Results 10,841-10,860 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: It was in this House that Senator Darragh O'Brien introduced the pyrite Bill and during one of the debates on pyrite the suggestion was made about an exemption. Perhaps it was from there that the Minister took it up. I would like to think so because it would suggest a positive relationship in terms of making good suggestions in the Seanad.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: Is that just on the pyrite issue or would it be possible for Senators to send in the substance of the amendments we may not reach today?

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: I have it and it is only this size in the middle of my screen and the rest of it is black. I have four stations which is plenty.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: I take that as a compliment as it was no doubt intended to be.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: I would not touch anything tainted by the ghastly claws of Rupert Murdoch.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: A vote was deliberately avoided.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: I suggest we ignore the rulings of the Chair. We should bypass them by taking the matter into our own hands. We should persist in discussing the relevant issues in defiance of the fact that all of this has been ruled out of order. If necessary, we should all get ourselves thrown out. We should discuss the substance of the Bill in the interests of those affected by it. It is a disgrace...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: There is no legal basis for this.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: The Chair has acted illegally and, therefore, forfeited the Chair's authority.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: I ask Seanad Éireann to do its duty by discussing these matters and, if necessary, absolutely ignoring the Chair.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: Yesterday there was a great deal of clap trap about the Title of the Bill. I am afraid that it will be repeated today. If we must vote on it, let us vote. It is regrettable because there are serious problems technically with the Bill, in particular in regard to section 13. I believe the claw back is highly dangerous. There is no discrimination between people who have received...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: It is an absolute nonsense and an insult to our intelligence. There is no cost. Speech is free in the Chamber and it is free not only in the independence of thought but it actually costs nothing. How can anybody, apart from a complete lunatic suggest that there is a cost here? This is a device to frustrate the democratic operation of Seanad Éireann and it should be resisted and if...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: What has that to do with the Title of the Bill?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Report Stage (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: I am sorry, a Chathaoirligh, I object to this strongly because we are supposed to be concentrating on a specific item and the Member opposite is not so concentrating.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: Since Senator Susan O'Keeffe mentioned remarkable moments and people, it is worth mentioning the young woman teacher at the scene of the tragic shooting in Connecticut who marshalled a significant group of her students into a cloakroom and remained behind to mislead the gunman. She saved their lives, which was heroic and for which I salute her. The thanks of our group have been passed on...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Dec 2012)

David Norris: We are going to have a busy day if we are dealing with all of that.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Dec 2012)

David Norris: It is wonderful to think that a large section of that ceiling was restored by young people. I could not tell the difference. Those people have the talent. The plasterwork of the 18th century in Ireland is distinctive, different and, in my opinion, better than the comparable plasterwork in London, Edinburgh or Bath. We should be proud of our heritage.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Dec 2012)

David Norris: He is not unique in that.

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Dec 2012)

David Norris: I welcome the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan. I compliment Senator Aideen Hayden on her splendid analytic speech. She made a number of the points I would have made. Underneath the velvet tones of the Minister's speech, there was steely language. He stated: "There will be a relationship between the market value of a house and benefits to the owner in terms of enjoyment of the...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Dec 2012)

David Norris: Let us hope the Seanad is treated a little better tomorrow. It would be very refreshing if the Minister observed the decencies of this House.