Results 721-740 of 1,253 for speaker:John Crown

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: That is true. There is precedence for this kind of very confusing technical referendum occurring. It occurred in 2002, which is one of the referendums whose consequences we are currently grappling with in terms of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. I looked in from the outside and put in writing that the Seanad should be abolished or reformed. I still believe that but I would...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: None of these people works in influential positions or is sitting around the Cabinet table. As a result of the quirks of our Constitution and 43 local elections which determine who will make the major macroeconomic decisions for the country, we had a group of people who were, without being critical, heavily personally incentivised not to break bad news. They did not want to be the ones who...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: I will reserve my comments on the other sections until later and will stick to section 1 for the moment. There is a kind of warm fuzzy feel-good feeling about the folks who have done this and it would have been a great loss if they had not been Members of this House. There is, however, something else which must be acknowledged. Imagine if things go badly wrong here and in Europe over the...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Bhí mé ag smaoineamh ar - - - - - .

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Do I resume my seat?

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Ni raibh sé anseo ag tús an chómhrá agus b'fhéidir go dtosóidh mé arís as Gaeilge.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Out of deference to the Minister of State's complex schedule, I will not rehash the points I had made earlier.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: The Ministers have been rapidly rotating during this debate. I have consulted my copy of Bunreacht na hÉireann to find out how many officeholders there are and how many more I can expect to see in the next several hours.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: The arguments being advanced in section 1 for the abolition of the Seanad are in one case poorly justified and in two other cases wholly bogus. The argument that the Seanad should be abolished because it is undemocratic is a sustainable argument and one which I believe is best addressed through the process of reform. That is why I authored a reform Bill, from which I have already put the...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: I am trying to construct an argument as to why section 1 should be rejected. We are making the case that the Bill commences with references to the abolition of one of the Houses of the national Parliament, before the matter has been put to a referendum. I think arguments in defence of that House are valid arguments to make. This is not part of my main speech, but I am on record as having...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: In view of the close outcome, I request that, under Standing Order 62(3)(b), the division be taken again other than by electronic means.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: That is correct.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: A Chathaoirligh----

Seanad: Business of Seanad (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Can I take my seat while this is being dealt with?

Seanad: Business of Seanad (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: I am not yielding the-----

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: The other essential element in our reform was that not only would we democratise the election process, but we would totally "de-elitify" it. I may be making up a new word, which has a medical name, neologism. People with various illnesses sometimes make up new words. I hope I am not going to be diagnosed by any of the tens of thousands watching us right now. In an attempt to remove...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: How does one compete with that? It would have given them expanded access into the halls of Parliament. If we vote for section 1, I am afraid all those opportunities are cut off at the knees and we will not be able to pursue that any further. Why is this political nirvana so important? I believe the real political problem in the country is the composition of and the electoral system used...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Senator Norris's pardon is accepted. We have a bizarre situation. I have no wish to trivialise any issue but perhaps some of the old political heads in the House who know more about this stuff than me could explain something to me. How it is a more crucial and fundamental constitutional question, that needed all the huffing and puffing of a weekend in Malahide, to determine whether the...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil) - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2013)

John Crown: Although I am not a member of his party, it is no secret that I took the view at the time of the last election that a change of government was necessary. I was vocal in my support of the alternative government with the implicit understanding that Deputy Kenny he would be the Taoiseach. I do not buy in to the theory that he is some kind of incipient autocrat or some of the somewhat...