Results 5,621-5,640 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Standing Order 18: Motion (23 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I also welcome the compromise that has been reached. I heard with great interest what other speakers have had to say. I was listening to Senator Byrne quoting from The Merchant of Venice and was reminded of the agreement that Senator Bacik and myself had arrived at. I was wondering how we might shape another quote from a Shakespeare play. To misquote Hamlet, perhaps we have become "a...

Seanad: Standing Order 18: Motion (23 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I have had the privilege of introducing Archbishop John Barwa from the province of Orissa in India. He spoke in generous and interesting terms this morning about the challenges his people are facing, where Christians are being persecuted by extremist Hindus in that part of India. He was not asking us to do anything but was coming here to tell us about their Christian hope and love, even for...

Seanad: Standing Order 18: Motion (23 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: There is a strong argument that an affirmation should be possible because nobody's personal convictions should be violated.

Seanad: Standing Order 18: Motion (23 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Some in this Chamber will be getting very worried. I think the fact that Oireachtas Members are not required to say the prayer or be present when it is said clinches the issue. That is the reason I supported a more inclusive and equal acknowledgement of both religious tradition and freedom of conscience and we have managed to do that. It was Senator McAleese who reminded me that so many...

Seanad: Standing Order 18: Motion (23 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Thirty minutes would be better than what we had this morning.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I remind the House of the visit today of archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. As I mentioned yesterday, the archbishop is in Ireland as a guest of Aid to the Church in Need and comes from one of the poorest regions in India. It is one of the regions where there has been intense and sustained persecution of Christian people. Some horrific incidents have taken place...

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Addressing the Leader briefly, it might be good if we could roll this debate on to a future date because I had some points and comments I would have liked to make. However, I cannot make them now given that we are down to questions. Perhaps we could be facilitated in that regard. If the Minister were amenable to returning on some convenient occasion, it might be possible for more of us to...

Seanad: Media Standards: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: That does not happen. It is highly hypothetical.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Invite him in, we would be nicer to him than Vincent Brown would.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I agree with Senator Darragh O'Brien on the Government's approach to the announcement of the sale of State assets. It is one of the more regrettable developments in politics in recent years that the Oireachtas is bypassed when news must be told to the people. In a sense, it shows the authoritarian nature of our political system in that government commands and oversees all while it does not...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: The 20th century was probably as bloody as all other centuries put together. I hope all Members will have a received a note that the archbishop of Orissa, John Barwa, will give a briefing tomorrow at 12.15 p.m. in Leinster House about the persecution of Christians, particularly in his area, one of the poorest states in India. At a time when we are talking about human rights in China, this...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Is léir go bhfuil go leor rudaí atá fíor ráite ag an Seanadóir Bradford. He picked up where he left off on Second Stage by saying some things that really need to be said. We should be grateful to him for opening up the debate in this way. I have listened with interest to the responses to the proposal made by Senators van Turnhout and Mac Conghail that the required percentage should...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I was also struck-----

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Indeed, as she always does. Senator Bradford picked up on the point Senator van Turnhout made about women not being disinterested in politics. That is absolutely true. Women are not disinterested in politics. They are affected by politics as much as men are. That is why it is important for women to be well represented in politics. Their particular insights should be heard in the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I think I am getting to the point perhaps not as quickly or as satisfactorily as Senator Bacik would require, but I certainly do not intend-----

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I appreciate Senator Norris's intervention.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I am speaking to that amendment. I was about to say that while women are certainly not disinterested in politics, many of them may be uninterested in the particular role of running for election and perhaps that is part of the story as to why we do not have the representation that we would like. The question is whether we should try to force the system forward a little by creating...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: That certainly is what I took from his speech and I do not fault him at all for being loyal to his party and that is required-----

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: -----under the current system. This argument arose before on the gender side motion I put before the House where half the Government side actually agreed with my proposal. They could not understand the amendment to the motion but they were required by a party Whip to go against their own convictions as to what was best. I think I am progressing on the point quite fairly with regard to the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2012)

Rónán Mullen: What constitutes fair latitude on Committee Stage?