Results 19,141-19,160 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

David Norris: ——on their way to kidnap people and bring them to third countries to be tortured. One of the methods of such torture is to use surfboards in the drowning of people until their lungs burst. This technique was perfected by the Gestapo in the Avenue Foch. Senator Dooley may be satisfied that Ireland is involved——

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

David Norris: ——in that kind of disgraceful behaviour but I certainly am not.

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

David Norris: Would the Leader be prepared to lay before the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána the evidence which has been assembled and which clearly constitutes a prima facie case for the involvement of this country in the commission of war crimes? There is an obligation on the police to examine this matter. I will certainly make available whatever information I possess. If the Leader, on behalf of...

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

David Norris: He has rejoined the Commonwealth.

Seanad: Order of Business. (10 Mar 2005)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (9 Mar 2005)

David Norris: I thank Senator Quinn for this opportunity to make a small contribution to this debate. I admire his handling of the subject because, unlike the tweedledum and tweedledee of the Government and the Opposition, he did not spend time in carping negative comments and tried to put forward a sensible and practical suggestion that addresses the real social situation. The House should always operate...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

David Norris: It was The Irish Times.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Mar 2005)

David Norris: I agree with colleagues who raised the subject of the IRA statement. That organisation could not possibly have given a clearer or more convincing illustration of its own innate criminality than it did in the statement. It was approached about one murder which was so brutal, vicious and cruel that people within its community compared it to the operations of the Shankill butchers some years ago...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

David Norris: I wish to comment on the Leader's statements. I think we all support the Leader in her struggles with Ministers. It is important that we make a stand as I have been in this House for nearly 20 years and cannot remember this sort of chopping and changing of dates. The Seanad used to meet at approximately the same time every week. It is difficult to have one's diary in order if our sitting days...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

David Norris: If the Leader does not need our support, I would be grateful if the Seanad could have a more regular ordering of business.

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

David Norris: It is unsatisfactory and unprofessional and does not suit the vast majority of Members. They would say the same on the Leader's side of the House in private. I wish to raise the report of the Human Rights Commission and its observations about abortion. I know this is a very sensitive and delicate issue and no one wishes to re-run the abortion referenda. However, we did have a referendum which...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

David Norris: This is wrong. As legislators, we ought to look at and address that subject.

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Mar 2005)

David Norris: I am looking for a debate on the report of the Human Rights Commission with particular regard to the legislative deficit. The people have told us what they want and it is in the Constitution, but we are afraid to deal with it. I also wish to ask for a debate on the situation involving a family who went on air to publicise the difficulties they face with four autistic children. I heard that...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed). (3 Mar 2005)

David Norris: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Mar 2005)

David Norris: I support my colleague, Senator O'Toole, in asking for a debate on the national pensions reserve fund which would be very useful. In the debate, we should consider the wider aspects of pension provision, particularly the disgraceful anomalies that exist. I refer in particular to the case of an Army pensioner who wrote to me. He was a contributor to the contributory pension scheme but he has...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Mar 2005)

David Norris: I have no doubt that we could put one into Roscommon eventually. I have no problem using the money on infrastructural projects if we do not need it. On the matter raised by Senator Finucane, namely, the Intel investment, the position is slightly different from that which he outlined. There were four competitor areas which included China, as identified correctly by the Senator, Singapore,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (3 Mar 2005)

David Norris: Unless there is something I have not spotted, I believe it should do so. The only argument that the representative of the Union came up with was that the type of grants in question could spark off a kind of auction in which countries with deeper pockets, such as France, would outbid us. I do not find that argument very convincing. The RTE economics correspondent, George Lee, was absolutely...

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

David Norris: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. It is very nice to see him back here in the Seanad where I recall his genial and well-informed presence on the Government benches. I also welcome the introduction of this; it is a healthy development. Over recent sessions several of us have put down Private Members' Bills, which is an important function of the Seanad. That is why it is a...

Seanad: Totalisator (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (2 Mar 2005)

David Norris: At sixpence a shot, even the Minister of State could afford it. I quietly discarded all the tickets that had not won and when I nonchalantly turned around the corner, everyone wanted to see my tickets. When I said I had not looked at them, they said I got first, second and third. They were so impressed by my racing knowledge that they followed my advice for the remainder of the afternoon with...