Results 18,321-18,340 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Mar 2006)

David Norris: I congratulate him and am sorry I missed that remarkable political event.

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Mar 2006)

David Norris: Even the fact that the Criminal Justice Bill was introduced in 2004 is instructive as this is 2006. The situation is paralleled by the Disability Bill 2001, which was withdrawn, in that a Bill that was initially 34 pages long has had 340 pages of amendments added to it. The Bill is dwarfed by amendments that constitute ten times its bulk, which clearly suggests that it should be withdrawn and...

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 Mar 2006)

David Norris: The Minister has added issues such as ASBOs, gun control and so on, which should perhaps be matters for separate legislation. If one has a Criminal Justice Bill 2004, it becomes less relevant by 2006. There is a gross disproportion. I ask that the Bill be withdrawn and properly presented to the House in a form that is appropriate to the parliamentary process.

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Mar 2006)

David Norris: I call for a debate on the Middle East, in particular, on the impact of the disastrous American policies in this area, especially in light of the fact that a Cabinet Minister appeared in New York on St. Patrick's Day and took a salute from returning members of the 69th division of United States Air Force in full uniform who had been involved in the massacre of civilians. It was highly...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

David Norris: Perhaps I might ask the Leader if the debate on the Lourdes Hospital report will be open-ended. It is very appropriate that the women should lead off, and we are lucky in this House to have qualified women from all sides. I would not have agreed to that if there were a consultant here, but it would be useful if the debate were open-ended, since, from a personal perspective, I may not be able...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2006)

David Norris: The gardaí were blamed, but the judge said that he was not bothered by the clock. He certainly should have been bothered, since, as a result of his lack of punctiliousness, someone walked free from Garda custody. I join with those others, including from the Government side, who have called for a debate on accident and emergency departments. A very calm and reasoned consultant from Galway was...

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: I am very happy to second this motion and I am very grateful to Senator Ryan for giving me the opportunity to do so. Like many other people, I was astonished when this committee was deliberately collapsed. In reply to my question about the committee on 1 December 2005, the Leader stated that if the European Parliament is taking the issue seriously, then we should do likewise. We had about six...

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: Yes. People sell out their ideals for cash and the record proves that this is the case. Members have said that we cannot afford to do this because the multinationals are huge sources of employment and cash and so on.

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: It was said that we could not afford it because it would cost us financially. That constitutes selling out one's ideals for cash. I expect to be allowed some injury time for that inappropriate interruption from the Chair.

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: I want to refer to five specific flights. The first flight landed on 17 June 2003. Hassan Osama Mustafa Nasr, known as Abu Omar, was abducted in Milan. He may not have been a very nice person, but he was treated with contempt for his human rights. He was taken via a military air base in Aviano, Italy and Rammstein, Germany to Egypt on a Gulfstream jet, which later flew to the US via Shannon.

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: That is the very fudge the Senators on the other side of the House are trying to make. Under international law, it constitutes complicity in a crime if one assists in the flight. This is what we have done and this is what the Government has tried to conceal. I would appreciate less nonsense from that side of the House. The suspect was then taken to Egypt, was tortured and released without...

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: Since yesterday, we have been in possession of information stating that the British Government, despite its repeated denials of the use of its bases for rendition, has been involved in such a process. The following three flights are of interest to this House because they were routed back through Shannon. Flight N313P arrived from Brize Norton at 10.15 on 19 October 2003, departed to Tripoli...

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: The instructions to the Government were to investigate whether there had been active or passive co-operation. I do not suggest there was active co-operation but there is factual evidence that there was passive co-operation. There is no doubt on this point.

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: If the Senator would shut up, I will. The Senator is not in the county council in Ennis now and he never will be, with the help of God and a toothbrush.

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: This response to Senator Marty is the most shameful document I have seen. It is full of prevarication, bluster, answers to questions that were not asked,——

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: ——inaccuracies, half truths and what appear to be downright lies.

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: I have indicated that some of it is contradicted by senior Garda officers. The Senator also asked about aid or assistance in the transportation by aircraft or otherwise of persons so deprived of their liberty. Is it beyond the intelligence of a small section of the Fianna Fáil Party to understand plain English? If one refuels an airplane, one is facilitating its operation. It is part and...

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: I will not withdraw anything. Under Irish law a victim is entitled to secure civil damages against the State. I sincerely hope that the people for whom the Government has been complicit in their kidnap and torture will sue the State and I hope the record of Seanad Éireann and the fact that I and others have pursued this over the past few years will stand as evidence. Senator Marty mentioned...

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: I am honoured to support the motion. I am glad there is a division of opinion on the Government benches because there are decent and honourable people who would not sell their fellow human beings into torture——

Seanad: Use of Irish Airports: Motion. (8 Mar 2006)

David Norris: ——simply because they have the habit of being colonised,——