Results 12,101-12,120 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Social Welfare Benefits (8 Mar 2012)

David Norris: The Senator can give Senator Moran a minute or two of her time.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

David Norris: I welcome the Minister. I am glad I heard the last remarks of my distinguished colleague, Senator Wilson, which I endorse wholeheartedly. It grieves me that we have these chains, many of them from Britain, which have an aggressive policy of undercutting the competition. They have loss leading brands, they create hyper markets and they drain the life out of small towns and even out of the...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

David Norris: Well done. I thank the Minister for making that point. One of the first people to chair the Competition Authority was Dr. John Fingleton, whom I knew from Trinity followed by William Prastifka. Dr. Fingleton indicated that advancing better practices cost about €4 billion a year, and that was in 2004. The point that this group makes, however undiplomaticly, is that it is very difficult to...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2012)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2012)

David Norris: He eventually came.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2012)

David Norris: Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom beannachtaí agus dea-ghuí a thabhairt do na hAirí agus Airí Stáit go léir a bheidh ag taisteal thar lear ar son an Stáit seo ar Lá Fhéile Pádraig. I am delighted my colleagues have said what they have. It is very important for us to send these ambassadors abroad. I am only sorry nobody is going to Brazil and some of the other BRIC countries....

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Mar 2012)

David Norris: In addition I hope the Government jet is used more frequently because it is a capital asset that is decreasing in value all the time it is on the ground. It should be used as much as possible. In addition to the decreasing capital value, it needs air crew and ground crew on standby. It needs to be flown around the country twice a week if it is empty to keep it going. We are wasting money...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: I have one particular question for the Minister. I have always had sympathy for agency workers such as the people who were employed by Irish Shipping and such groups but there is a serious problem at the moment because the transposition of the EU agency workers directive is in the process of being done in what seems to be an inflexible way. I ask the Minister to review this transposition....

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: Is there any way it can be now encouraged?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: Hear hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: I do not think so.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 1 will be taken with debate. My colleague, Senator Barrett, spoke about that and put it in the context of the economic situation. Senator Crown spoke about the fact that he sensed a disaster in the offing. Senator Whelan spoke tellingly about the impact on business of the current financial situation. Senator Conway suggested...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: The political correspondent of The Sun on Sunday, if I may use that term of the Taoiseach of this country, Deputy Enda Kenny, signed an instrument which contained a blackmail clause. He did not have to do it. He had the option of using the Irish veto, but we are now tied into it. If and when the instrument is signed we are consigned into a situation where goals of financial austerity are...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: -----that the danger is that we have put the welfare of the people second to the preservation of a system that is rotten, corrupt, and criminal and is the iceberg towards which this Titanic of Europe is sailing.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: It is about time someone said it. I am calling for a debate and I also move an amendment to the Order of Business.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: I thank the Senator.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: On a point of order, I have been informed that a remark I made has been completely and deliberately misinterpreted. People have been tweeting about it. When I referred to people being unable to see that we were facing the Titanic, it had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that one of our colleagues suffers from partial blindness.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

David Norris: I bitterly resent such a disgusting performance from the office of a Senator on that side of the House. I will not take it. I would not demean myself by making such a remark about a man who has made a valuable contribution and who I greatly value.