Results 3,701-3,720 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I am sure the legal profession, which feels a little battered by the establishment of the PIAB, will be very appreciative and supportive of the Bill, as improved and amended.

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the Minister. However, I do not welcome the fact that the resolution is still, unfortunately, necessary. The Minister, in his former capacity as Attorney General, and I, in my former capacity as adviser, took part in proceedings of the Northern Ireland Cabinet sub-committee when this response to the terrible Omagh bomb was being formulated. It was necessary then and it is necessary...

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I wish to raise the point about paternity leave, given the age factor that will apply.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Now.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I warmly welcome the amendment and I thank the Minister for responding to reasoned debate on all sides of the House on this issue. The legal profession did not adopt a fundamentalist position on the status quo and will be happy to work with this legislation. If unforeseen problems arise there is always the possibility of legislating later. We are all pleased that this amendment has been accepted.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: While I must accept the Minister's judgment on this — it is a difficult issue of judgment — I urge him to consider it further as the Bill goes through the Oireachtas. All of us would have received quite strong representations from the legal profession on this matter and I see some merit in the suggestion of Senator O'Meara that a period of three months should be considered as a compromise.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I have also received representations on this point. I accept the way the subsection is worded means that some latitude is allowed. It is not just seven days but, as the subsection states, "or such longer period as the court may direct or the parties may agree". Nonetheless, there is merit to giving consideration to changing this to one month.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: There is an important difference between the provisions of the proposed Bill and the wording of amendment No. 36. On the face of it, the Bill simply provides for a straightforward, deadpan report be it verbatim or summary. The amendment involves some degree of assessment and analysis as well as a report. Whether the exact wording of the amendment fits the Bill or whether after further...

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I support the amendment. Is there any sort of centralised information regarding the extent of arrears? Could the Minister illustrate — not necessarily by mentioning particular cases — how long reserved judgments take in the worst cases? Regarding the register, will it be public and can it be taken up by journalists, if necessary, in particular cases?

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I agree that last Friday was a very good day for democracy. The people's vote was up by several percent. While wishing to join in congratulating everyone concerned, none of us, either optimistically or pessimistically, should pre-empt the choice of the people in two or three years time. Can the Leader arrange a debate on the annual report of An Post? There is much concern throughout the...

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I have had representations from the legal profession to the effect that much documentation is involved and the time period is considered too short. Naturally enough, I would be interested to hear the considered opinion of the Minister, with his legal background, on this point.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Like my colleague, Senator O'Meara, I am well motivated by the Tipperary Bar association.

Seanad: Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (3 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Whatever expression one chooses to use. Senator Terry's amendment raises an important point on which we would do well to reflect and there is much cogency in the argument put forward by Senator Jim Walsh that one may need a nuanced approach. While trying to deal with this we must not lose sight of the strategic function of this and other related legislation, which is to reduce the compo...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I agree that the financial figures are very good and encouraging. We had a debate on the economy very recently and I am not certain it is necessary to repeat it quite so soon. I appeal for an end to the phoney war on the nitrates directive. It has been explained over and over again at every level — I have done it myself in my county — what the situation is and that a derogation will be...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Let us have a real argument. The farming organisations are about to enter the social partnership negotiations and there is ample opportunity there——

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: ——to clarify any concerns and provide any necessary reassurances.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: All of us are disturbed at what has been happening in some of our financial institutions. However, we need to keep matters in perspective. The point about the people who received publicity in the past week is essentially that they got caught. It is not necessarily the case that everything else is all right. I noticed an article in one of the newspapers yesterday headlined, "Crocodile tears...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: The meetings were not about self-promotion.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Motion. (2 Jun 2004)

Martin Mansergh: The history as outlined by the Senator is somewhat defective.