Results 1,241-1,260 of 18,741 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: On a point of information, the number of Irish passport holders amounts to approximately 800,000.

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: Will the Senator give way for a point of information?

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I always put on the record the fact that the efforts to have the Citizens' Assembly, which came up with a diverse set of proposals, to consider this proposal were stopped as well. The assembly was prohibited from discussing the matter.

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister of State for his remarks and I thank everybody who has participated in this debate. It is important that this debate should have occurred. I do not have as heavy a heart as I had when I stood up to move the Bill. The reason is that I accept what the Minister of State has said, that he is committed to reform of the Seanad. The fact that there was not unanimity on every...

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: The point I am making is that the number of Senators allocated to each of those panels under the present constitutional framework is variable. One could slash the agricultural panel to five Senators and increase the allocation to those involved in voluntary social services on the administrative panel to ten Senators. There is nothing sacrosanct about the present distribution of seats....

Seanad: Political Donations: Motion (11 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I want to hear the answers.

Seanad: Political Donations: Motion (11 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: This motion raises important fundamental points. Although there has been considerable crossfire in the Chamber this evening, there are historical matters which must be addressed too. I was in Weston Park in Britain in 2001 when the Irish Government was informed that senior members of the republican movement were in Colombia. They were selling military know-how to FARC, a Marxist guerilla...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Conference on the Future of Europe: Discussion (11 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I thank our guests for a very interesting set of contributions and responses. I hope Dr. Day is not frightened by this, but I agree with her approach, in that we should examine issue-based rather than theory-based changes in planning out the future of Europe. We have to go through a few logical steps. First, what is not happening that people in Europe want to happen? Second, does it need...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (10 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (10 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State and thank Senator Cassells for his very generous encomium, which is not entirely deserved. I reiterate my thanks to him, along with Senators Warfield and Higgins, for their enthusiastic and totally committed support of the Seanad implementation group process. If we are talking about between 800,000 and 1 million people as part of this electorate for six seats...

Seanad: Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (10 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: The Minister of State will not be missed.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 8 be taken before No. 1. This concerns the Children (Amendment) Bill 2020. On the issue of voting for business next Tuesday, I appreciate the problems we face with accommodation, votes and the like. I have tried to be constructive, as has my group, on all of these matters. Some people feel that in these Covid days, we must...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: Yes, I suppose so.

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: First Stage (6 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Children Act, 2001 to permit the publication and broadcasting of reports and images identifying or likely to identify persons accused or convicted in proceedings for certain offences against children and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: First Stage (6 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: Next Friday, 13 November, since Tuesday is all blocked off.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020: Motion (6 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I will be supporting the amendment, which has been tendered to this motion, to extend the legislation only to a date in February. I do so because I think it is important for this House, and Dáil Éireann for that matter, to keep the Government accountable and keep all of the emergency measures under constant review and that we do not find ourselves effectively being run by...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020: Motion (6 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I second the amendment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Response to Covid-19: Discussion (28 Oct 2020)

Michael McDowell: My questions are for both of our guests, whom I thank for their presentations and attendance. The Commission stated yesterday that universal vaccination may not be available until 2022. Why is this? Perhaps Mr. Kiely will explain. Is it that the Commission foresees supply constraints or is it just less optimistic about the speed of development and authorisation, based on safety...

Seanad: Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister and congratulate him on his appointment. I have not had the opportunity to do that. This Bill is a technical one and deserves the support of the entire House. Two points occur to me. On cross-Border railway operations post-Brexit, will there be special arrangements for the extension of these EU powers or will this have any implications for that? I would like to...

Seanad: Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

Michael McDowell: I was just warning the Cathaoirleach that I was about to do it. I ask the Minister to look at the problems for emergency workers which are now being caused by the additional restriction of spaces on public transport at the moment and the hardship that is causing to nurses and people going to work. Is it really necessary as part of level 5 that the number of people able to travel on a bus is...