Results 1,621-1,640 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: I am abiding by the ruling of the Chair.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: On that basis, I will end my reference to that amendment for the time being. The Minister has come in and said that it would be a major U-turn and, therefore, it cannot happen. The Chair told Senator Norris earlier that where reasons are not offered, groupings can take place whether he likes it or not. I am not contesting that ruling at all. The fact that it would be a U-turn for the...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 3:In page 7, line 14, after "of" where it firstly occurs to insert "advisory".
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 4:In page 7, after line 30, to insert the following:“(3) An order made under subsection (2)shall not have effect unless a resolution approving the order is passed by each House of the Oireachtas within 28 days of the making of the said order.”.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: The proposal here is to insert a new subsection (3) into the commencement section, that is, section 1, on page 7. The purpose of this amendment is to give this House and the other House a second chance after the next election when, it is hoped, the Government will be free of some of its present influences and when the majority of Members of the Houses will be free to express their real views...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: No. I am saying to you-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: -----that my observation is not a threat. I am making the very simple point that an intelligent parliament, confronted with the opportunity to say "No" to the Bill, would stick with the current regime which is working very well and to which nobody is objecting and not waste €500,000 to establish this-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: -----quango and delay the process. The aim of amendment No. 4 in my name is simply to give whoever will be in office after the next general election the opportunity to say if this provision was wise in the first place or the result of the Independent Alliance's insistence on its insertion in the Constitution. That is the only argument I am making. We should give the Oireachtas another...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: An outstanding-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: I am agreeing with Senator Conway in making that unruly interjection. The Minister does have an outstanding record. The national interest would be served by amending the Bill to give the Houses of the Oireachtas a veto in deciding whether the legislation should ever be commenced. My final comment is that I fully acknowledge that in most cases commencement orders are made by way of a...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: The Minister has again provided the short rationale that this is an unprecedented move, which must therefore be rejected. The argument was made earlier that-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: -----any U-turn had to be rejected in principle and by definition. We are in a very peculiar situation. The Taoiseach has said that he favours holding a general election in May 2020. If this Bill passes through this House in the next number of weeks, goes back to Dáil Éireann and is passed by it, and is signed by the President without reference to the Supreme Court, it would be...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: Even with kryptonite in abundant supply and the Minister wearing his underpants outside his uniform-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: Even if that were to happen, the commission will not be in existence before the next general election.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: I strongly believe the Bill would not have been introduced in its current form were it not for a happenstance, a peculiar obsession on the part of one or two individuals who have had leverage over the Government. That being the case, a new Government will be duty-bound to ask whether the commencement of the legislation will really add anything to the quality of the Judiciary by comparison...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: As one of the others, I am very happy-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: On a point of order, the Minister made two speeches-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: I just wanted to say that I will consider his kind invitation to join him in the Dáil.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: Senator Craughwell is reserving his position because he is still available for the Presidency.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Report Stage (19 Nov 2019)
Michael McDowell: Yes.