Results 41-60 of 18,724 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2024: Second Stage (6 Nov 2024)
Michael McDowell: In the context of that party, 50% of its TDs are-----
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Nov 2024)
Michael McDowell: I accept the removal of USC from the earnings range as mentioned by Senator Gavan in his recommendation would have serious Exchequer consequences, but let us remember that USC was brought in as a temporary measure, as was income tax, by the way, to pay for the Napoleonic wars. I fully take the point that USC is a very wide-ranging levy on incomes and if we go back to the 20% and 40% rates...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Nov 2024)
Michael McDowell: Put it on the agenda now.
- Seanad: Amendment to Seanad Standing Orders: Motion (23 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: I move: That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, the Standing Orders of Seanad Éireann relative to Public Business are hereby amended as follows: (1) Standing Order 2 is amended by the substitution of the following for paragraph (a): ‘(a) the Chair shall be taken by the member present in the House who has the longest continuous period of service as a member of the...
- Seanad: Amendment to Seanad Standing Orders: Motion (23 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: I thought there might be more thoughts on the subject from other Members. Senator Fitzpatrick referred to the duplicity of the former Taoiseach in how this House was dealt with. That is a tough term to use, but it is remarkable that he paid for a Bill to be drafted and then said he had no interest whatsoever in the scheme. It is certainly remarkable that he came in here on 1 February 2018,...
- Seanad: Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: It has not yet.
- Seanad: Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister. When it became apparent to the Members of this House precisely what the Minister was intending to do with her amendments, the scene in relation to this Bill changed rather dramatically. We now know the hate offences section is now not proposed by the Minister to become law at this stage. We also know the provisions in the Bill to introduce the framework decision of...
- Seanad: Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: When people criticise Seanad Éireann, they should reflect on the fact this House is a revising Chamber. It is a Chamber where we are tolerant and not abusive towards each other, not hostile to each other and where reflective debate and serious consideration of legislation takes place. It has on this occasion had very significant effects. The second thing I wanted to say is the fact...
- Seanad: Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: We now have syllabus texts and teacher training that goes down that road. I have a strong view that the Constitution provides for parents not merely the right but the duty to determine the moral formation and the social formation of their children. It is written into our Constitution that parents have that primary function. Activist people who want to project a different view have decided...
- Seanad: Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: I lost count but one does not have to go to those lengths to simply ask if the former Senator, Regina Doherty, is right that there are nine definitions, for starters, and would somebody kindly enumerate them for us so that we can see what we are actually putting into criminal statutes such as: the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act; the Criminal Damage Act; the Criminal Justice (Public...
- Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (10 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister, although I will have a few words for him later. The 2013 proposal on the Seanad’s abolition was produced like a rabbit out of the hat at a Fine Gael president’s dinner as part of Enda Kenny’s defence of his leadership, which was then under challenge by Deputy Richard Bruton. The proposal took his own party by surprise and the arguments in favour...
- Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (10 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: The Minister is throwing him under the bus now.
- Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (10 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: It is easy to do at this stage.
- Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (10 Oct 2024)
Michael McDowell: Yes.