconian as...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I support it.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I second the proposal.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I second the amendment proposed by Senator Clonan to the Order of Business. Somebody listening to the Order of Business today would be struck by the consistent expressions of horror across the House at what is happening in Gaza. The terms on which we decry it, deplore it and condemn it are very important. The accusation being made against Ireland by senior politicians in the United States,...

Seanad: Gaza: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I second the motion.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I want to raise on the Order of Business today the need for a full debate in this House on facts and circumstances, some of which have only partly emerged in the media, concerning grave issues relating to the armoury section of An Garda Síochána, which have been dealt with by An Garda Síochána and the Department of justice. There has been limited media coverage of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I would prefer them to be discussed separately.

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I support the substance of Senator Ryan's amendment for a number of reasons and I echo all the arguments she made without exception. First, the newspapers of Ireland have convinced themselves that their problem with defamation law lies with juries. They have convinced themselves of that narrative and nothing will dislodge them from that conviction. They have convinced themselves that...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Michael McDowell: I echo what Senator Stephenson has said about ignoring other voices in society. If the Irish Council for Civil Liberties thinks jury trials should not be abolished, if the Law Reform Commission thinks they should not be abolished and if the justice committee of this House and Dáil Éireann thinks they should not be abolished, who actually is demanding that they should be abolished?...