Results 1,941-1,960 of 18,761 for speaker:Michael McDowell

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.

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...