Results 201-220 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: We are all in agreement with that.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: Absolutely not.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: Where is it in the ether?
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: It is-----
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: Independence-----
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: -----and control.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: Nothing in my mind would say that.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: It is not my intention.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: We are not suggesting that.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: It is unworthy of the Tánaiste to suggest that nobody from this side of the House mentioned victims. The whole focus of establishing an oversight body is to address the concerns of victims.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: There is no hierarchy of concern with regard to victims. That should not have been said. The central point I want to make in the amendment is that, objectively, and I have dealt with many bodies and reviews and so on, it is not appropriate to have the Secretary General of the Department on it. That is not anti-Secretary General; that is daft. It is nothing to do with the personalities....
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: My amendment No. 7 is in this grouping. As the previous speaker said, these proposals concern the membership of the very important external oversight body. The recommendation to establish such a body to oversee the operations of the Defence Forces really is the kernel of the Bill. The Tánaiste agreed, both at committee and again in our discussions on my first Report Stage amendment,...
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: I move amendment No. 4: In page 9, lines 12 and 13, to delete “in relation to a political matter or matter of Government policy” and substitute “in relation to a matter for political controversy”.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: Yes but that is not clear.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: No, "without prejudice to the purpose of the association" is fine. As the Tánaiste said, that is a catch-all phrase but it has no right. If we look at the prohibited activities of an association under section 2A on page 28, it cannot make a public statement or comment concerning a matter of Government policy. That is black and white, as opposed to the catch-all the Tánaiste is...
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: Or making themselves identifiable.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: The Tánaiste is right that the view of the Attorney General is there is a saver clause that allows discussion but there is an explicit prohibition that overrules it, as the Bill states they cannot engage in a matter of Government policy. If anybody looks at the Bill, they will see it is explicit that they cannot do it. The Tánaiste may state there are other undisclosed matters...
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: If it were Government policy not to give-----
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: Yes, they should not be party political.
- Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)
Brendan Howlin: The Bill also refers to members of the Defence Forces who are otherwise identifiable as such.