Results 9,361-9,380 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2007)

Alex White: Yesterday we agreed to the Order of Business as set out by the Leader who agreed to a further debate on the issue of health. I do not know whether he said this directly to the House but it was stated that a debate would take place on Shannon before long. Members will be grateful for this. However, there is a serious question mark over the coherence and credibility of the Government on a...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2007)

Alex White: What is happening in the Government? Where has democracy in this State got to when Government Ministers can face in two, three or four different directions at the same time? How are we, as Senators, to take seriously any Minister or member of the Government who comes to this House to articulate the position of the Government on such an important issue when they spend their time disagreeing...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2007)

Alex White: ——the question of his position. These people have just given a clear account of what happened. The behaviour of the Minister — again, a Minister subject to collective Cabinet responsibility — is nothing short of a disgrace and he should make a public apology.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2007)

Alex White: If he really felt so strongly about the Shannon issue, and all of the dancing that he engaged in with his colleagues in August——

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2007)

Alex White: It was a performance worthy of the Rose of Tralee, rather than what we would expect of a Minister. After all that posturing, what happened at the end of the day? Absolutely nothing.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2007)

Alex White: We cannot take them seriously.

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2007)

Alex White: We cannot take any Government seriously if its members cannot maintain a coherent position on fundamental issues as articulated by them.

Seanad: Climate Protection Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I will not detain the House for more than two minutes. In regard to what the Minister, Senator Boyle and others from the Government side said on co-operation from the Opposition, I would like to be crystal clear and would venture to suggest the Minister will have far more difficulty gaining co-operation from the people who sit on the benches behind him than he will ever have from these benches.

Seanad: Climate Protection Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: He knows that. When he was in Opposition, he quite rightly pressed the Government in respect of these matters, as he related to us a few minutes ago, but did not get anywhere. It is fine for him to say he is in Government and he now wants the Opposition to swing the lead for him. I speak only for the Labour Party but it will not be found wanting, nor was it in regard to that proposed Bill....

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: The Leader is being selective.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I move AmendmentNo. 1: In page 3, lines 23 and 24, to delete subsection (3) and substitute the following: "(3) The collective citation "the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2007" includes Part 3.". Essentially, this is a drafting amendment. As there is already a Local Government Act 2007, the formulation we have set out in the amendment may be more appropriate.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I move AmendmentNo. 2: In page 3, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following subsection: "(4) Section 7 shall come into operation on the enactment of this Act, and the remaining provisions of this Act shall come into operation on the first making of regulations under section 42A of the Principal Act inserted by section 7.".

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: The proposed amendment will deal precisely with the Minister's area of concern. The Bill potentially contains a serious flaw in this respect. There is no commencement date specified in the Bill, and in the normal run of events such a Bill commences upon its enactment. This means that the exemption in the principal Act for lending by libraries will be repealed. However, it will take some...

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: Surely that means the existing exemption libraries have will not apply for the period between the loss of the exemption they currently have and the regulations being published and introduced.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: That can be addressed further on Report Stage.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I tabled this amendment. The Minister of State indicated on Second Stage and again today how vital it is that this change is made. He repeated that three times in the House and yet there is a difficulty about making an actual commitment to doing so. There is a preference for saying he might do so. It is ludicrous.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: Does it?

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 6: In the inserted section 58, to delete "by an educational establishment" and substitute the following: ", subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Minister, by an educational establishment which is so prescribed for the purposes of this section or comes within a category of educational establishment that is so prescribed". My amendment...

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I am unable to put my hand on the definition section of the principal Act but I take the point made by the Minister of State. He seems to be meeting the point because he says it has been already dealt with in the definitions in the principal Act. I will take it in good faith that this is the case and I am happy to withdraw the amendment to the amendment on that basis, but I will return to...

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I move amendment No. 9: In page 3, lines 12 to 13, to delete "TO CONSEQUENTIALLY" and substitute "CONSEQUENTIALLY TO". This amendment is to do with the split infinitive in the Title of the Bill. When I was thinking about the sorts of things I would have to do as a Member of the Seanad, I never thought I would have to make a speech about the perils of the split infinitive, so I hope this...