Results 5,041-5,060 of 5,294 for speaker:Michael McCarthy

Seanad: Council Regulation on Procedures for amending the Sirene Manual: Referral to Joint Committee. - Health Service Reform: Statements (Resumed). (25 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I wish to share time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: Council Regulation on Procedures for amending the Sirene Manual: Referral to Joint Committee. - Health Service Reform: Statements (Resumed). (25 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I welcome the fact that we have been given an opportunity to discuss these important reports. It is a sign of the way in which the House has evolved that it is the first Chamber in which they are being debated.

Seanad: Military Neutrality: Motion. (25 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Roche. The Convention on the Future of Europe is an extremely complex undertaking. The main issues in the constitutional treaty will be defence and the section dealing with the social economy, as opposed to a neo-liberal model masked under proposals for labour market flexibilities. The Government, in the Intergovernmental Conference, may well roll back...

Seanad: Military Neutrality: Motion. (25 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: While I respect everybody's point of view in this regard, this is not the way to go about it.

Seanad: Order of Business. (19 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Yesterday, having perused the Brennan and Prospectus reports on the reform of the health service, I was taken aback at the level of accountancy they contain. I ask the Leader to obtain an assurance from the Minister for Health and Children that this will not impact on hospitals in peripheral areas.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I wish to raise something that occurred in the House last week. It relates to an Oireachtas meeting at which two members of the Garda Síochána were present. One Deputy raised the issue that these members of the Garda were—

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: This particular behaviour is intolerable and unacceptable to a Member of this House.

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: May I conclude on a different matter?

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Thank you. Reservations have been expressed by Members about the short time available to Members to acquaint themselves with the Intoxicating Liquor Bill and to conduct the necessary research. It is not appropriate for the Minister to publish a Bill in the morning and expect spokespersons to stay in the House all day to debate it. Ascot is on at present but I do not expect the Minister,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: What other Bills of such importance are being debated?

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: I move: That Seanad Éireann, recognising the significance of the Report by the Standards in Public Office Commission, calls on the Government to ensure that:– (1) current election spending limits are retained, and (2) that legislation is introduced to regulate expenditure in the period leading up to a General Election. This motion is self-explanatory. Financing of politics by big business...

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: The Senator called him Joe.

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: And Deputy Bertie Ahern.

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Senator Norris's contribution is akin to saying theft should not be theft because robbers will always steal.

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: This motion is about retaining the current election spending limits. It also asks the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to introduce legislation to regulate expenditure in the period leading up to the calling of an election. There is nothing unfair about this. A reasonable person would not disagree with it. The reason there is so much opposition to the motion on the...

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Let us look at some of the points raised by the statistics from the election campaign. Fianna Fáil spent more than €3.5 million in the formal three weeks of the campaign.

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: It is fair to assume that at least €1 million was spent prior to it. Every time one went into a town or city there were pictures of the Taoiseach draped on buildings.

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: There was massive newspaper advertising. It is incorrect to assert there was minimal or no newspaper advertising. On the Easter weekend prior to the election the Irish Independent carried a big, thick supplement which was a Fianna Fáil publication. That is massive investment in newspaper promotion of Fianna Fáil.

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Of course. The point is that not one cent of that expenditure was accounted for. The Government was aware of this and took advantage of the situation.

Seanad: Election Expenses: Motion. (18 Jun 2003)

Michael McCarthy: Market research is probably the most expensive part of an election campaign. Fianna Fáil deployed massive resources in this area. It is not unreasonable to suggest that for the year prior to the election Fianna Fáil was campaigning holus-bolus.