Results 621-640 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I am grateful to both Senators for their understanding. While I accept the points raised by Senator Cummins, I am strongly committed to enhancing the role of the House in scrutinising Government decisions in the sensitive area to which the subsection refers and I cannot, therefore, accept his amendment. I am aware he does not intend to remove powers from the House but it would have that...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I did not interrupt the Senator. He asked a question and it is common courtesy to allow a person to reply to a question. I respect the Senator's right to ask a question; he should respect my right to reply to it. I wished to make the point, not to be aggressive or to increase the Senator's blood pressure, that there has been a lengthy debate. In both Houses, too, we have seen a huge...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I thank Senator Alex White. He is correct. Deputy Costello and I had a lengthy discussion on this matter in the other House and we also exchanged correspondence. I understand the objective the Senator wishes to achieve. However, I believe when he hears the counterarguments he will probably take the same course of action as Deputy Costello did. The treaty clearly strengthens the role of...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I thank the Senator. I share his enthusiasm for the new role to be given to parliaments. There was a wonderful debate on this at the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny earlier this week. I am probably the most enthusiastic Member of the House about this because I believe there is something revolutionary about this treaty. It will drag the legislative process into national parliaments,...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I thank Senator Doherty and do not doubt his sincerity on this issue. This is much the same proposal that was addressed by Deputy Ó Snodaigh in the Dáil. As was explained already, the reform treaty does not affect Ireland's tradition of military neutrality and several safeguards for our position are in the treaty. Unanimity continues to be the rule in security and defence matters and we...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: It is a French word.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I was absorbed in my notes and from looking over some of the comments. I congratulate Senators on what I believe was one of the most calm, focused and best debates I have ever heard in any House on this treaty or any other. That is in no sense a patronising comment. If there was ever a reason to retain a good and strong Seanad Éireann, it was reflected in the debate. I will not have time...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: ——in either House.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I am glad Senator Doherty asked the question because I provoked it. The Senator should check the record of the debate, particularly the debate on Committee Stage. One of the Senator's party colleagues took more time than any other Member to repeat the same things time and again in a classic filibuster. To suggest that the debate was somehow truncated when 24 hours were allocated——

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 May 2008)

Dick Roche: I have said it was, after one of the Senator's party colleagues decided to continue to talk through——

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: It is actually an interpretation of law.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: On a point of fact, employment is mentioned. The persons who wrote that particular tract the Senator is now quoting were factually inaccurate.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: I would just make the point that in a response which The Irish Times very decently carried I pointed out the number of times she had been inaccurate in the article. I will deal with it in my response.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: I have been recycled.

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: I thank Senators for delaying the start of business today. I am not quite certain what the confusion was. However, as I was in the Czech Senate three short hours ago, I am very pleased to be here now. I am very grateful to Members and I hope it did not inconvenience any Member of this House. I am pleased to introduce into the Seanad, on behalf of the Government, the Twenty-eighth Amendment...

Seanad: Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Second Stage (30 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: He may be well said. I do not believe it is right to support the impoverishment of rural families nor the downgrading of agricultural and rural life. I do not believe, in terms of infrastructural development, we should rob Peter to pay Paul. I believe there are more appropriate ways of approaching this matter. I made the quotations because this gentleman, who proposes that he is somehow a...

Statement for Information of Voters: Motion (29 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: Tairgim: "GO ndéanfar an ráiteas atá leagtha amach sa Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Rún seo a fhorordú mar eolas do vótálaithe de bhun alt 23 d'Acht an Reifrinn 1994 (Uimh. 12 de 1994), i ndáil leis an togra chun Airteagal 29 den Bhunreacht a leasú, atá ar áireamh sa Bhille um an Ochtú Leasú is Fiche ar an mBunreacht 2008, agus is ábhar do reifreann bunreachta. An Sceideal 1. Is...

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (29 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: I was interested in the long and somewhat tedious contribution from Deputy Ó Snodaigh while accepting his right to make that contribution. The treaty provides three protections in respect of neutrality. First, it includes a requirement for unanimity in CFSP and in defence. Nothing in the treaty forces any member state to take in defence or in CFSP any step it does not wish to take....

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: I thank Deputies for their contributions. I have one final point to make about Deputy Ó Snodaigh's statements. It was a pity he took such a long time to make his contribution. The reality is that our neutrality is not threatened. However, I ask the Deputy to reconsider in particular what he said about Chad. It is astonishing that any Member of the House would walk in here and urge a...

Twenty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2008: Committee Stage. (29 Apr 2008)

Dick Roche: I thank Deputies Costello and Timmins for their contribution. The Deputies are correct in pointing out that one of the extraordinary aspects of the Lisbon treaty is that it enhances democracy in the European Union in a way that could not have been even envisaged five or ten years ago. For the very first time real powers are being given to national parliaments. I mentioned in a committee...