Results 361-380 of 1,683 for speaker:Derek McDowell

Seanad: Finance Bill 2006 [Certified Money Bill]: Second Stage. (28 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: It is always my good fortune to have an opportunity to speak after the point where control of the House slips into the hands of the Progressive Democrats following inflammatory comments from Senator Ross, after which he promptly disappears. On more than one occasion this has tempted me down a number of culs-de-sac, most of which I will try to avoid today. I wish to begin with a nakedly...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2006 [Certified Money Bill]: Second Stage. (28 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: Let me avoid further culs-de-sac. I want to spend most of my time speaking about what I consider to be the guts of the Bill, which is the manner in which it deals with capital allowances and the special reliefs and incentives that have been in place, in some cases, for 30 or 40 years. The reports published by the Minister made for fascinating reading. I compliment the Minister for having...

Seanad: Diplomatic Relations and Immunities (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (22 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: I apologise that Senator Ryan, our spokesman on these matters, cannot be here. This Bill raises an issue we rarely discuss, namely, diplomatic immunity. I was struck reading the speeches on Second Stage in the Dáil and listening to contributions here, by the automatic acceptance that it is necessary and good. I agree but only up to a point. The Minister of State listed some of the exemptions...

Seanad: Diplomatic Relations and Immunities (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (22 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: I assumed that was the answer but we should examine this issue. It might arise from international agreements and we are unlikely to change this practice unilaterally, but we should at least ask about it. Many Irish people would be surprised to know that the representatives of so many organisations they have never heard of are walking the streets with all these immunities. This Bill gives me...

Seanad: Diplomatic Relations and Immunities (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (22 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: Can privileges be revoked in such circumstances?

Seanad: Diplomatic Relations and Immunities (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (22 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: I appreciate the Minister of State's reply.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Statements. (8 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. It becomes obvious in debates such as this that this House is an overwhelmingly rural-based House where people do not seek to represent Dublin. The burden falls to me to represent, as best I can, those in the Civil Service who work in Dublin.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Statements. (8 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: I see the Minister of State is disappointed I was not here earlier. I do not want to let him leave without a few statements he can later quote. I will start where Senator Kitt concluded because that is probably the best example of the difficulties arising with regard to decentralisation, namely the decentralisation of Ireland Aid to Limerick. The Minister of State did not address this...

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Statements. (8 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: With their jobs.

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme: Statements. (8 Mar 2006)

Derek McDowell: I am disappointed the Minister of State did not.

Seanad: Road Network: Motion. (8 Feb 2006)

Derek McDowell: When will the Senator raise the Fermoy bypass?

Seanad: Road Network: Motion. (8 Feb 2006)

Derek McDowell: I wish to share my time with Senator Tuffy. A statement of principle is probably a good place to start. I do not have a problem, in principle, with tolls. Sometimes the impression is given that all Government politicians are in favour of tolls, so long as they are not in their own areas, and all Opposition politicians are against them. I do not have problem in principle with tolls but they...

Seanad: Social Partnership: Statements. (7 Feb 2006)

Derek McDowell: I will start on a positive note as most of my contribution will be critical, although not negative. I believe social partnership has had a vital role in the past 20 years in, first, getting us through the fiscal crisis of the late 1980s and, second, in doing a great deal to get us through the unemployment crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, at some stage in the mid-1990s it...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Feb 2006)

Derek McDowell: The issue raised by Senator O'Toole is of great importance. The primary message that should be sent from this House is one of understanding and solidarity with the people of Denmark and the Danish Government. This is an issue that requires sensitivity and cool heads as well as tolerance. It would be stupid of us as Europeans to suggest that Europe has always been a model of tolerance as...

Seanad: Health Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Derek McDowell: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I appreciate the matter I raised was fairly comprehensive but I ask him and his Department to examine the whole issue of the availability, cost and accessibility of testing because real problems exist, certainly in the Dublin area, with which I am familiar, in accessing tests.

Seanad: Health Services. (6 Dec 2005)

Derek McDowell: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment, which relates to sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. I tabled it because it has come to my attention that there are real difficulties and problems for people in Dublin seeking to access testing for STIs. The Minister of State, being at the responsible Department, will probably know...

Seanad: Transport Policy: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)

Derek McDowell: I accept that is a factor. The Minister promised he would have the critical infrastructure Bill in place to fast-track the decision making process so that people would be allowed a substantive objection but would not be allowed seven, eight or nine attempts, as is the case now. The port tunnel in my own constituency is such an example. First we had to change the development plan in Dublin....

Seanad: Transport Policy: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)

Derek McDowell: I was interested in the comments of Senator Norris to the effect that, unlike the Opposition parties, he did not condemn Transport 21. Nor do we. I certainly have not condemned it, nor was I aware that my party had. The problem is not the content or any lack of specifics, because, as Senator Ormonde rightly said, there are specifics. The problem is we have heard it all before, not once or...

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2006: Statements. (24 Nov 2005)

Derek McDowell: During the almost five years in which I had the pleasure of shadowing the former Minister for Finance, Charles McCreevy, I developed a real hatred of the word "prudence", which is most beloved of our friends in Merrion Street. Rarely did Mr. McCreevy make a speech that was not littered with references to "prudence" and "prudent". One develops an understanding fairly quickly as to what...

Seanad: Railway Safety Bill 2001: Second Stage. (3 Nov 2005)

Derek McDowell: I have only had the opportunity to speed read the Bill on which I wish to make a number of brief points. I appreciate that it is normally the role of Opposition Members to say it has been an awful long time since a Bill has come through the other House and that it has taken a long time to get here, but in this case that seems to be peculiarly true. The Bill went through the Dáil shortly...