Results 15,421-15,440 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: Will the Minister of State say what charge his Department fears might arise in this regard?

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I second Senator Bacik's amendment. It calls for precisely what the Minister intends, which is, action in the matter. Instead of being a wish, it is something that will and should be done. I listened to the Minister of State's arguments on Committee Stage and I was not completely convinced. Therefore, I would be happy to support Senator Bacik on this issue.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: The arguments were made at the earlier Stage. At that point Senator Bacik raised what I felt was a significant legal point. Her memory is quite accurate. The Minister of State said that he would consult the Parliamentary Counsel and take legal advice. He has not yet had the opportunity to give the House the burden of that information. My amendment also seeks to facilitate. It introduces...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: It means it is a kind of double amendment.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I am grateful for that clarification.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: It is splendid. It is a triumph for a new Senator.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: A not quite flexible enough Minister of State, not yet. We await his words.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: Yesterday, we discussed the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, but it included a sneaky little provision, which was provided to the House in an unreadable manner, smuggling in the destruction of the Combat Poverty Agency. How is that for human rights? The Human Rights Commission has effectively been neutered in defiance of the Good Friday Agreement. In addition, the Government...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I am asking for another matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: In that context, when will the immigration and asylum Bill come before this House? That is a disgrace. How dare the Government produce this and continue with a chairman who is so discredited. I have never known this to be done before. It is a blatant violation of human rights. Today's newspapers report on another shameful asylum case where somebody is to be sent back to the Congo. I know...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: ——but it was overturned because that decision was unsafe. When are we going to do something about asylum and human rights?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: I am asking for this debate. May I also say something else?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: The format of the Order of Business has been raised and I have pushed this matter continually. It is obviously not a matter of time because we routinely meet ten minutes late. In his generous and decent way, the Cathaoirleach takes people who were not heard the last time. Why do we have to take them out of sequence, however? Why not take the whole lot? It means issues that were more...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: The time should be extended then. With regard to the question of gun crime, which was raised yesterday and today, yesterday's meeting in the Dáil Chamber of former women Members of the Oireachtas provided a wonderful example of a gun-toting lassie, Countess Markievicz, a toff like Seán MacBride, who rather enjoyed shooting the Irish peasantry.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: What kind of example was that when one is talking about gun crime?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: No, we did not. Who was restricted?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: We are employed for the full week.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: The Government was playing around with the Order of Business. It was that side's responsibility. We were perfectly right and will do it again.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

David Norris: If there is an opening, it is tiny.