Results 6,981-7,000 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: It is always about politics.
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Can the Minister of State clarify what he meant when he said that the inquiry would be about the political decisions?
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: The Minister of State said that. That was the first time we were told anything about the terms of reference of the inquiry.
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: It was the Minister of State who caused that confusion. I only asked-----
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: On a point of order, and with no disrespect to the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Kehoe, what business does the Chief Whip of Dáil Éireann have debating the Standing Orders of Seanad Éireann? The Constitution mandates us to debate and decide our own affairs. I have a big problem with this. The Constitution is very clear that each House shall...
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I was not at that meeting. I have a problem because I am a Member of Seanad Éireann and the Constitution requires that this House regulate its own affairs yet the Chief Whip of Dáil Éireann is coming in here and more or less giving us our riding orders on our own Standing Orders. That is a gross interference in the House. I think it is unprecedented. Standing Orders are a...
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: With all due respect to the person who is Chief Whip, it is not personal to Deputy Kehoe at all. The Constitution provides that we do this on our own.
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I am not querying the Bill. We are debating our own Standing Orders. The legislation does not require the Chief Whip of Dáil Éireann to come in to tell us what our Standing Orders should be.
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: This is not a party point. This is my personal point. Under Article 15.10 of the Constitution each House shall make its own rules and Standing Orders and can protect itself and its Members against "any person or persons interfering with, molesting or attempting to corrupt [I am not accusing the Minister of State of doing this] its members in the exercise of their duties."
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: The Constitution requires that we do this without interference, under Article 15.10, and that is not happening.
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I just want it on the record that under Article 15.10-----
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Article 15.10 of the Constitution is being fundamentally breached-----
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: -----by this debate and by the presence of a Member of Dáil Éireann when we are deciding our own Standing Orders.
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Is the Minister of State referring to the CPP of Dáil Éireann or the CPP of Seanad Éireann?
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I have made my point about Article 15.10. This is a very serious matter. The Minister of State would do well to go back to Government and to the Attorney General to discuss this because it causes a problem. This inquiry must be free from all outside interference and already the fact that the Chief Whip is announcing this debate breaches that constitutional requirement and the Seanad is...
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I do not care about the CPP. I am a Member of Seanad Éireann and I am standing up for my rights and the rights of this House.
- Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)
Thomas Byrne: We are not allowed to subjugate ourselves to the Dáil. We are not allowed to subjugate ourselves to Government. We must carry out our functions in accordance with the Constitution and the powers therein and we must do so independently. That is even more necessary in light of the referendum because the people said they want to keep the Seanad as a check on the Government but the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Report on Licensed Moneylending Industry: Central Bank of Ireland (29 Jan 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I share the Chairman's concern that the issue of interest rates has not been dealt with. Personally speaking I have no problem with credit provided by catalogue firms or electrical or furniture companies, which are well known companies that are doing a good job. While people may pay a lot for what they purchase, they might not be able to get their products otherwise. While there may well...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Report on Licensed Moneylending Industry: Central Bank of Ireland (29 Jan 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Who is the prosecuting authority in that regard? Is it a criminal matter?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Report on Licensed Moneylending Industry: Central Bank of Ireland (29 Jan 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Another issue of concern for me is that of debt collectors calling to people's homes, which ties into the unlicensed moneylender issue. There is a great deal of secrecy in this area, including by licensed companies. Moneylenders generally do not display the name of the company over the door. In many cases, the names do not suggest that the business is that of moneylending. A couple come...