Results 1,901-1,920 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: I am not. The Minister himself said that the majority of the interview panel could be judges. I do not think Deputy Ross had that in mind at all. The Minister says this could be justified because it might be appropriate to interview a District Court judge who was seeking appointment to the superior courts. Amendment No. 97da, which we have just voted down, states "No statement under this...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Those are very interesting views. I hope to address each of them while trying to be relevant to the section.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Let us start-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: I am just dealing with the points that have been raised. Questions have been put to me. I have been accused of being some kind of conservative, opposed to any change-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Senator Buttimer is forgetting what he actually did say. He talked about vested interests who are opposed to any change.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Sorry, but who are they? If the Senator is not talking about me, who is he talking about?
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Does the Senator mean the Judiciary, which has condemned this Bill? Is he talking about it as a vested interest?
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Wait a moment.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Senator Buttimer can respond. Is he suggesting that the Council of Europe-----
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Is Senator Buttimer suggesting that the Council of Europe, which has condemned this Bill, is a vested interest? Is the Senator suggesting that the European Commission, which condemned this Bill, is a vested interest? Is he ignoring the fact, as I think he is, that a memorandum from the Department of Justice and Equality was recently released under the Freedom of Information Act, which...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Who is in this cosy cartel?
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Are the 45 people appointed to judicial office by this Government while Deputy Ross sat at the Cabinet table members of some cosy cartel? No, they are not. I have another question. Is the Leader seriously suggesting that in recent times there has not been a remarkably good set of appointments to the Bench of good women and men, without any hint or allegation of cronyism? Is he forgetful...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Absolutely. That is fully accepted.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: No, but the Leader is suffering from amnesia about what made him change between last Wednesday and Thursday when he went from two hours to seven hours. We then read in the newspapers that we were going to be sitting until after midnight, until this House said it would not be bullied in this way. The Leader will not get away with this kind of tactic. Do I have a problem with an applicant...
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: I was not suggesting that the Leader bullied anybody.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: I did not say the Leader bullied anybody.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Why did I read in the newspapers on Friday and Saturday that we were going to sit until midnight?
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Perhaps the Leader would explain why I read in the newspapers on Friday and Saturday that we were going to be sitting until 1 a.m.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: I read the newspapers and when I heard that we are going to be sitting until 1 a.m., it could only have come from one direction.
- Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)
Michael McDowell: Exactly.