Results 2,241-2,260 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: Would it not be better, in the circumstances, to withdraw this amendment?

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: It is unsatisfactory that the Minister is proposing to provide a different regime for the presidents of the two lower courts than for the presidents of the two higher courts. If there is going to be a rule, it should apply to all of the presidencies. This amendment should be withdrawn and re-submitted.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: I am not trying to be difficult but the important point is that the Minister has said that is a special committee regime for appointment to the position of President of the High Court or President of the Court of Appeal. That is the model the Minister has proposed for section 44. This is different. This is dealing with the President of the High Court becoming an ordinary judge of, say, the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: I want to raise two matters today. One is the publication, in the name of the Leader on 27 March 2019, of a Bill from the Department of Justice and Equality in respect of gaming and lotteries. The bottom line of this Bill is that the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 is to be amended so as to take the right to decide whether to permit gaming casinos and amusement halls in their areas away from...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: Local authorities have few enough powers. One of them is to determine whether the people who live in the local authority area are to be subject to a rash of gaming machines appearing in that area. In addition, we do not need gaming machines. They add nothing to the sum total of happiness-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: -----or to anything else. They are permitted in amusement arcades in places like Bray, Bundoran and the like because they were seen to be part of a culture of holiday entertainment. That is the business of those local authorities, but it is scandalous that it will now be open season for gaming machines in Dublin city. The experience of the British, particularly in respect of fixed-odds...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: As the Senator has said, they are Semitic people as well. I want justice for these people. I do not want this international regime of bully boys from Brazil, Israel, America and Moscow to become legitimised because decent people do not speak out and houses of parliament in liberal democracies do not make their views known.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: On a point of order, I inform the Leader that I mistook the terms of his Bill. I confused it with a letter from a group of lobbyists and I was wrong. The Leader's Bill is much better than what has been proposed.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: I am on the Leader's side on that. It is the lobbyists I am against.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: I got that wrong. I misread the industry lobby.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: This is Cork South-Central politics.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: I was not expecting a proposal to amend the Order of Business but I support it very strongly because the issues are of some significance.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: Yes, I am seconding it.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: I was not expecting this proposal. The Leader may laugh but it is not a laughing matter. Now that it has been made, I accept it and it is the correct thing to do because allotting one and a half hours to discuss transport is a sick joke. This is especially the case, given the fact that the Order of Business provides plenty of time for bad legislation to be further progressed. I accept...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: This is a recipe for sheer chaos. I have given two instances but anybody who lives in the areas in question would see how draconian the proposals are. It is very interesting that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, under whose auspices this is being planned, claims the right to put in objections to various aspects of the NTA's policy proposals. Who is in charge in this country?...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: The legal profession blames the insurers and the insurers blame the legal profession and the judges but we have a thing in this country called "the Government". Many taxi drivers are charged €4,000 per annum for their insurance, which is €80 per week before they put petrol or diesel in their cars to get out on the road. That is crippling and the figures given by Senator...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: His contribution to the debate.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: What exactly is the Leader saying?

Seanad: Transport Matters: Statements (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his contribution. There are several issues I want to raise with him.Firstly, the Taoiseach has recently said that he is open to considering rerouting the southern leg of the MetroLink proposal to other suburbs of Dublin. I think he mentioned the axis running by UCD. Is the Minister's Department considering such an option? If so, will...

Seanad: Transport Matters: Statements (4 Apr 2019)

Michael McDowell: It is substantially narrower than the width of this Chamber, let alone its length. I can only describe it by saying that if a truck went down it there would be a major crisis. This is proposed as the relief route for traffic going into the city. These are just two instances. Looking at the route running past my gate I began to wonder if this could actually be sustained. It does not...