Results 4,121-4,140 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Judicial Appointments and Threatened Industrial Action by An Garda Síochána: Statements (12 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald. I thank her for coming in response to a suggestion I made that this debate should happen and I thank the Leader of the House for arranging for it. The particular issue I was concerned about was the question of judicial appointments in view of media reports that a moratorium on the appointment of judges had been put in place...

Seanad: Budget 2017: Statements (11 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: I want to make a few points and I do not want to become involved too much in the cross-aisle banter taking place. References have been made to increases in Deputies' salaries, which is not part of this budget, but some people seem to be forgetting that they are already arranging their internal party arrangements to relax the average industrial wage rule and grant themselves increases...

Seanad: Budget 2017: Statements (11 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: That is all I want to say on that as I do not want to be more acrimonious. There are two points to make about our current position. With Brexit we must be cautious as we live in a period of uncertainty when foreign direct investment is not a given and the rate of foreign direct investment is decelerated by the uncertainties that currently exist. I will speak about the self-employed and...

Seanad: Budget 2017: Statements (11 Oct 2016)

Michael McDowell: I am a former barrister.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: Will the Leader ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to come to the House to explain the appointment or non-appointment of new judges? When the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parties made the confidence and supply agreement, which was published, it was provided that all agreements with Independent Deputies and other political parties would be published in full. We...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: I want the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to come to this House and explain to us how it is that serious damage has been done to the constitutional process by reason of an agreement which is unpublished and secret and which should not exist given the deal on confidence and supply that was entered into between the Government and the Fianna Fáil Party. A secret deal...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: -----and who entered into this deal, and that she indicates clearly that the Constitution overrides deals of this kind and that the Government retains its right to appoint judges and will appoint judges when it is necessary to do so.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: Will the Leader indicate the timeframe he is contemplating for this? I agree that it would be preferable for the Tánaiste to be here, but it is not essential. Will the Leader indicate whether we are talking about a week or a month?

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: I would be agreeable to that.

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: Tá mé ag roinnt mo chuid ama leis an Seanadóir Lawless.

Seanad: Address by An Taoiseach (Resumed) (29 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: Cuirim fíor fáilte roimh an Taoiseach, atá anseo linn inniu, agus roimh an méid a bhí le rá aige. Táim dóchasach go bhfuil spiorad nua ag teacht chun cinn sa Teach seo i dtaobh athchóiriú an tSeanaid as seo amach. In his extensive speech, the Taoiseach covered many matters, including very important issues like Brexit and the future...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (21 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on his appointment. I have not had an opportunity to do so in public so far. The Minister mentioned myself and Roscommon. It occurred to me that there are many apartment complexes along the Shannon which, generally speaking, are owned by people as second homes. A television licence costs €145.50 per dwelling, but people with two homes are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (21 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: There are a pile of apartments in Dromod, which are not owned by the wealthy as far as I can see.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (21 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: Yes. There are caravan sites in Wexford, Donabate and places like that. We are talking about real people who are not very wealthy. The system of increasing compliance is all very well, but if the Minister is going to squeeze them, he should remember that it is a huge imposition coming on top of the local property tax, bin charges and everything else.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (21 Sep 2016)

Michael McDowell: I acknowledge that the point I made may be a difficult one for the Minister, Deputy Naughten, to deal with. However, if someone has a caravan in Wexford, it is unfair to say he or she must buy two licences. One does not say to somebody who goes to a hotel room and turns on the television that he or she must pay €150 for the privilege over the fortnight or month he or she is staying...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Irish Bank Resolution Corporation) Bill 2016: Second Stage (19 Jul 2016)

Michael McDowell: I support the Bill because the Cregan commission needs all necessary powers to discharge its functions. With regard to the confidentiality issue raised by section 21 of the legislation, which I put before the Houses as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, it has always been a mystery in my mind as to when an amendment was made to the section extending the confidentiality rule to...

Seanad: Citizens' Assembly: Motion (15 Jul 2016)

Michael McDowell: We will share time. I want to indicate in a personal capacity that I am totally opposed to the establishment of a citizens' assembly along these lines. I regard it as a pointless exercise and demeaning in a democracy of our kind, in which we have a Parliament established by the people whose function is to consider such topics. The notion of assembling 100 persons at random using a polling...

Seanad: Citizens' Assembly: Motion (15 Jul 2016)

Michael McDowell: They are obliged to turn up when summoned. These people will not have such an obligation.

Seanad: Citizens' Assembly: Motion (15 Jul 2016)

Michael McDowell: Only for four minutes today.

Seanad: Citizens' Assembly: Motion (15 Jul 2016)

Michael McDowell: "All day."