Results 15,281-15,300 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I wrote to them and said they should not believe a word of what is being said because the Minister will tell them it was never raised. I mentioned all the debates and so on in which it was raised. I am going to make sure this news travels. The Minister said that the agency can continue to be independent. Will that really be so? In that case, why does the Government routinely include in...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I am responding to what the Minister said. She said that everybody was very supportive. That is the extent of the sympathy that exists in some sections, although by no means all. There are splendid people on the Government side who have a heart. It is important that these matters are placed clearly on the record.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I do not agree. It is awful that a very significant Bill like this should go through all Remaining Stages like this. That allows for absolutely no suggestion of amendments whatever and no real Report Stage. They might as well abolish the Seanad——

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: —— and they forgot the Ombudsman's office as well. Why do they not get rid of that?

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I, too, support the amendment, particularly the element Senator Prendergast singled out, the issue of mortgages. I raised this issue on the Order of Business for many months before the situation became disastrous. I am concerned about it. At least, mortgage interest rates have fallen. However, we are moving towards a situation of considerable unemployment and the point made by my two...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I will comment briefly on section 28? I pay tribute to the work that is done by the money advice and budgeting service. It is an important arm of the social welfare system. It does a great deal to assist people who are bewildered by the financial predicament in which they find themselves. I commend any provision the Minister might consider that would strengthen this worthwhile service, to...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I oppose this section of the Bill, just as I will oppose every section in Part 5. It may seem like a slight waste of time to oppose the definition of "agency" for the purposes of this part of the Bill. I will give my reasons for opposing Part 5 when we reach section 31, which provides for the dissolution of the Combat Poverty Agency.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: We are speaking about the section that sets out the definition of "agency".

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: This section is strenuously opposed. I was interested in the Minister's comments during the debate on section 30. She seemed to be somewhat queasy about accepting responsibility for this decision. She pointed out that the original decision was not made on her watch. I agree with that and accept it. If she had been there, perhaps a voice might have been raised against it. She honestly...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I am exactly concentrating on that. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his guidance. The point I am making is that the Government can suddenly, at 6.50 p.m. on a Tuesday, find €50 million lying around the place, but apparently we are told there must be all these swinging cuts that do not save a penny, will create inefficiencies in the system and will deprive people of their rights. The...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: Life after death.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I am sure the Minister will be familiar with the historical use of the word "dissolution". It was used by Henry VIII. He dissolved the monasteries, and there is not much left of them.

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: He dissolved lots of marriages. He was an enthusiastic supporter of marriage. He was a great family man. He was a defender of the Catholic faith. What else can we say about such a remarkable scion of the Tudor family?

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: It is dissolution. I agree that, of course, they are co-operative — that is their spirit of professionalism. On the basis of this series of scandalous attacks on human rights, I will write to every international organisation I can think of indicating the approach of the Government. It should be shamed internationally as well as nationally. I certainly propose to do this, as I did when we...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: It is a parallel point and I am going to make it.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business that we take No. 28, motion 31, "That Seanad Éireann condemns utterly the disgraceful action of the Government in destroying the Combat Poverty Agency [which we are doing today by the way] and the Equality Agency and the gutting of the Irish Human Rights Commission and calls on the Government to rescind these decisions." It is a shameful...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: Do not be such a fool.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: You really make yourself a piggy when you behave like that. This is a serious matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I am on the Order of Business and I want to say this, which is very important because it leads to a situation where I believe the Government is in great moral danger. I remind the House and you, Senator Walsh, that it was a Minister for Justice on your side who spent some time in jail for corruption.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I want to help the House because questions have been asked about these influences. The front page of The Irish Times carried an article about the Equality Authority making a complaint to the Garda because of the alleged disclosure of information which is prohibited under the Act. This was disclosure of information that came about during the course of an investigation. A Roman Catholic...