Results 281-300 of 18,436 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I understand where the Senator is coming from. She has been single-minded in pursuit of decarbonisation and in her opposition to the continued use of fossil fuels. To go back to the remarks on the previous amendment, I found the Irish Academy of Engineering analysis quite helpful to my understanding of the matter. I do not think that body was trying to mislead me in any way. Members of...

Seanad: Disregard of Certain Criminal Records of Gay Men: Motion (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: Like Senator O'Reilly, I was involved in a lengthy meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight and, therefore, missed the earlier part of the debate, much to my regret. I note what Senator Norris said and wish him well. I join other Members in saluting everything he has done in the past to end the injustice against gay men of more than a century, going back to the...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: On a point of order, when primary schools visit this House, the Cathaoirleach normally gives them their homework off for the day. Would he give these people a first-class honours in their exams?

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I am interested in the answer the Minister of State has given to this amendment. During the past week I had the honour to be invited to the Law Society of Ireland to speak at a seminar organised by its students’ legal publication, theHibernian Law Journal. This was to commemorate 20 years of solicitors being appointed to the higher courts. In the course of that very interesting...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I move amendment No. 12a: In page 13, lines 1 and 2, to delete “are suitable for appointment” and substitute “should be appointed”.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: In order for the House to understand the impetus behind these three amendments, it is necessary to look at section 13 in its entirety. Section 13(1) states: The Minister shall from time to time as required, request the Public Appointments Service to undertake a selection process for the purpose of identifying and recommending to the Minister persons whom it is satisfied are suitable for...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I hope they have had a good visit to Leinster House. It was emphasised previously in this debate that the Public Appointments Service will be some kind of independent body which will contribute to the independence of the commission. As we can see, all of this is simply a process for weeding out the people who are unsuitable. That is all the Bill actually does. In section 13(1) and (2), it...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: Yes.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: No, for the very reason I will outline. The huge pretence in this legislation, which I believe is politically dishonest, is that we are going to have politically neutral appointments made in the future. What we are doing here is vesting in the Minister the right to produce four people, chosen by him or her, to be on the commission to mark the judicial members, so to speak. Let me address...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the students from St. Fintan's school as well. I hope they have an enjoyable day. There are several matters I want to deal with regarding the Order of Business. I wish to remind the Leader, before I start, that I have in recent times obtained generalised agreement to the proposition that the Garda Reserve would be the subject of a ministerial discussion and debate in this House...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: We do not often see the Minister, Deputy Harris, here.

Seanad: Courts Bill 2023: Second Stage (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State to the House, and I echo the sentiments expressed by Senator Ward. I have a number of things to say to the Minister of State. There is a scandal going on now in the central office of the High Court. One cannot go in there and get a summons issued unless one makes an appointment in advance. The system used to be that one went to a counter, and presented the...

Seanad: Courts Bill 2023: Second Stage (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I am talking about the legal aid system and I am very much sticking to this Bill. Senator Ward has told the House this. Have his words been ignored? Does this House realise that our legal aid system is creaking so much that somebody sent forward for jury trial today is given a date in 2025? That is a scandal. It is a complete scandal. Think of a rape victim, or a little old lady whose...

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: The Senator's father paid a very heavy price for it. He was deselected.

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. He is always welcome here. He came to the Chamber on a previous occasion to explain the Government's activity on this matter. We were entertained by promises and commitments at that time from both himself and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. We were told that, in very short order, a consultation group would be set up among the...

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I know that.

Seanad: Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (10 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Seanad Reform (4 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State. It is a long time since the people of Ireland voted on this issue in 1979, in the dim and distant past. That is the first point. The second is that it is five weeks since the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in the matter. It is also the case that the Supreme Court has said it will extend the stay on its decision until the end of July in order that...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Seanad Reform (4 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: I note the Minister of State's response. I see the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, are working on proposals to bring to Cabinet. First, those proposals should be the subject of major consultation with the relevant committees of the Oireachtas, the relevant university institutions, the Electoral Commission and the wider public. Second, I emphasise that it is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Apr 2023)

Michael McDowell: I refer to remarks that were made yesterday at the annual meeting of prison officers. The figures for the prison system at this time are shocking. There are 157 people sleeping on mattresses on floors. There are cells with four bunks. The capacity of the women's prison is approximately one third of what is necessary. It is suggested in The Irish Timestoday that the Minister, Deputy...