Results 9,061-9,080 of 11,874 for speaker:Niall Collins

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: -----but the defence of reasonable excuse only applies in respect of a failure to comply with a requirement under section 4(b)(ii), which is in regard to moving a vehicle in the vicinity of a checkpoint. A person who refuses or fails to comply with a requirement to provide a breath test cannot avail of the reasonable excuse defence. The Minister saw fit here last night to avail of the...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: I have not mentioned his intervention in the Oireachtas inquiries referendum. I could go on. There is plenty I could mention. We do not-----

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: -----have confidence in the Minister and we are reflecting the communities that do not have confidence in him. I defend anybody's right to raise legitimate questions in this House by way of any motion, and it ill-behoves the Members opposite to come in here to question the legitimacy of any party or any Member to raise matters of concern in the fashion we did.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: I am glad to have the opportunity to wrap up this debate tonight. At the outset, I note any decision to table a motion of no confidence is not taken lightly. In recent days I have stated repeatedly, in response to the Minister and others, that Members have reached a tipping point with the Minister in question. Fianna Fáil Members have been asked the reason they lodged this motion and...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: Moreover, it is centralising and warehousing all these services into the larger towns and cities. As Minister for Justice and Equality, the Minister has a primary function to protect the public but it does not feel protected by him. The public has lost confidence in the Minister and Fianna Fáil is taking the opportunity in this motion to articulate that loss of confidence on behalf of...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: They were bespoke, they were present, they were drafted, the work had been done on them.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: The Minister simply picked them and ran with them.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: The Minister is trying to claim credit but I put it on record that he is trying to claim credit for the work of previous Ministers. He is no more reforming then any previous Minister for Justice and Equality.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: The Minister is no more reforming than anyone else. He is like the proverbial footballer - I note Ireland is playing England at present - who, when some other player brings the ball up the field and beats all the defenders, then gets the tap in. However, the Minister wishes to take all the credit for all the tap ins. That is the way he wishes to do it.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: The Minister's speech last night also incredibly referred to himself as Deputy Shatter, the bridge builder. The Minister now is a relationship builder. While Members rightly have been criticising him for all the relationships he is destroying, he couches matters in the European context. He claims that he is out there in Europe, building the bridges the previous Administration burned...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: I will explain the reason to the Members opposite. Moreover, this is not a point being made by Fianna Fáil, because the Government has a problem in accepting independent reports. The Minister's criticism of the previous Government, to the effect that its members never attended European Union meetings and did not carry out their ministerial duties is a lie, which has been put paid to by...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: The analysis showed that for the ten years between 2000 and 2010, Ireland was the fifth highest tender at European Union Ministers' meetings. As for the reason the attendance fell during the last few months, it was because the then Opposition, now in government, in a cynical political exercise withdrew the ministerial pairs. That was the type of responsible politics in which the Government...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: He will not, however, apologise to those on whom he called to resign. Incidentally, some of them did, for completely different reasons, and then the Minister would not credit them with that either. Moreover, the wider Government response is amazing. Every motion tabled in this Chamber on a Wednesday evening during Private Members' time is a waste of time according to Government Members....

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: They simply wish to rubbish everyone's mandates.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: This shows the arrogance that has entered the Government. It has arrogance flowing through its veins and the Government is unable to control it.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: The people see this but unfortunately, the Government cannot. Consequently, I will give the Government a small piece of advice, which it probably will not wish to take from me.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: Politically, that would suit us better. There should be less spin, less arrogance and less trying to use its massive majority to squeeze the minority in the democratic Chamber.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: As for the Labour Party, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, summed up for it. In fairness, as it has abandoned the trade unions and working people, for what does the Labour Party stand? Once upon a time, it used to stand for principle but the RTE "Prime Time" episode now shows it does not stand for natural justice, due process or high standards in ministerial office. Once upon a...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: Members saw this with regard to the Minister of State's former colleague, Deputy Shortall. What did the Labour Party do to save its senior Ministers' relationship with Fine Gael? It flushed one of its own out the gap and right over to the Opposition benches. That tells one a lot about the Labour Party and the personalities at the top of it.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice and Equality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 May 2013)

Niall Collins: Everyone can see through it. As for the Pembroke Street incident, the Minister has not answered the questions. The questions hanging over the Minister are not personal matters but are in the public interest because the Minister is the officeholder. The Minister must deal with the questions hanging over him because a cloud is hanging over him. The Minister can ask the Garda Commissioner...