Results 1,921-1,940 of 18,726 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: I do not care about journalists. Just know one thing. What was agreed last Wednesday was two hours. Within 12 hours it was changed to seven hours. That was done I believe at the instance of the Minister, Deputy Ross, stamping his little foot somewhere and the change took place that way. That is what I believe happened. I will live what that view of the matter.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: I do not believe it was done at the request of this Minister. I am pressing the amendment.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 97dc:In page 34, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following: "53.A statement published under this Part shall state that no applicant for judicial appointment shall be questioned, interviewed or required in any way so as to disclose his or her political, religious or ideological beliefs or sexual orientation.". These matters should be off limits. Clearly one's...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: And other minorities. Things changed and we now have got to the point where if there were to be quotas of that kind it would probably be to support the members of the majority religion in this country. As to ideological beliefs, I do not think people should be asked questions about whether they were or were not a student Marxist or something of that kind, or whether they believe in...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: Quite clearly matters have moved significantly in that direction. If one is going to be asked questions about those matters it can only be because it is relevant or irrelevant to the question of whether one is going to be recommended. I cannot imagine why a person should be asked questions which are irrelevant to the decision to appoint him or her to judicial office. We have arrived at the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: One of the issues we have not really dealt with in this term in the Oireachtas is the financing of broadcasting. We constantly hear on television and radio advertisements urging people to buy a television licence, rather than face prosecution. There are even advertisements to highlight the fact that holiday homes, caravans and the like are required to have a separate licence if a television...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: I used to be progressive once.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: I told the Leader we were all progressive over here but----

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: The worst is yet to come.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: The other Independent Senators and I have collectively discussed the Bill and will strongly support it. The amendment, which will extend the definition in the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 to the term "employee" when it is used in the legislation, is necessary and good. The Bill will create an offence and empower the Minister to make regulations. Those two provisions are being...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: Yes, although that is another question.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: Under the Constitution, this House has the right to initiate legislation. The money message veto was used in the other Chamber but the Bill before us fits exactly the same criteria. It will create an offence and require the Minister to make legislation. The threadbare and utterly unacceptable suggestion that it involves appropriating the public revenues and that, therefore, it would...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: However, our society is transforming increasingly to a cashless society where payments are made electronically and through credit cards. It is wholly wrong that this entirely positive development and transformation in how we live economically is used as a licence to plunder workers' pockets.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: That is compounded by the fact that people who receive gratuities are usually working at the coalface in various service industries like hospitality, where wages have consistently been low. It is about time this legislation was passed. If the Government has its own legislation in mind, what is wrong with letting this Bill pass this House, bringing it to the floor of Dáil Éireann,...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: The Government of the day took the then Deputy Alan Shatter's Private Members' legislation and ran with it. Why not run with this vehicle? What is so objectionable about it? Is the problem that the legislation comes on yellow paper and does not have the name of a Minister written on the back? If there is something wrong with the Bill, the Government should cure it. The Government cannot...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: Senator Norris is forgetting his sister-in-law, about whom we never heard.

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: No, Mr. Scrooge's sister-in-law. We have to face up to the fact that this is an unusual Parliament. The Government is in a minority. The will of the great majority of Members of this House is for this legislation to be passed. I dare say that when the Bill is brought before Dáil Éireann the will of the great majority of that House will be for it to pass. Why resist it? If the...

Seanad: National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: When the Government is in a minority it should accept the realities. It should accept this amendment and allow the legislation to pass today.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: I apologise that I was not here earlier. I hope I will not be repeating what other Members may have stated. The Judicial Council Bill has received support right across the House from Senators of every view and outlook. Amendments were facilitated on Committee Stage in order to see the legislation through. We were promised that further amendments would be tabled on Report Stage. The time...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jun 2019)

Michael McDowell: Why do we not look for solutions to well-established and well-understood problems?