Results 161-180 of 1,338 for speaker:Kathleen O'Meara
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: Of course it is. The Minister of State should read the Bill.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I ask the Minister of State to read the Bill where he will see the effect of the amendments. Who framed them and who approved them?
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The Bill appears to be going further than the Minister of State would like it to go. I suggest that the Minister of State should accept the amendment on that particular section when we put it down. The Bill refers to material compiled principally and not solely for Cabinet. This was specifically put into the original Bill to ensure that material going to Cabinet was covered by a narrow rather...
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: This was not recommended by the high level group which is getting the blame for everything. This proposal clearly came from the political side. Who was behind it? What is the problem in giving access to information that goes into parliamentary questions? Let us remind the House of the remarks made by Mr. Justice Hamilton in regard to the beef tribunal. He said if parliamentary questions had...
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I thank Senator Brian Hayes for his supportive remarks. Who was behind this proposal? Of course, we will never know because the proposal will close off the area. It was clearly designed to keep us in the dark and to throw a blanket of secrecy around the way decisions are made.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I am delighted to hear it.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: My clear impression is that some people have difficulty with this matter. The reason I do not have any difficulty with it is because we made the decision to go into public life and we are paid out of public money by the taxpayer so we should be accountable for our role and what we do with that money.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: We do not have any right to tell the media how to use freedom of information. As a former journalist , there are some times when I roll my eyes to heaven and say, "Did you have to do it like that, guys?" We live in a democracy and the media is the Fourth Estate and we must accept it warts and all.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The poodles are not coming out.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: Is the Senator saying that the seat is contaminated?
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: That did not last long. It went opaque very quickly.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: We will never see them.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: He is independent.
- Seanad: Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (4 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I know that. Acting Chairman (Ms O'Meara): Senator Burke, without interruption.
- Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (5 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: The Taoiseach should take note.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I agree with the remarks Senators on this side have made in relation to the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill through the House. As the Information Commissioner and members of the high level group will appear before the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, it is imperative that the House delays its consideration of Committee Stage. It would be poor practice to fail to...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: âare not accessing the grant.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: There is an extreme injustice. I ask that the Minister for the Environment and Local Government come to the House as a matter of urgency to explain how he is dealing with this serious matter.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I raised it on the Adjournment a few weeks ago.
- Seanad: Local Government Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Mar 2003)
Kathleen O'Meara: I largely commend Senator White on her remarks. I was a Member of the previous Seanad and one of the most disappointing features on this side of the House was the utter decimation of the female representation in the recent election. Most female Members of the previous Seanad came from the largest Opposition party, Fine Gael, and many of them, who are fine individuals, lost out and did not...