Results 1,721-1,740 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

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...

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

Michael McDowell: If blasphemy was worthy of removal from the Constitution on the grounds of vagueness, indecency was certainly not something which could be criminalised on the same basis. I completely agree with Senator Bacik on that point. I agree with the remarks of the Minister of State regarding the conflation of religion and other political agendas. There is an entity named the National Party which...

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

Michael McDowell: -----not meant as encouragement to anyone but, as the Minister of State raised the issue, I wished to underline the fact that some people are ideologically blind to the distinction between asylum seeking and economic migration and they are entitled to that view. It is a legitimate view. They view the nation state and everything else as opposed to the great international order to which they...

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

Michael McDowell: I wish to make clear that I do not believe the Defamation Act should have included the blasphemy provisions. When I was Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I acted according to that view.

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

Michael McDowell: I do not regret the absence of these sections from the Defamation Act. If we are in the business of having a civil and tolerant society, there cannot be absolute licence to outrage others for the purpose of outraging them. Senator Norris may be correct that the way to deal with such matters would be through breach of the peace powers. It may be that an elaboration of the law with regard to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Sep 2019)

Michael McDowell: First, I endorse warmly the remarks the Cathaoirleach made of congratulation of those involved in the restoration of Leinster House, not least this Chamber itself, and I express my admiration for the work they did. I had the privilege of being shown through it when it was at a very raw stage of rehabilitation and the extraordinary skills that were shown in restoring the House and the extent...