Results 3,081-3,100 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen
- Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: I would like to raise two separate but somewhat interconnected issues. In recent years, we have all become used to the hype around the so-called Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.This practice is the latest in a long line of fads that have been imported into Ireland from America, although not all of them are negative. As recent reporting indicates, it tends to be more focused on online...
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: I have spoken numerous times recently on the use and abuse of the referendum process, particularly by this Government. It is now the weapon of choice for all kinds of populist proposals, or for providing cover or distraction from other controversies or Government failures. Apart from the recent abortion and blasphemy referendums, there is talk of the constitutional protection of women who...
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: It has been suggested that there could be a third referendum on divorce. There is a proposal for Irish people living abroad to be allowed to vote in presidential elections. The idea that we should have a referendum on public ownership of water is a nonsense populist proposal that has been acceded to by the Government to dampen the flames of the Irish Water fiasco.
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: The list seems to go on and on.
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy D'Arcy, seems to have added another referendum to this list. Last week, he made a direct threat against the Judiciary when he warned that the Government might hold a referendum to curb its discretion in respect of personal injury awards and, specifically, whiplash awards. This raises a number of issues. As we know well in this...
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: We cannot afford to make any changes in this area which might affect those who suffer as a result of genuine injuries. The best way to deal with false insurance claims is to encourage and assist insurance companies to probe and defend rigorously those claims they believe to be suspect.
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: A recent High Court case pertaining to a serious attempt at insurance fraud, which involved a number of individuals, was successfully defended by the insurance company through rigorous investigation and strong legal defence. That is the way to go. The courts system can work. We need to find ways of assisting it, rather than resorting to draconian and populist measures, which is a mania at...
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: Would the Senator describe that as a populist referendum?
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: I asked would the Senator describe it as a populist referendum.
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: I was making a correction.
- Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: The high moral ground suits the Senator.
- Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: RTÉ could sell that highly valuable property in Donnybrook and move to the centre of Ireland. It would be part of the solution as well.
- Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: I heard what people had to say this morning relating to a court case. We are very good in this House at giving out about things we hear in the media or being said in other fora. When it comes to how a lawyer defends his or her client, we must be extremely careful. We are legislators and if a change in the law is required about the rules of evidence, and specifically what is admissible as...
- Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: It is how we will get to the goal the Senator wishes to achieve. I wanted to address a somewhat vaguely related area, which is the announcement by the Taoiseach and the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, that 45 senior posts in third level institutions would be earmarked exclusively for women. We should debate the proposal in the House...
- Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: I am not criticising her. I am mentioning her article. Why is it that anybody critiquing proposals like this, either on principle or because they see unforeseen consequences, be painted as either misogynistic, conservative or rooted in the past, either directly or by implication?
- Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: Surely this kind of name calling does a disservice to the attempt that needs to be taken to solve this problem, which is the cause of women in the professions.
- Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: Critics like Senator Bacik and others have been quite wrong about where the opposition is coming from. Many prominent women have criticised this proposal, including Ms Geraldine Kennedy, the first woman editor of a national newspaper. I would not describe her as one of the usual suspects. We need to think and talk. It would be a service to all of us if we could debate with the Minister of...
- Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: There is nothing gradual about it.
- Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (7 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: Are we disturbing the Senator?
- Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (7 Nov 2018)
Rónán Mullen: Senator McDowell is very interesting, as Members will be aware.