Results 17,681-17,700 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Senator might think this legislation is not worth the paper it is written on, but I do not.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: It is not irrelevant but very real. In fact, it is very important. What is the component of what is protected? What unintended consequences and what issues could potentially arise from this matter? These are very real questions. As regards property rights, which are also protected in the Constitution, there are issues for same. Let us remember what I said earlier on what is in the...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Senator is right that I almost certainly will not be here. I do not think the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, will be here either because he is older than me. I will be 75 years old in 2050.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Senator for her comment.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: That is another question. After the past few months I am not too sure about that but we will see. Let us be honest about this matter. Do not forget that I sat here in 2008 when we debated the bank guarantee which was one of the most fundamental nights in the history of this State. I personally think the wrong decision was made and voted against it. People have put forward arguments in...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Coming from my philosophical beliefs, it is obviously something that has to be 100% accurate and dealt with. Working within all of the advice we can get in Government, I believe that the threshold created absolutely protects Irish Water. I also need to say to Senators that before they put a provision into the Constitution they would need to be absolutely certain it could achieve what it...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: It was not that easy.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Senators for their comprehensive contributions. I will go through this amendment and, I dare say, probably this section, because it broadens out into the section as well. I have a couple of initial comments. I had nothing to do with amendments being ruled out of order. If they were ruled in order, I would debate them as much as I would debate any of these. This is merely to...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I must work, as part of the Executive, within the advice I get and with the terms of that advice as well, and everyone here appreciates that. I come from the Labour Party. We all are politicians at the end of the day. I am a Member of a Government involving Labour and Fine Gael. From my ideology, the idea that we would privatise Irish Water is against everything I stand for. Let me be...

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: It is 36 years to 2050; I could be here.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I will be 75.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Senator is certainly right about that.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: It would be a brave one.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: For the record, it is not my role to explain.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I would have no problem debating them if they were allowed.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I can-----

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Of all the people in this State, I did.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: It is the reason I am here today.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: That is a good example.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: No.