Results 4,081-4,100 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Presidential Voting Rights: Motion (30 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: He is very welcome.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Nicola Sturgeon (29 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Priomh Mhinistear na hAlban.It is wonderful that those words are spoken in the first languages of both our countries. As an Independent Member, it gives me pleasure, on behalf of the Independent Members, and, I think, everybody here, to thank Ms Sturgeon for the thoughtful, challenging and understanding words she has spoken to us. When the Cathaoirleach was...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: What is to stop a landlord collusively agreeing to appoint a receiver in order to throw out the tenants and get a better price at any stage? Is there anything in the law that stops it? I do not think there is. One can run up a debt, sign a debenture and have a receiver in any day of the week. One does not have to go to court to have a receiver appointed. There is some force in the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (29 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: While passions are growing strong on this debate we should remember a few things. First, it is the case that some tenants are being gouged by excessive rent increases. The people who are riding the crest of a wave of a shortage are exploiting other people to provide them with housing. I look forward to hearing what the Government will do about the matter. I listened with interest to what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Service Broadcasting: Discussion (Resumed). (22 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: Mr. Larry Bass mentioned the question of VAT on subscriptions to, I presume, Sky and things like that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Service Broadcasting: Discussion (Resumed). (22 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: What is the rate at the moment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Service Broadcasting: Discussion (Resumed). (22 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: Is Mr. Bass suggesting a higher rate or something like that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Service Broadcasting: Discussion (Resumed). (22 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: I thought it probably was the 23% rate and I wondered if we could go much higher than that. On the general broadcasting charge issue to which Deputy Eamon Ryan was just referring, the figures Professor Rafter brought here today suggest the lost revenue is approximately €30 million on a 13% to 15% evasion rate. If that is brought down by two thirds to British levels, there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Service Broadcasting: Discussion (Resumed). (22 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: Could we have a half a minute in private session before doing that, as I have one issue to raise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Service Broadcasting: Discussion (Resumed). (22 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: I am conscious that it is late in the evening. I welcome everybody and thank them for participating in this formal meeting. As hinted earlier it might be necessary at some point for us to have a more informal discussion about some of the issues that are being raised. It may come as a bit of a shock to Mr. Esslemont to hear this but before he came into the room a previous speaker had...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (9 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: I listened with interest to what the Minister had to say about this. She informed the House that such burning as will be done in March and such hedge-cutting as will take place in August will be done subject to very strict conditions, but where are the conditions? If one looks at the proposed legislation, it is clear that this House has no input into fixing what the conditions are. If...

Seanad: Heritage Bill 2016: Committee Stage (9 Nov 2016)

Michael McDowell: Although this has been described as a two-year pilot scheme, it seems to me from the way the Bill is proposed that it could be a permanent part of the law of the land as long as it gets annual renewal from the Houses of the Oireachtas. I suggest it would be a contradiction in terms to describe as a pilot scheme something that would be perpetually rolled out everywhere across Ireland for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: My question relates to energy policy and production. Are we on target for a reduction of carbon emissions in that territory? What is the situation on the renewables? Who is keeping an eye on that? It seems to me that there is huge political resistance to things like wind power in certain communities. The question that is worrying me at the moment is that, considering Brexit, is Ireland...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: I agree with the points Mr. Curtin is making about the importance of involving communities, but it seems to me that there is an irony that those who profess to be most worried about the environment also seem to be the first to tog out against a lot of schemes by looking at it from a different environmental perspective. They do not mind interconnectors to nuclear power stations or whatever in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: The idea is that one group of people own the commonage on the hillside and one person lives in the house, but the person in the house seems to have much more clout than the people who own the commonage.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: The House will be aware that the Seanad Bill has now passed Second Stage and is awaiting debate on Committee Stage. Obviously, it is a matter for the groups to determine when Committee Stage hearings should commence. It occurs to me that perhaps we need a little more clarification from the Government, in particular, before we embark on that process. I am addressing my point to the Leader,...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: The interesting point is that, with the exception of myself, all the people mentioned as being proposers of this Bill were elected to the House by county councillors.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: The letter in which they were so categorised and loaded into the same group as myself was addressed to every county councillor in the country, as far as I can see. This raises the question of why it would be that anyone would so misrepresent the proposals of the Bill in such a way as to somehow excite opposition against them among their electorate. That raises a further question.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: Which Member would be so inexperienced as to make a mistake of that kind?

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: Why would a Member forget that many other Members have proposed this Bill? It comes down to this point.Is the Government committed to what is in the programme for Government, the implementation of the Manning report on the reform of this House? Is the Leader having difficulty persuading some of his colleagues that they should support the Government on this issue-----