Results 54,541-54,560 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: It is not possible to deal with this subject in five or seven minutes.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: I was listening but I am not so sure that I would call that dealing with it. I will address it in a moment.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: It infuriates me when, having spent the past two years debating his subject, we find ourselves in a situation like this, where we end up with five or seven minutes to make a contribution.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: That is what I was trying to suggest and if there are no other speakers, if I can get a full slot I would take it.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: No, I will let the Minister of State speak.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: I will let the Minister of State speak.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: To be fair, I will not do it the injustice of trying to speak on that subject in seven or six minutes, or eight minutes either. It requires at least ten minutes, maybe 15 minutes or whatever the case may be.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: I will concede to the Minister of State.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: To be fair, it is not the Acting Chairman's fault, my fault or the fault of my colleagues.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: It is totally unsatisfactory. I am almost 30 years in this House and to get six, seven or eight minutes to speak on a subject like the European Union Bill does not say a great deal for the institutions of the House.

European Union Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: In the shortest possible time, I will say this. I compliment those who worked in the course of the recent campaign. The campaign did not start, like somebody thinks, in the past six months; it started two years ago. It was a very difficult campaign. The first campaign was unsuccessful because the people said that they did not know enough about the subject, and the campaign on the "Yes" was...

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: My question relates to the way in which we conduct our business in this House. Has the Taoiseach communicated to any of his Ministers the need for a greater degree of willingness to answer Members' questions relative to expenditure by their respective Departments, particularly in respect of subsidiary bodies?

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: There is no other way of raising this issue. I raised it last week and the Taoiseach indicated it was the responsibility of Ministers to answer questions relative to their Departments. My question to him today is whether that includes questions relative to expenditure by subsidiary bodies of Departments.

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: Who would respond to such an Adjournment debate? It would most likely be a Minister of State at a different Department.

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: I do not wish to make life difficult for the Ceann Comhairle at the beginning of his tenure. However, I must point out that the only person in this House with the power to do anything about the issue I have raised is the Taoiseach, but he is sitting there silently, hoping I will go away.

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: The entire Opposition may as well go away because we are irrelevant in this House if business continues to be conducted in the manner to which I referred. There is no point in criticising those outside the House who claim the Oireachtas does not function effectively. I am asking the Ceann Comhairle, as the Chairman and president of this House, what in God's name is happening? There are...

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: It is not a matter suitable for discussion on the Adjournment. It is a question of ministerial responsibility to the House.

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: I will persist as long as my question remains unanswered. This is the only means by which I can hope to obtain an answer. This issue was never mentioned as part of the agenda of Dáil reform. It relates to a practice now established by Ministers whereby, on a creeping basis, they have resiled from their responsibility to answer Opposition questions in the House. I see the Minister of...

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: I ask the Ceann Comhairle not to insult my intelligence by advising me to raise this issue on the Adjournment. I am talking about the responsibilities of Ministers to this House. When will the Taoiseach recognise that?

Order of Business (21 Oct 2009)

Bernard Durkan: The Ceann Comhairle is the Chairman of this House. Through him I have put a simple question to the Taoiseach. Will he instruct his Ministers to desist from their policy of refusing to answer questions relative to expenditure through and by their respective Departments? Will the Taoiseach answer that question?