Results 141-160 of 1,338 for speaker:Kathleen O'Meara
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage. (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The Bill should be given six weeks of consideration.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: It was shared.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: It was the same person.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: Frank Dunlop.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The Senator has reinvented it.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: It is payback time.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: Senator Minihan's party will pay the price of being in government.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: On a point of information, it is has been clearly stated in this House that one should not read from a script.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: That sounds great.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: When was this?
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I am well able to write my own soundbites.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: We are talking about public bodies.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: Only one organisation has done so.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The Bill is a disgrace.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: It is nothing short of an abuse of power by the Government. It is an abuse of power because it attempts to roll back on a right given to the people by an elected Government and does so without a mandate. Where in An Agreed Programme for Government was there a proposal to roll back on the Freedom of Information Act? The answer is nowhere. Out it comes at a few short days' notice supposedly on...
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: At last count there were 81 spin doctors.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I thank the Acting Chairman. It was my great privilege to work with the then Minister of State, Eithne Fitzgerald, in formulating the principal legislation. I saw the work involved and saw at close quarters its objective and aim. This objective is now being rolled back fundamentally and blatantly in such an abusive fashion by this effectively dictatorial Government.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The aim was to give a right, not a "maybe" or "we will decide", to the individual to access information on him or her held by public bodies. It gave a right of access within very clearly defined and unproblematic limits to information relevant to decisions made by public bodies. The Minister made a big deal about how it had been rolled out to so many bodies. I note he is not present to hear...
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: This has come from a public servant charged with the responsibility of ensuring the Freedom of Information Act is implemented. It has not come from senior civil servants, the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance or a dictatorial Government abusing its power. It has come from the Information Commissioner. While we on this side of the House might listen, the Government is not prepared to listen.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The Minister of State has not read the Bill.