Results 4,041-4,060 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I believe it is the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I move: That Seanad Éireann—— —recognises that each and every region must have, and must be encouraged to have, a role in sustaining our national prosperity and progress and believes that balanced regional development is essential in this regard; —congratulates the Government for the commitment it continues to show in implementing the national development plan and bringing forward...

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: The decentralisation programme, announced in December's budget, was tremendously welcome in towns across Ireland. It gave a great morale boost in my home town of Tipperary. I have never seen the people in such good mood as I saw them in the days following the decision. The various local bodies are busy putting together sites which they have been invited to send to the OPW. They are anxious to...

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Senator Higgins may have a different view on that. Deputy Rabbitte rubbished decentralisation.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: The Senator was not here when I outlined what Deputy Rabbitte said. I will, therefore, repeat it. He said it was a daft idea which would not work and that it would be immensely expensive.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I was disappointed that he rubbished it. People will want to know what the attitude of an alternative Government is to decentralisation. Is it the rubbishing attitude of Deputy Rabbitte?

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: What is the attitude of the Fine Gael Party to Deputy Rabbitte? I heard someone say it was the worst interview he had given since he became party leader. We must remember that Fine Gael and Labour have a bad record on decentralisation.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: They cancelled it in 1981 and 1982. The only party which has implemented a decentralisation programme is Fianna Fáil. The Labour Party has to prove its ——

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: There is a big question mark because the people will want to know the Labour Party's intentions. Was Deputy Rabbitte's statement serious or was it electioneering? The Labour Party must clarify its attitude because the people support decentralisation. It will work extremely well. I look forward to seeing the bones of unity between the Labour Party and Fine Gael contributors to this debate.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Is the Senator not excitable himself?

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: There is the IFSC.

Seanad: Regional Development: Motion. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: No, 200 staff members are going to Tipperary.

Seanad: Electronic Voting: Statements. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I would like to share one minute with Senator Ross.

Seanad: Electronic Voting: Statements. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: This is a major and important step, and of course it should be critically analysed and discussed, but I regret the partisan approach being taken by the Opposition parties. It seems that the objective is to make the public cynical and that it is part of a broader aim to encourage distrust of the Government, something that is not merited by the system. This system is supervised and run by the...

Seanad: Electronic Voting: Statements. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: All of us have gone through an election. Would any one of us have had a chance to manipulate the officials who conducted our count to get the result that we wanted? That sort of accusation is unworthy, and it would be absolutely devastating, damning and catastrophic for the fortunes of any party which indulged in such actions or attempted to manipulate the vote, which I do not think is...

Seanad: Electronic Voting: Statements. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: You are doing your best to try to undermine confidence.

Seanad: Electronic Voting: Statements. (11 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: Yes. The Minister answered the point and said that, in an election petition, the system can print a ballot paper with each vote cast and mix them, thus enabling a manual count to be conducted. That seems to deal with the matter. I agree with the point made by one of the Senators about not reducing the number of polling stations. There should be an adequate amount of time between each count...

Seanad: Proposed Stadium at Lansdowne Road: Statements. (5 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: I welcome the Minister of State, and the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism before him, to the House. The Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, is to be congratulated on bringing this long-running saga to a satisfactory conclusion. I would also like to pay tribute to the pragmatism of the Taoiseach in respect of this issue. Even though he would have personally favoured another option, he accepted...

Seanad: Proposed Stadium at Lansdowne Road: Statements. (5 Feb 2004)

Martin Mansergh: That may have happened in this case, but it is right to take one's time and debate these decisions. We are talking about decisions the effect of which will last for 50 or 100 years and it is important to get it right. If there is an element of trial and error involved no one should make any apology for it. That also happened in respect of Luas. It is easy to criticise and say something is a...