Results 10,321-10,340 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: At last — 20 minutes late.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Between now and 2 p.m. We are only after getting them.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: The Minister should keep his head down.

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Since last week the Labour Party has consistently argued for the closing off of this loophole. For that reason when the Government was persuaded to deal with it this week, last night we facilitated it being taken, which is the reason for us not voting against the Order of Business. However, we have not yet seen the Bill and there will be little time to look at the issue. I urge the Tánaiste...

Order of Business. (1 Jun 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: I thank the Tánaiste and Government Whip for agreeing to our proposal that the House sit next week. Apart from the crisis which besieges the Government, it is entirely appropriate that the House should sit in any event. I suggest it sits as normal on Tuesday afternoon.

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 28: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the most recent appointments made to the board of Bord na gCon; the length of time of these appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21027/06]

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 50: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his plans to hold a national day of commemoration of the Great Famine; if his attention has been drawn to the proposal to designate the last Sunday in May 2006 for a national commemoration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17887/06]

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Was that not approved with Mr. McCreevy?

Lisbon Agenda. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the progress to date with regard to the implementation of the Lisbon Agenda here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14872/06]

Order of Business. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: It is important that we have as much clarity on this issue as we can. As of now, all we know is that the Cabinet is divided on it. There is obviously a liberal view and the opposite view.

Order of Business. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: We need to know that we are not getting a short Bill that, in typical McDowell fashion, will turn into an octopus as it develops. The urgency has been well enunciated this morning. I suggested to the Tánaiste, and the Labour Party Bill is available to her, that we would seek to legislate on an interim basis to shut off the loophole while the House and the country is having the necessary...

Order of Business. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: The question of young children being left vulnerable to sexual predators is not acceptable to the people and, therefore, we need an interim Bill to shut off the loophole. Will the Tánaiste clarify if that is what we will get?

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: I am immensely disappointed by what the Tánaiste has just said. She seemed to assert that it would be unreasonable for Government to have anticipated the striking down of this particular section. How in heaven's name can she say that? Twice in May 2005, as I said in the House last week, legislation was rushed through in one day. That legislation was ready to go. To say that, on something as...

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: It was considered inappropriate at the time to debate these matters in public and that is what we get from this kind of legislation. We do not want to be presented with legislation that we are supposed to enact when there is no room or tolerance of amendments. I ask the Tánaiste if the Opposition will be consulted before the weekend. What day will this House reconvene to enact this...

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Does she think in any other democratic assembly the Minister for justice would be still in office——

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: ——as a result of something of the gravity of a 12 year old girl being fed drink and then subjected to sexual relations by an adult male? What about the horror cases coming down the line?

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: Is there any accountability in this Government for any of the errors it makes?

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: That last point is another correction of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Minister plainly said yesterday evening that the carriage of this case was the responsibility of the DPP. He said he knew nothing about it, that the Attorney General personally knew nothing about it and that he could not say if people in the Attorney General's office knew about it. It is about time...

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: The Law Reform Commission said the existing law was too harsh. A number of legal experts, including Tom O'Malley, had adverted to this issue in public.

Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)

Pat Rabbitte: The Law Society Gazette dealt with it recently and those of us on this side of the House are to believe that nobody in Government knew of this issue or anticipated the gravity of it. The Tánaiste presents it to us as if it were some kind of exculpatory assertion by her to say the Minister did not know. If the Minister did not know, he ought to have known. Charles Clarke did not know either...