Results 881-900 of 2,304 for speaker:John Browne
- Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad] : Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I wish to ask the Minister a question that I meant to raise earlier. Will there be an appeals process? Will the Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board still be in existence?
- Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (6 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I wish to share time with Deputy Moynihan.
- Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (6 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I welcome the Bill and thank the Minister for introducing it. From this side of the House we will support the Minister in getting it passed as quickly as possible. Having spent some time in that Department particularly when the original Bill was introduced to divide the functions between the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Agriculture,...
- Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (6 Jul 2011)
John Browne: No, it will only apply to the new ones. I would like him to clarify his views on new applications, which have been very contentious, particularly in bays and harbours also used by the general public. There has been a kind of "them and us" situation and we need to have some kind of consensus in the aquaculture industry. I am sure Mr. Richie Flynn has met the Minister since he came into...
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I thank Deputy Niall Collins for sharing his time. The Bill gives us an opportunity to make some points about the boundary commission as well as commenting on the Minister's address. When it comes to the Presidential election, I am sure the Minister will have to support Avril Doyle in my constituency. I am making a play for her here.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: Knowing the former Deputy, Avril Doyle, I am sure she is well able to fight her own cause. The Bill deals with the boundary commission, a reduction of funds for the OPresidential election, and holding by-elections within six months. I welcome the fact that in future by-elections will be held within six months of a vacancy arising. Previous Governments, including Fianna Fáil ones and...
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: It may be. The people of Wexford have loved me for 29 years. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, has been loved in Kilkenny too. The proposal to reduce the number of Members of this House is not wise . If the maximum reduction is made â¬3 million will be saved. If the maximum reduction is not made - I doubt that the commission will agree to the maximum reduction - the saving will be much less....
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I know that. I am sure the Government could have gotten around that issue by holding a referendum, if it so wanted to.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I may be one of a minority but I believe this House should continue to have 166 Members given the increase in population.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I ask that the Minister take another look at that proposal. The Government has broken many of the promises made by both parties prior to entering government, including on the reduction in the number of Members of this House and in relation to hospitals in Wexford and throughout the country. I would forgive-----
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I would forgive the Government breaking this promise and allowing the number of Members of this House to remain at 166.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: In regard to Wexford hospital, the Minister, Deputy Howlin, other Oireachtas Members and I have all played our part in making sure it survived the test of time. We will continue to represent Wexford and parts of Kilkenny, Carlow and Wicklow. Long may that continue.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I hope that commonsense will prevail among the people of Sligo and Roscommon and that they will have hospital services in their areas. However, that is a matter for the people there.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: On the spending limit for the presidential election, a greater reduction than the â¬750,000 proposed in this Bill should apply. There should also be a greater reduction than the proposed maximum of â¬200,000 which can be reimbursed to a candidate of a presidential election. It is disappointing that Fine Gael and the Labour Party are facilitating another election campaign to be funded by...
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: Earlier this year we introduced a Bill-----
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: -----which would have effectively outlawed corporate donations, including for the presidential campaign.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: The Government parties voted the Bill down on the basis of their having an effective ban in place by July. Perhaps the Minister, when responding, will tell us when the Government proposes to bring forward legislation in this regard. The absence of any such revision in the Bill before us today confirms the cynicism of that promise.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: While the Government has published the general scheme of a Bill it is clear the legislation will not be in place in time for the Presidential election. As such we will have a presidential campaign funded by corporate donations, despite a Government commitment to bring about a ban on corporate donations.
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I welcome that Deputy Joanna Tuffy-----
- Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (5 Jul 2011)
John Browne: I recall that when as Minister of State I was in the Seanad and Deputy Tuffy was a Senator she described the move to reduce the number of Members of this House by 20 as a rush to populism that amounted to less accountability and weakened democracy. I know that the Minister is a democrat and that he fought hard on the Fine Gael side to ensure there was a democratic process within his party.