Results 3,561-3,580 of 5,046 for speaker:Paschal Mooney

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I broadly agree with all that has been said by Senator Power. Her remarks afford me an opportunity to commend to the House Women in Parliament: Ireland: 1918-2000, a book I had the privilege of producing in 2001 with Maedhbh McNamara, a senior research assistant in the Oireachtas. I commend it to those Members, particularly my male colleagues, who may not be au fait with the history of...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Senator White married one.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: And Senator Comiskey.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Senator Mooney is not finished yet.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I was only a day ahead of the Minister of State in learning the same facts.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: It was statistical.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: The same statistics indicated that women do not vote for women.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: It is harder.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: It is gospel.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: No, not on the ground.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I am grateful to the Minister of State for his openness and frankness and the honesty with which he brings his considerable experience, which is very understated and shows the humility of the man I know. I appreciate this issue will not change overnight. All I attempted to do was stimulate debate based on historical evidence which suggests that under the current terms of reference, and those...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I stand in awe and admiration of the breadth of Senator Cullinane's contribution which somehow managed, dextrously and efficiently, to transform a section on definitions into a treatise on the health service. If ever there was to be a question mark over the future of this House, with respect to the Senator, anyone from outside listening in would wonder what the debate was about apart from...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Regardless of whether it was synonymous, I would be the first to hold my hands up for the sins of Fianna Fáil and I hope Members on the other side of the House will be equally culpable for and humble about any mistakes their parties have made. It has always been a great source of amusement to me that all the sins of this State seem to fall exclusively on the shoulders of people who support...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: That is a matter for the people. Ultimately, this is about the people deciding. One of the great mistakes made by political commentators and activists is that they accuse a party of being in government for a long time but continually ignore the fact-----

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: -----that every party puts its policies before the people and the people decide. Is the Senator suggesting that the people were wrong in the most recent election? I would be happy to go along with that view if he believes they were. Sovereignty resides in the people and it is the people who ultimately make the decision. This old blather about our longevity in government is not a criticism...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: -----is insult the electorate. By the way, I do not believe it is in the best interests of democracy that any political party should spend more than perhaps two terms in office. There are term limits in America which I am not sure could be applied here but I have no difficulty with the concept. It is right and proper. Indeed, I am the first to acknowledge, as many Members on this side of...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I welcome the Minister of State. I should have referred to the following and I had hoped somebody else might have done so. In amendment No. 12, which is quite detailed, references are made to people who should be eligible to vote. There is a view, which has been gaining ground over the past number of years, that the process under which people are eligible to vote is restrictive. Other...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: And are sadly missed.

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2011)

Paschal Mooney: I, too, join with colleagues on this side of the House in wishing the Taoiseach well. It reminds me of American citizens who will compete effectively and in some cases bitterly in the lead up to a presidential election but once the President is installed everybody supports the President in times of national need. I would like to think the same would be true in our time of need. It has been...