Results 1,681-1,700 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: Iveagh House might not be so pleased about it.

Seanad: Budget 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: Senator Boyhan mentioned the inadequacy of the Government's response to the housing crisis over its period of office, of which this is the fourth budget. Some of the figures in the budget are aggregates, which are great to have, but what do they actually mean? I note that €1.1 billion is being allocated to deliver 11,000 social housing units this year. Unless my maths skills are...

Seanad: Budget 2020: Statements (8 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: There will not be an election.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: I thank Senator Leyden very much.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: I express my sympathy to the Leader for the incredible pressure he is under in the House. Senator Conway seeks €1 billion a year, while Senator Leyden wants his savings back. How can the country survive such ceaseless demands on the Exchequer? I do not know where we will go with all that. We had a debate yesterday on what was the latest Brexit development, but overnight, what is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: The funny thing is that the The Guardiantoday reminds us that under the existing law in the UK, namely, section 10(2) of the exit Act, nothing in various sections of the Act authorises regulations that diminish in any form the North-South co-operation provided for by the Belfast Agreement, or the creation or facilitation of border arrangements between Northern Ireland and the Republic of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: There is now a proposal to break the UK's own law or, one presumes, to change it in the utmost bad faith. I accept that the Irish Government must play a careful game of not being seen to be unreasonable and of keeping its language polite, respectful and so on, and that the EU, too, is playing a careful game not to run into the trap of being seen to be aggressive towards the UK and, in...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, and echo the comments that have been made about her and her Department's sterling work on behalf of this country. I am not as optimistic as others here for the following reason. I listened carefully to the entirety of what Prime Minister Johnson said on BBC Radio Four this morning. People have spoken here about incredulity, and I did not...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: I want to say this if I may, because I am in my last minute. As far as I am concerned, we need a different approach to Northern Ireland. I commend Senator Black on her comments. It is not good enough any more to simply talk in vague terms about a border poll. That is counterproductive and useless. I took the trouble to develop the question of what could be at issue in a border poll in...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: I accept that.

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: Is it a good idea to stay with it?

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 Oct 2019)

Michael McDowell: It is about the balance of power with the seats.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: Tell that to Freddie Scappaticci.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: I echo what Senator Black has just said. In these Houses, the provisions of Standing Orders and the Constitution regarding money messages are being blatantly abused. We look across at what is happening in the UK Supreme Court where somebody has had to intervene to prevent the Executive effectively overriding the will of the democratically elected houses of the UK Parliament yet we seem to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: Not this Bill.

Seanad: Blasphemy (Abolition of Offences and Related Matters) Bill 2019: Second Stage (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: I will not oppose the Bill, but I will make some passing remarks on it because there are certain consequences of its enactment which deserve to be, at least, considered or noted before we give it the nod through the House. One of the most cogent arguments for its adoption is the fact that legislatures across the world point to Ireland as a reason to have blasphemy laws in their jurisdictions...

Seanad: Blasphemy (Abolition of Offences and Related Matters) Bill 2019: Second Stage (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: The Government, perhaps with a view to ushering through the blasphemy referendum, failed to carefully consider the remainder of the Constitution. As Senators know, Article 44 was amended to remove the special position of the Roman Catholic Church and references to various other denominations, including the Jewish denomination. The inclusion of the reference to the latter domination was...

Seanad: Blasphemy (Abolition of Offences and Related Matters) Bill 2019: Second Stage (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: I do not have much more to say. I do not care what a person's religious opinions are. I do not care whether a person is a militant atheist or agnostic. My position is that we should not enshrine in law a right to disgust other people on a matter of such centrality to their personality while Article 44.1° remains in the Constitution. I do see that the other side of this coin is...

Seanad: Blasphemy (Abolition of Offences and Related Matters) Bill 2019: Second Stage (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: Correct.

Seanad: Blasphemy (Abolition of Offences and Related Matters) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: I wish to reflect on the remarks made on Second Stage of the Bill in the context of what it will do. I wish to emphasise that I indicated that I will support its passage and that it needs to be supported in the circumstances I outlined. Senator Bacik raised the issue of whether the inclusion in the Defamation Act of the two sections dealing with blasphemy was necessary. I wish to remind...