Results 5,581-5,600 of 20,701 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: Let us have the truth.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: The Dáil bar is closed.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: We have a meeting tonight and I hope we can at least discuss it then. We will wait for the proposals certainly but, for the record of the House, I have been making proposals at each meeting and the Sinn Féin Whip was there the last day and he did not support me. He said he might support me. That is a fact and the records are there to prove it. Hypocrisy goes on.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: The Deputy should ask his Whip.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I am aware a meeting of the Business Committee is scheduled for this evening. I asked at a Business Committee meeting last week about our not being allowed to ask about promised legislation. I thought we were getting that and I supposed I was not alert enough to what happened Is there any chance that we can discuss promised legislation tomorrow and Thursday? We are to have a Business...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: And they did not turn up.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: They had not even turned up.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (3 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I wish to support the amendment tabled by Deputy McNamara. I reiterate that I do not believe this legislation has anything to do with reopening the pubs or a roadmap for the pubs. It is just giving more power to the State to do what it likes. The sunset clause is not adequate. As I stated earlier, a lot can happen before the sun goes down. We do not know when the sun will go down on this...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: This is fundamentally flawed and it is grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented, GUBU, territory. I support Deputies Boyd Barrett and Barry in their opposition to the section but it appears the Minister is not for turning. It is always the sledgehammer at a time when we are trying to bring the people with us. Ní neart go cur le chéile. The people have been with us but...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I will be brief because I know time is short for amendments and the debate. This is more draconian legislation. I have heard regularly from people of machinery being stopped on the road. The Road Safety Authority checks on a machine to see if it is working and use ceases for the day. Such a person has the chance to go back. However, if a licensed premises is closed like this, it would...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: In support of that, I was at the Business Committee-----

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I am really disappointed with the Minister. I defer to Deputy Howlin, who has had a long service in the House and, as a Minister in a number of Governments, was in that seat putting through legislation and dealing with the Teachtaí Dála who wanted to make amendments or whatever. He is dead right. We are down to a matter of two words. On Sunday, I heard a representative of an...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I am aghast that the Minister will not remove the words by accepting the amendment. Many Government backbenchers are in the Chamber talking about supporting publicans but they will be voting against them. There is no roadmap or legislation to allow the pubs to open. There is no green light. I spoke at the meeting on Monday with NPHET, which Deputy Howlin and the Taoiseach also attended,...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I support Deputy Howlin's amendment. As I said when I called the vote last night and by having the vote, this Bill is rushed and there has been no pre-legislative scrutiny. As I also said last night, we have supported every piece of legislation from day one, when this first broke around St. Patrick's Day, blindly, I would say, and in a rush, but in good faith. The public and the publicans...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: My understanding from the Ceann Comhairle was that the vote would be taken tonight.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: My understanding was different.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: It came from the Ceann Comhairle.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: I am begging the Minister to be careful in terms of the language that is used. We had a briefing the other day with NPHET and the Taoiseach.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: Immediately after that meeting, Dr. Ronan Glynn went out and talked about a lockdown. They are not listening.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Mattie McGrath: Having listened to this debate all day, I am not reassured that we will have what Deputy Durkan and other speakers are calling for, namely, that in tandem with this quite draconian legislation, which was introduced without any pre-legislative scrutiny, we will have legislation to allow pubs to open. A carrot is being dangled in front of Deputies to get them to vote for this quite severe...