Results 1,701-1,720 of 3,697 for speaker:Lynn Ruane

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I understand that on the first appointment and the process a person has already gone through with regard to his or her experience, character and so forth. In terms of creating another term, it is not only then based on the experiences a person entered the commission with but on his or her performance and role within the commission for the years he or she has been there. There should be at...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I move amendment No. 11: In page 21, line 10, to delete “may publish,” and substitute “shall make publicly available”. Amendment No. 11 is a simple amendment that aims to make sure that the Electoral Commission would make publicly available on its website the records of the agendas of its meetings, any papers relating to those meetings and the reports of those...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I move amendment No. 12: In page 21, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following subsection: "(d) progress regarding the wholesale review of the Electoral Act 1997, including the review of its provisions relating to political funding, until such a time as that review is complete." The wording of the amendment is as outlined. Amendment No. 12 relates in large part to amendments...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I reluctantly accept that the intention is to have this matter addressed. It is not that I question the Minister of State. I know how much he cares about addressing this issue. At the very least, we should include in the legislation an intention that the commission address it. If we have a reshuffle, we could have an election and the next Minister or Government may not necessarily have...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I thank Senator Warfield and the Sinn Féin Party for tabling these amendments. I first worked with Senator Warfield on this issue when we worked on the Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill. Reflecting on it or even thinking of the arguments put forward against it at the time, Members would find they were quite amusing if they were to read the transcript of that debate. Comments...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: It showed how narrow and insular the thinking was on the voting at 16 legislation and how ridiculous some of the arguments were. However, I see a difference and a change since then, with many people being much more supportive of it. We need to move on it but the narrative is definitely beginning to change and people understand why it is so important. I viewed the voting at 16 legislation...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I was the best acolyte holder in the room. They did not allow me near the vessel in which the frankincense was put.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: Frankincense.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: Yes, father.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: We are talking about 16-year-olds and it is not the case that they just wake up one morning and say they are ready to vote and engage in politics. Those steps begin at a very early age and they begin even earlier for communities that are disenfranchised because they begin to compare those things to which they do not have access. They probably think this is just the way it is, but that is...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: Blame the church.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I want to come back in to pick up on a couple of points. I am glad Senator Kyne came back into the room. Senator Malcolm Byrne said there is a concern that people would vote for fringe candidates or crazies.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: When Senator Kyne rephrased that in his contribution, he referred to candidates on the left. I wanted to pick up on the point. Senator Malcolm Byrne did not mention the left. He referred to fringe candidates and crazies. I would like to acknowledge that candidates of the left are neither fringe nor crazy.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: In listening to everyone's contributions, I am mindful we are trying to make the case for how active young people are. That is obviously a good thing. We are trying to note how knowledgeable and opinionated they are. I would like to state we do not require that level of input from anybody else who votes in the political system.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I know we are trying to demonstrate a case but we do not carry out any sort of psychological, emotional, well-being or capacity assessment on anybody from the age of 18 upwards. We would not say that 30-year-olds cannot vote because a portion of them do not go to Pride or engage in climate activism. It feels as if we are putting an awful lot of responsibility on 16-year-olds to the extent...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I move amendment No. 17: In page 22, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “(3) Where the Commission enters into contracts or appoints persons as consultants or advisers, a record of such contracts and consultations shall be kept and laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on a bi-annual basis.” This amendment inserts a new subsection into section 15...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I move amendment No. 19: In page 24, line 39, after "time" to insert ", but only once". Amendment No. 19 seeks to limit the term of the chief executive to being renewable only once. Currently, the Bill provides that the chief executive can have a five-year term and may be reappointed but not for more than ten years sequentially at a time. This amendment would look to only allowing two...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: Yes.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I move amendment No. 20: In page 25, to delete lines 1 to 3.

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2022)

Lynn Ruane: I move amendment No. 21: In page 25, line 10, after “section” to insert “, having due regard to the desirability of the appointee having knowledge of, and experience in, the areas as set out in section 9(4)”.