Results 6,821-6,840 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I understand. I do not know whether Senator Norris knocks on doors on North Great Georges Street, but I knock on doors in O'Hanlon Park in Dundalk, and when I go around knocking on doors asking people to vote in favour of the Lisbon treaty, I do not relish-----

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: -----asking at the same time if they want to take blasphemy out of the Constitution. I hazard a guess that Senator Norris might not get the response he wants when he knocks on doors in O'Hanlon Park.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The joint Oireachtas committee again saw no need for a constitutional amendment in the short term, but rather that we might avail-----

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: -----of an appropriate opportunity in the future.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: We do not have the luxury of a "do nothing" approach.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I will answer that. In the Bill, we are repealing the Defamation Act 1961. The continuation of the current provision at section 13 of that Act is not a desirable option. Section 13 provides for both monetary and prison sanctions in regard to blasphemous or obscene libel, offences which were presumed to exist at common law. However, the decision of the Supreme Court in the 1999 case of...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: That was an option. Some people have suggested that we could repeal the entire Act and leave section 13, which contains the existing offence of blasphemous libel. However, we cannot do that because of the Corway case. The Corway judgment stated that there was a need to address this issue, and it stated that we effectively had to come back to address the existing offence of blasphemous...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Yes.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: It would be in the Central Criminal Court, which is in the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: We are ensuring that only the DPP will take a prosecution, and not a private citizen. We are also taking the sentence of imprisonment out of the section, so what we are doing is better than leaving section 13 as it is, which we are not allowed to do anyway due to the Corway case. While the Senators shout and harangue-----

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: -----we cannot ignore the Constitution. The Constitution is specific that this is an offence punishable in accordance with the law. We are the legislators and we must provide that law. If we decide to leave it to some future stage, we will be in dereliction of our duty as legislators under the Constitution. I have heard what the Joint Committee on the Constitution has had to say. I...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: No, I did not say that. I said there is.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I said there were three options.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I do not like being misquoted. That is the problem with much that goes on in this and indeed the other House, where people misquote.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: With due respect, I do not think I should be misquoted.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Or to drop the Bill altogether.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I was just making a point about the mobile telephone.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Given the job I have I require to be in 24-7 contact with the Garda. I have already asked Clerk of the Dáil to give me an exemption on the use of my mobile telephone.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I know. I do not know if I ever received as many e-mails on any other issue in my political career as I did on this.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: They showed outrage. They were all outraged.