Results 24,701-24,720 of 26,320 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien
- Seanad: Order of Business (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Is the Senator kidding? How long has she been in the Seanad?
- Seanad: Order of Business (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I thank Senator Bacik.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Having followed earlier contributions on the monitor, I believe there is nothing to be feared from this welcome amendment and the Bill is appropriate legislation in which to insert it. Vouching expenses and recording legitimate expenditure is perfectly correct. I was one of 12 Members of the previous Dáil who was subject to an audit by Mazars. I ask the Minister to examine the costs...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: The Fine Gael Party has still not done so this year.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I will not get into the issue of lunches in New York and various other matters for which records are not available.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: No details were published about $5,000 per plate lunches that were held during the previous rainbow Government.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: It was referred to in the Moriarty report.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Unfortunately, the Fine Gael Party leader and Taoiseach did not see fit to accept the findings of the Moriarty tribunal.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: No, the Minister did not. Mr. Justice Moriarty made some serious statements with regard to testimonies which he set aside and with which he did not agree. That is another day's work.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I should not have allowed the Minister to interrupt me. He knows what he is doing.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Yes, but I am glad he is present as many of his ministerial colleagues do not bother coming to the House. What happened yesterday, for example, was an outrage. I ask the Minister to raise the matter.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: The Minister is very good and does much work but the fact that the House had to adjourn yesterday because a Minister was not available-----
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I am suitably cautioned. That the Independent Senators tabled the amendment demonstrates that they consider it necessary to introduce the proposed change. The issue of expenses is cannon fodder for the media should they wish to spin matters in a certain way. This then feeds into public perceptions. The Oireachtas should avail of all opportunities to make changes of this nature. There is...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: As Senator Mac Conghail said, the immediate disclosure is something that would have to be examined, but I do not see any difficulty with that. There is no threshold in the amendment either. It could be helpful. There could be a way whereby when donations or contributions are lodged into the person's separate political account, that information could be forwarded on. I accept there would...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I am glad to hear the Minister was watching it.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Good. I am sure we will be reading a great deal about the forthcoming Fine Gael Ard-Fheis with interest. With regard to the gender motion, I do not believe it goes far enough. That is an amendment Senator Mac Conghail-----
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: No, it is why some of our delegates did, and they were perfectly entitled to do so. We run a democratic party. It is one member, one vote.
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: It is not in the big divvy-up way that Fine Gael uses, where it pays for its delegates to come to get the punter it wants on the tickets. That is not the way it will be done in our party. To clarify for the Minister, given that he showed such great interest in how some of our delegates voted, we are 100% in favour of greater female participation in electoral politics, but this Bill does not...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I agree with this amendment. Why does the Bill not deal with local authority elections or Seanad elections? Is the Government pre-empting the judgment of the Irish people on the forthcoming Seanad referendum, meaning that the Seanad is not included in the Bill? I caution the Minister on that as well, because the Government pre-empted the decision of the people before on the investigations...
- Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Senator Keane joined a couple of parties in her time. She has more experience than most of us.