Results 7,661-7,680 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: No. I cited the Minister, Deputy Gormley's statement.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: He did.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: He stated the general election would be held in the second half of January 2011.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Senator Boyle is making it up as he goes along.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: The Minister posed an interesting question in the course of his speech about legitimacy and the question of the Government's mandate. He bemoaned the fact, as he saw it, there had been some questioning from the Opposition, the media and elsewhere, on whether the Government had a mandate. He thought it was unfortunate and wrong that a question should be raised over the constitutional mandate...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: I would like to have the courtesy of being able to make the point.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Senator Cassidy would not even understand the point I am about to make. The problem with Senator Cassidy-----

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: -----is that he is the worst advertisement for this Chamber that we could possibly have.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: He cannot even listen to people. Even when he does listen, he does not understand the point. The Minister understands the point, in contrast to Senator Cassidy. The Minister is an intelligent individual, in contrast to the nonsense that the Leader comes out with. The Minister bemoaned the risk that Parliament would be undermined, and I think he is right in that. I was shaping up to agree...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: That does not mean one cannot criticise the Government. Senator O'Malley does not understand it either.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: It does not mean that one cannot say that the Minister for Finance and the Government have banjaxed the economy. These criticisms can be made. It does not mean for one minute that a person is questioning the constitutional mandate of the Government. However, when we look at the erosion of the legitimacy of the Government, the Government really only has itself to blame. First, it has...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: I checked it afterwards, because it struck me at the time.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: It reflects the presumptuousness-----

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: -----that she and the members of her party have, that nobody else can be in Government except Fianna Fáil. They think they must be in Government. That is the problem. Why cannot they have the smallest bit of humility? The Minister talked about legitimacy and about people's belief in Government. Sometimes Governments have to take the view that they need to leave office in order to...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Every now and again being in Opposition is a legitimate place to be.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: It is not a fate worse than death to be in Opposition. As a matter of fact, it is a very honourable place to be.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Fianna Fáil members need to understand that Opposition is part of the system we have, and they should not make presumptions that only they can be in the Government.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: They invented smugness. They are the people who understand smugness.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: They know all about it because they invented it. The criticism of Senator Bacik to the effect that she is questioning the mandate of the Government is nonsensical. Do we say when we lose an election that we suspend all powers of criticism? If we lose an election, do we have to go away and die? I hope that when Fianna Fáil loses the election, they will take an honourable position in...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Alex White: Senator Feeney is very excited about the fact the Taoiseach has got going in the last few days. He is on radio and on television and he looks like he is back in business.