Results 7,561-7,580 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 1: "7. The employment rights of employees of the National Lottery and the contractual rights of agents of the National Lottery shall be protected by this Act.".It is crucial that we give clarity to the staff and agents of the national lottery that they will be protected under this arrangement. Former staff of Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society were...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I stated that I would vote against No. 2 if we did not get a reasonable response from the Leader. No amendment to the Order of Business was proposed.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: We do not debate any of it.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I refer to motion No. 2.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: It is not No. 1.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I shall not call a vote on the first issue that I wish to raise. I urge the Leader to arrange a debate on the motion set out in No. 2 on the Order Paper. Every day that one comes into the Seanad there are calls for us to deal with the scrutiny of European legislation. Today we have been asked to adopt, without debate, the EU scrutiny work programme 2013 of the Oireachtas joint committees'...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: It seems that the Seanad seeks a role for itself but then votes measures down. Therefore, I shall call a vote on the motion if no debate is arranged because that is the proper thing to do. We can talk all we like about dealing with EU legislation, yet when a motion is tabled it is passed without debate. That is not a good way for the Seanad to operate or deal with business. The substantive...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I am glad to see the National Lottery Bill will be debated today. We have had a week between Committee and Report Stages, which is a positive step for the Seanad. Will we debate No. 2?

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: She is not here either. Will the Leader make that point when Members on his own side are not present?

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: And not just in Fine Gael.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: We will be cutting the lawn at the back by then. The Seanad is in a pitiful state today when the only two items before us are an uncontroversial motion on the arrangements for a Commissioner to speak to us and an address by the Independent MEP Ms Marian Harkin. I say that with no disrespect for those two brilliant individuals. There is no legislation before us today - none whatsoever. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: When a referendum on the Seanad takes place this year or next year, I will not accept reasons to save it from Fine Gael Senators, because they have not put forward a coherent argument for it now, as shown by how they operate the Seanad. The same goes for the Labour Party Senators. The agenda for today is simply outrageously light. We need legislation. There are a massive amount of Bills...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I want to raise a particular issue with the Leader but I could use any of the legislation or motions on the Order Paper as an example. The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill was before the Seanad a year ago and, having read the Order Paper, I understand it is still with the Dáil. We should arrange a debate here on why the Dáil has not passed the Bill yet and why we...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: No.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: One thing that has concerned me over the past number of years is the business of obtaining a licence or authorisation to sell lottery tickets. There have been some examples of shops that have not been able to get permission to sell lottery tickets. Any time I have made a representation on their behalf, the response has been less than satisfactory, to say the least. I always thought that...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The very fact that Senator Reilly's amendment has been ruled out of order highlights what I am going to talk about on the next section. This money does not go to good causes at all; it goes to the Exchequer for Government decision as to how it is spent. The fact we cannot put down an amendment to direct that it goes to a good cause because it would be a charge on the Exchequer proves the...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: This whole idea that good causes were ever ring-fenced is not true. Good causes could never be provided for. The money from the lottery that was supposed to go to good causes goes straight into the Exchequer, or Central Fund, and can be spent by the Government under any of the headings. As I understand it, applying moneys under heading (d), health and the community, would not stop the...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: It could possibly be a good cause for a rural area but I am sure it is not what people had in mind when they were planning this, although perhaps it is. The money can be used for any such other objectives that the Government may determine from time to time, so the money could be put into any Department. I am not suggesting this is something new-----

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I am not suggesting this is something new or that the Government is changing the system radically, because it is not. This has always been the case and the Government from time to time decides it will spend the money on what one would imagine are good causes, such as a specific grant scheme for sports or buses for the elderly or the disabled through the Department of Health. If he wants,...