Results 3,781-3,800 of 9,145 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I hope it can be progressed. Will the Leas-Chathaoirleach advise me on the process?

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Do I give notice to the Seanad Office?

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: What is the normal timeframe? I submitted this Bill weeks ago.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Okay, that is fine. I will discuss it later on. Most Senators would have been circulated with the concerns of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA, about the recent comments by the German Vice-Chancellor indicating that in his opinion there would have to be cutbacks to the Common Agricultural Policy, following the Brexit vote. We need to see a strong response from the...

Seanad: Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: My party is broadly in favour of this legislation and we are happy to vote in favour of it to allow it to proceed to Committee Stage. I welcome the fact that, in drafting the legislation, the Minister has sought to strike a balance between giving CAB the practical powers it needs to combat criminality and the rights of innocent persons who have the capacity to prove their assets were...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Has the Leader consulted the Whips on this matter?

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I wish to make a practical point. An announcement has been made at short notice that everybody will have an opportunity to speak. Have all the party or group Whips been informed so that they can make somebody available to make a contribution?

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: When was it circulated?

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is the Leader proposing that we will deal with the matter in 15 minutes?

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Hold on, it is not agreed just yet.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Yes.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: This is not great practice, frankly. While I appreciate that it is good that we will have a debate this is short notice and the Leader has not spoken to a Whip and extended invitations. Right now, and this is ridiculous, I am texting my Whip to see if we can have somebody from my party available in 15 minutes' time to take part and contribute to the debate. We have not been phoned in...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: For God's sake.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It is a fix. It is a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael carve-up every time.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I wish to make a final response.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (5 Jul 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It is not agreed.

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016: Second Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I have a particular interest in this subject. I chaired the Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions, which produced a report on the issue. We travelled across the State, visited the direct provision centres and met asylum seekers and representatives of NGOs. I acknowledge the work of the NGOs which work on the front line, including the Irish Refugee Council, Doras Luimní,...

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016: Second Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I acknowledge that he has outlined his concerns. We would have supported the Bill passing this Stage, with the opportunity to amend on Committee Stage. I am concerned about this proposal to delay this Stage. The Minister of State has met asylum seekers and I can attest to his honour and decency.

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016: Second Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I know he is committed to these matters. The difficulty is that his is a very conservative Department-----

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016: Second Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: -----which is the Department of Justice and Equality. I want to speak about the experiences of the Department of Justice and Equality. Historically, it has been a conservative Department and slow to embrace change. It has the benefit of a report from an all-party committee, which was unanimously approved, as well as the McMahon report, which we had significant concerns about, although it...