Results 13,221-13,240 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

European Council Meetings: Statements. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: It is a great pity the Government has resolved to proceed. Clearly, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, then chairman on the all-party constitutional committee, counts for nothing. For seven years the Government has paid lip service to the wisdom on whether we should intrude in the matter of private property as it relates to building land. After his first five years in office, the...

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: Does the Taoiseach not know well that the Minister sought to discuss this matter with the Opposition spokespersons at the same time as he issued a statement to the press announcing the referendum? I do not know what the pretence about mystery is because that was the discussion that took place. I do not know why we must listen to people hedging by saying the Taoiseach does not know what the...

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: Will the Bill be discussed in the week after Easter? That is the question.

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: How come I know the answer?

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: We will see, Billy. I will lay you a wager.

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: It will create the same circumstances as those that existed in Deputy Kelleher's constituency at the previous general election.

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: There will be Deputy Noel O'Flynns all over the place and Deputy Kelleher knows that. If the Taoiseach thinks that is a good idea, I am afraid I do not agree with him.

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: They are checking the advertisements to see if anyone has replied.

Order of Business. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: There was a large meeting of workers at Shannon last night. The workers want to know whether the Taoiseach approved the proposals worked out between Phil Flynn and his programme manager at Dublin Airport. When will the Bill to break up Aer Rianta be published? Will the workers have an opportunity, in advance of the publication of the Bill, to examine the financial data they have been promised...

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: This is my first opportunity to ask the Taoiseach why he told the House on 17 February that the Government had no plans for a referendum. Three weeks later, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, stated that such plans do exist. Why did the Taoiseach change his mind? What changed his mind? I was greatly inspired at the weekend by the Minister for Justice, Equality...

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: The Taoiseach says that this is not new. What is new is that the Taoiseach told the House on 17 February that no referendum was planned this year. He has not explained that. Neither is it new that the Taoiseach wrote to my predecessor as leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Quinn, when he raised this point at the time of the Good Friday Agreement and told him expressly that peace on our island...

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Brian Lenihan, as Chairman of the all-party committee, made several recommendations on how to process a referendum. He even went as far as to say that the committee recommended that the Standing Orders of the House be amended to embody a presumption that every Deputy and Senator would have sufficient opportunity to make whatever contribution he or she wishes. Will that happen or will...

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: ——with what the Irish Refugee Council described as the "frenzy" of an election? I warn the Taoiseach that, just because his American guru has advised him to do that, he should not presume partisan advantage to exploit such an issue in the context of elections.

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: He raised it in his letter.

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: Are the Russians and Moldovans coming?

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: Quantify them.

Leaders' Questions. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: Is the——

Departmental Investigations. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: From what the Taoiseach has said, I presume he agrees with the principle that changing the law is a matter for Parliament and not for Executive action. I refer him to the case of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which is still before the House, in respect of the superannuation of public servants, for example, and which will impact on the superannuation Acts....

Departmental Investigations. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not disagree with the Taoiseach on the overall process. However, in this case the principles are actually being changed. Extending pension rights to people aged 65 years, or for whatever different categories of public servant there are, is more than just updating superannuation entitlements.

Departmental Investigations. (30 Mar 2004)

Pat Rabbitte: Many teachers, as well as Members, will have a different viewpoint.