Results 20,421-20,440 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I believe they are because these are the people who will pass this legislation.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I will and, with all due respect, I will tell you why. Solidarity-People Before Profit is supporting the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: Absolutely.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: There is a context here. The recent Jobstown trial in one of our courts, which I am allowed to comment on, was presided over by a judge. This is relevant to the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017. During that trial members of Solidarity-People Before Profit said publicly and in meetings held across the country and, in particular, in Dublin that they believed the jury selection was...
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: Many would say that.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I will not.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I said many would say it, and it was said on the radio earlier in the week that people felt that members of that jury may have felt uncomfortable-----
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I will withdraw the remark in relation to intimidation.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: It is a speech on Second Stage. We are not on Committee Stage and I am not going through each section of the Bill.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: A Chathaoirligh, I have been interrupted umpteen times. I am entitled to make the points I have made. I have said nothing that I believe is out of order and people can judge that for themselves. I simply said that in the recent Jobstown trial there were questions and campaigns by members of Solidarity-People Before Profit against the jury selection. That happened and you cannot dispute that.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: No, I did not withdraw that. It happened. What happened then? They were acquitted and nothing more was said about it. It was absolutely grand. These are people who give conditional support to our judicial system, and it is they who are supporting the changes being proposed by the Government. The Government is depending on that group of people to get this flawed legislation through the...
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I was watching the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, intently while my colleague, Deputy MacSharry, was putting forward his view and that of our party on this Bill. He seemed to cringe through most of it, possibly because, as a Minister of State at the Department of Justice, he is embarrassed by this legislation. If he were to be very honest about this, he would admit it.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I am not bad at reading it, to be honest, and the Minister of State looks most uncomfortable. At least he turned up here today. There is no one on the benches behind him. We, in Fianna Fáil, are here. All of the supporters in government who think-----
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I will get onto Sinn Féin in a minute. None of the Members who believe this is important, urgent legislation is here. This is not a criticism of the Minister of State but the new Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, should be here to listen to these contributions. I actually think the reason he is not here is because he does not believe in the legislation and because...
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I think it is relevant because Sinn Féin is supporting legislation that is going to fundamentally change how judges are appointed in this country. The Sinn Féin Deputies are probably watching the debate on their monitors so I bet a couple of them will scuttle in here in five minutes or so and take their seats, having been told by the unelected higher powers in their party to get in...
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I am dealing with the contents of the Bill. I can stand over the fact that members of the Provisional IRA-----
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I respect the Chair.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: Let me put it this way, let us look back historically. The context in which I raise these points is that our Judiciary operated and continues to operate in a very independent manner. It has stood up to threats to its independence from criminals, criminal gangs and terrorists.
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I will do so. I am saying this because some of the amendments on which Sinn Féin is insisting on Committee Stage will mean that some of the people who may have tried in the past to tamper with juries and trials and to influence courts in this country and who did not even recognise those courts could actually serve on this lay committee themselves. That will happen because of the deal...
- Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)
Darragh O'Brien: I cannot do that because it is true.