Results 8,821-8,840 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: The public record states that the Cathaoirleach was in contact with RTE and that he was happy to be advised by RTE as to what should be spoken about in this House. It is a matter of huge concern to us that RTE would put that pressure on the Cathaoirleach. I am not criticising the Cathaoirleach.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: Then RTE is wrong.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: I want to know about the correspondence-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: -----and the telephone calls between RTE and the Seanad officials or the Cathaoirleach.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: I call for this matter to be brought before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. It is not an attack on the Cathaoirleach. I am trying to protect him. He is a very popular Cathaoirleach.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: He is a very popular Cathaoirleach, we are proud of him and we support him and will continue to do so. We will support him when he is being attacked by RTE and it contacts him to tell him-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: -----what we should discuss in the Seanad. It is not RTE's business.
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: I demand a debate on this issue-----
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: -----and that the Leader brings it before the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I hope my colleagues do so because it is a matter of serious concern. RTE has no business telling the Cathaoirleach what is in Standing Orders. The Cathaoirleach's response should have been very impolite and in the vernacular. I will not describe what it should have been here. He should have told RTE to...
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: It is very important. We raise this in support of the Cathaoirleach and not to criticise him. We need an urgent debate on mortgages and not with the Minister of State, Deputy Penrose. He set this fire alight in regard to mortgages during the summer when we said there would be debt forgiveness. He clearly was not speaking with any expertise or on behalf of his Department. We do not want to...
- Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: I am calling for a debate on that issue. We have been pushing to see when this proposal by Fine Gael will be implemented. We now find that the Keane report is complete rubbish. The difficulty we have with the Keane report is that many of the members of the group were on the committee which published a report last October. The Government has not done anything to implement the findings of...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: We are talking about people's lives here.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: Senator Darragh O'Brien was referring to editorial procedures.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: What then is the point of people paying the licence fee?
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: If â¬15 million of taxpayers' money was at stake, it would be done.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: On a point of order, did RTE ask the Seanad not to discuss this matter because it is outrageous if that is the case?
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: I want that question answered. Has RTE asked the Oireachtas not to talk about this?
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: The Cathaoirleach mentioned that someone involved in the proceedings has asked the Oireachtas not to discuss the matter.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: It is an outrageous attack on democracy if that is the case.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)
Thomas Byrne: The Cathaoirleach mentioned that one of the parties contacted him-----