Results 3,241-3,260 of 18,727 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I am just making the point that so much care has been taken that even if somebody for some reason is in attendance, the casting vote can never go to a lawyer. That is an extraordinary provision to put in if there was an equality of votes as to whether-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: Hold on a second. What boards are you talking about?
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I do not know what the Leader is talking about.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: Through the Chair, I have to tell the Leader that I always had misgivings about the ending of the dual mandate.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I often think that one of the slightly ludicrous side effects of the ending of the dual mandate-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I am only responding to the Leader's question.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: The point was that Senators were entitled to the same service from a local authority with respect to a constituency in which they geographically lived as a member of a local authority would be. That always struck me as an anomaly.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I sometimes think that this and the other House would have been strengthened rather than weakened by having members of local authorities sit in the Houses as opposed to other things.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: We have to be relevant and I want to be relevant.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: There is one point I do want to ask the Minister about. Subsection 15(5) says the quorum for the commission shall, unless the Minister otherwise directs, be nine members, five of whom shall be lay members. Is the Minister entitled to select a different number than nine, permanently or temporarily? Can he issue a general direction that the quorum is going to be four?
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: It is my pleasure to do so. I will give the Minister time to think about these circumstances so he can give a direction.
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I am saving my voice for-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I propose an amendment to the proposed Order of Business, that there be a sos between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: If Senator Craughwell formally moved it, I formally second it.
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: People are entitled to an evening meal.
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: It is so that we can have a tea break during the long debate.
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: Any reason for opposing the amendment is a pretence that this matter is urgent and needs to be rushed through the House. There is plenty of time to discuss it and the only person who thinks it is urgent is one member of the Cabinet. The Minister told us it would take many months, possibly between eight and 18, to get the whole process going once the Bill is passed, so there is no huge...
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: There are another 30 or 40 Members of this House who are in a position to see if there is anybody, not necessarily from within this House, who is a worthy and appropriate candidate. This is a democratic State so we should not have shoo-ins by the arrangement of the powers that be.
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I come from a group of Independents which has all the talents. We have at least three aspiring Presidents among us and I ask if any other group in the House can match that.
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Jul 2018)
Michael McDowell: I certainly will.