Results 341-360 of 18,436 for speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: It is important to bear in mind that keeping the lights on is an important immediate policy aim and obligation of government. Whatever one might say about long-term strategy, and I intend to say a few words about that too, keeping the lights on on an emergency basis is an imperative for government. We have to be practical in how we achieve that aim. On the long-term strategy, Senator...

Seanad: Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: I did not say that.

Seanad: Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: Yes, everyone is paraphrasing me incorrectly, as the record will show.

Seanad: Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: Briefly, I never said it did not matter what we did in Ireland. Needless to say, those who wanted to hear me say that have heard me say it, but I did not say it.

Seanad: Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: What I said - I want the Minister of State to be clear on this - was that what we did in Ireland was, in the context of other developments internationally, including in terms of methane, not going to prevent the melting of glaciers in an emergency situation. I believe that the Attorney General has given the Government good advice on this occasion and that the phraseology of the proposed new...

Seanad: Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: I am finished now.

Seanad: Environmental Protection Agency (Emergency Electricity Generation) (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: I am not taking offence. I just wanted to correct the record.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (8 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: I welcome the Minister of State and join in the congratulations to him on his appointment. I wish him well in discharging his functions in relation to EU affairs. I share what Deputy Haughey said about the Minister of State’s good performance on television from Westmeath. It was noted internationally. I wish to raise two points. The Minister of State dealt with them to some...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: A couple of different points arise on the section that I want to ask a couple of simple questions on. Persons will be considered legal academics if they have been in a place equivalent to an Irish university but outside of Ireland. As a matter of law, is there a requirement that a person should be an Irish citizen? It is not necessary to be an Irish citizen to be, say, a barrister or...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: -----that we should be trying to get people of high quality into the Judiciary and not closing off options and knocking people off the list of potential applicants for no good reason.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: I told you.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: On the citizenship point, I may put down an amendment on Report Stage to remedy what is clearly a lacuna in our system. One has to be a citizen of Ireland to be a Member of this House and the Dáil and for many other purposes. It is strange that one can interpret the Constitution while not owing the duty cast on citizens by the Constitution, I think in Article 8 or Article 9, of a...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: That is the baleful eye of the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. It has very little to do with the Department of Justice as I knew it.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: There was an amendment in my name. Has it been ruled out of order?

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: Curious. Can I just say what it was about?

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: The point I am making is very simply this-----

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: We are amending the Judicial Council Act. There is a clear typo in that Act, which the amendment I tabled was designed to deal with. At present, subsection 50(4) of the Judicial Council Act 2019 states: "A complaint may be made under subsection (1) on behalf of ... a member of the [Bar] Council ... by a duly authorised officer of the General Council of the Bar". That was just a mistake; it...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: -----and therefore become law once proceedings in this House were completed. Now there is a clear opportunity to take out the mistaken words and substitute the correct ones. There is every reason, given we are amending the Judicial Council Act, to correct a clear mistake of that kind. That is as far as I will put it.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: By the way, there is a method to do it, even if it is outside the scope of the Bill and I have to defer to the ruling of the Acting Chair. That correction to the Judicial Council Act can be dealt with under the rules of this House. If there is a will to do it, it can be done.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: I will say a few things about the Schedule. I will not detain the House long. The Schedule deals with the constitution of the commission and sundry provisions relating to its procedures and staff. I will take the opportunity to reiterate that the Constitution adopted in 1937 accorded to the Government of Ireland, a democratically elected body, the right to choose from eligible people who...