Results 10,321-10,340 of 20,735 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I too want to lend my voice of support to amendment No. 42 and a number of similar amendments. However, it all seems to be a waste of time and energy. As I said last night, although I hate being repetitive, Deputy Boyd Barrett is right about how Joe Bloggs and Mary Public would react if they knew what was going on with the cartels and the regulators who are in bed with them. We have...

Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, is not here. Concerns are increasing about the Mercosur deal and the intention of the European Commission to increase the offer being made to the four countries which are objecting, including Paraguay. The European Commission had been offered 120,000 tonnes of beef imports, which would come into Ireland and other...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: The confidence supply seems to be very confident. Maybe my Fianna Fáil colleagues are over-confident that the Government is going to do what it says on the tin. Why do we need a review or report? Why has it not been done already? Is the permanent government totally in charge that it would not let it do it? The sooner that changes the better. The Minister can be ag gáire if he...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I support this important amendment. Our flagship industry is the agricultural economy. I am now old enough to remember a number of recessions and each time it was the farming sector that took us through. When the farmers are doing well, they spend money locally. They spend it with local suppliers and on local equipment. We cannot just pay lip service to the problem of income volatility...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I, too, support this reasonable amendment on real estate investment trusts and Irish real estate funds or, to use their acronyms, REITs and IREFs. The Government and its predecessors appear set on preserving the status quoand supporting the rich and famous at the expense of ordinary citizens. This beggars belief after all we have been through and the rape and plunder visited on us by the...

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I did not mention any names.

Finance Bill 2017: Report Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: Mercenaries deserve to be identified and put out of action as opposed to being embraced by Governments and the Civil Service. They led the attack on our people. Deputy Fitzmaurice is right; it is as bad as what the Black and Tans did and many lives have been wrecked. Many people have taken their lives and many families are distraught, not to mention all the homeless people to whom we pay...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I have always respected any guests who have appeared before us and have waited until they were finished to make statements at different times. If the guest is waiting and wants to go, because I have quite a detailed contribution to make, I think we are rushing this. We are only going to give it 30 minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: Yes, but five minutes is not enough.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: Can I make this point again? They are waiting just to jump at us. We did not utter a syllable when others wanted to speak, which is the way it should be.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: Look at this. Where are the manners and respect?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: This is outrageous. I thought I had the floor.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: This is continuous. It was going on last week within the cabal behind us in the Gallery. I said it was disgraceful. We are here as elected representatives. I listened to the lecture about Christianity from Senator Ned O'Sullivan. We are here to do our honest best and to represent whatever viewpoint we want.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I will make the point without interruption, sniping and whooping.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I am making a point in support of Senator Mullen-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: ----- in that I am willing to wait until after the witness has deliberated, if it is any help.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: As I said, the timeline which led to the charge of bias in the committee is critical. At the outset, the committee invited 24 pro-repeal witnesses to present before it and just three pro-life witnesses. I thank the clerk to the committee for his endurance and forbearance in co-operating with me in trying to find out the full list. Then, in a most extraordinary move, just three weeks into...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I just said that they said they were blue in the face.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I do want any lectures from Deputy O'Connell.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Mattie McGrath: I do not interrupt anyone. Deputy O'Connell knows that. The Chairman said at the beginning of the process that this committee would not repeat any of the work of the Citizens' Assembly and then proceeded to invite 12 of the same witnesses who appeared before the assembly. I lay that charge with the Chairman. She made that statement on the record and then invited 12 groups that appeared...