Results 2,481-2,500 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2006: Second Stage (6 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: It conjures up what Voltaire described as "pour encourager les autres" when Admiral Byng was shot. Why can the legislation not refer to military courts? We are not discussing the drastic punishments of the past. It is almost as if the church or ecclesiastical courts still called themselves the inquisition. One could argue that a name that increases fear is not bad, but the term "courts...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: While joining with other Members to express concern about the spread of avian flu and bearing in mind the possible restart of the World Trade Organisation negotiations following various private discussions at Davos involving Commissioner Mandelson, it is vital to have an effective and vigilant Minister and Department for Agriculture and Food, as we do. Consequently, I am highly concerned by...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: RTE 1 is still patchy.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: Fair point.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: That is all I have in Tipperary and I am quite happy with it.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the Minister and the Bill. I endorse Senator Ryan's last point. It is a great pity there are not packages which carry, say, Spanish, French or German options. About 20 years ago I remember calling on the late Fr. Faul. One of his few pleasures in life was that he had a satellite dish and a package which gave him access to European channels. We are a member of the European Union...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: I might have upgraded by then.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: Knock was established by the then Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: Under the former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: The Senator is referring to Fidel Castro.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: Another group, namely, the subscribers who were facing steep increases in their health insurance, will be very happy with this morning's announcement relating to Fermoy. On a separate issue, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, was reported yesterday as expressing a concern — one which Senators would share — about the financial costs arising from...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: The Ministers might also discuss whether the penalty points system could be used to stop the gross littering of our roadsides, particularly in the countryside. This proposal should be considered seriously. Anybody who throws non-biodegradable litter from their car should get two penalty points, with a five-point penalty for anyone who dumps a sack.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2007)

Martin Mansergh: If somebody dumps two sacks of litter, they should be disqualified from driving. It would be proper order because they are simply abusing road transport for that purpose.

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the Minister of State and his officials to the House. I was quite interested in the Fine Gael contribution. Are we to conclude from it that a Fine Gael-led Government would forthwith ban the use of Shannon Airport by certain categories of US aircraft? It would be important to know the answer to this question. I do not see any difference between the sides of the House on the...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Martin Mansergh: I find it extraordinary that someone who is so concerned about empty aircraft going through Shannon Airport, does not seem to have the same concern for a 45-year old——

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Martin Mansergh: ——Communist dictatorship which carried out thousands of executions in the early years and executions in 2003 of people trying to flee to the United States——

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Martin Mansergh: ——which was condemned by Amnesty International and writers on Latin America.

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Martin Mansergh: While I do not doubt the idealism of Senator Ryan, a strand in the European left is blind when it comes to the question of double standards. I am shocked the Senator would be pictured with the leader of a discredited regime which is holding back the country over which it rules. It is almost as if we would prefer a socialist dictator who offers no chance of democratic change to a capitalist...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Martin Mansergh: The House did not agree to the committee.

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (31 Jan 2007)

Martin Mansergh: Could we avoid raising questions of sexual identity?