Results 20,641-20,660 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: On a point of order, the Standing Order states that a member of the Government can take the Order of Business. As Deputy Stagg knows, the Taoiseach is not only a member of the Government, but as Leader of the Government he has taken the Order of Business on a Thursday.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I thank the Labour Party for agreeing with it.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be left waiting.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: And Members' contributions.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: On a point of order, the Constitution can be repealed only by the people of Ireland, not by the Labour Party.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: It is a good job that the Deputy was elected.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I was here. Was the Deputy here?

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy has got it in one.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann: — notes: — the continuing commitment of the Government to engage constructively with all the parties in the Dáil on ways in which the conduct of business can be further improved; — that valuable Dáil time is wasted on procedural wrangling and recognises the need for a constructive...

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I am somewhat surprised that Fine Gael has chosen to spend its Private Members' time discussing one small element of Dáil reform, given that there exists a sub-committee of the House where agreement can be reached among the Whips and the various parties. The reason is that we have to work together as a Parliament. We need to reach a flexible framework within which we can work together and...

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: We will focus not only on the item Fine Gael has put forward because we want this to be a Parliament of the people. We want to bring forward proposals which will bring order, flexibility and improve the way in which we do business because that is what we on the Government side want to achieve. Unfortunately, in this debate Fine Gael is fixated on one issue——

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: ——that of ensuring the Taoiseach is in this House on Thursdays. If that is the only contribution Fine Gael can make to Dáil reform or the only topic it can find to discuss in its three hours of Private Members' time, one would have to question the relevance of the party, if not the relevance of that issue. It proves to me that Fine Gael has no alternative policies to offer on issues such...

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The motion is that the Taoiseach should be here on Thursdays, but I will tell the Deputy where he will be on the forthcoming Thursdays. This Thursday he will be in Rome, the following Thursday he will be in Northern Ireland and the following Thursday he will meet the Prime Minister of Macedonia and European Commissioner Barnier.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Let me highlight the hypocrisy of this debate on Dáil business and on the presence of leaders in this House. Last week we issued a schedule for this Friday to discuss the Mahon tribunal and the Nally report. However, at the special request of Fine Gael because Deputy Kenny has an important meeting in Lisbon——

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: ——Friday's Dáil business has been cancelled. The Dáil cannot sit on Friday because Deputy Kenny will be in Lisbon, but the Dáil will sit on Thursday while the Taoiseach is in Rome.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Deputy Kenny wants the Taoiseach to be in this House to answer questions to him on Thursday but the Dáil cannot sit on Friday because he will not be here.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: That just shows the level of hypocrisy there is in this regard. However, the business of this House will continue.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I was more than happy to oblige Deputy Kenny but there is a certain irony about the fact that on the same week he requires the Taoiseach to be here on a Thursday he will not be here on the Friday when Government business was to be discussed.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: However, important business will continue on Thursday and the Finance Bill will be passed on Second Stage.

Standing Orders: Motion. (10 Feb 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The Taoiseach is entitled to his time and to progress the European Presidency, a role which the public recognise is bringing great prestige not only to him or the Government but to the country. That has also been recognised by the International Herald Tribune. It has recognised the Taoiseach's ability to do the job he is doing and one of its editorials states, "For all this, Ahern is the...