Results 161-180 of 25,212 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Residential Institutions Redress (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, line 19, to delete "17 September 2011" and substitute "17 September 2013".

Seanad: Residential Institutions Redress (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: Votáil.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I congratulate Senator Ó Clochartaigh and his wife on their new arrival. I concur with previous speakers in respect of the calls that gave been made consistently for both the Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance to come into this Chamber. We will be shortly going into recess but I hope the Leader of the House would reflect on the demands that have been made by Members from...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I wish to call a quorum. Notice taken that 12 were not present; House counted and 12 Members being present,

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I welcome the Minister to the House and I acknowledge that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government attended the Chamber on a number of occasions when issues concerning his portfolio were being debated. That is important and should be welcomed. I look forward to the support of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for the Waterford...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: We must ask ourselves whether the reforms we intend to implement are designed to make institutions more democratic and inclusive, to make sure we have better representation, to ensure we have more women in elected positions and in power and to make sure we have effective governance. Effective governance is the most important point. Considering the economic crisis that has been building up...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I commend the Leader on the new question-and-answer format introduced yesterday for the debate on agriculture and fisheries. Although it could benefit from some tweaking, it was a worthwhile exercise both for Members and for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Simon Coveney. My party is supportive of the new format and I hope it will be incorporated into future debates....

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, before section 2, to insert the following new section: "2.—In this Act "Act of 2002" means the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2002.". I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This is a technical amendment but I would like to raise a number of issues. I referred on Second Stage to the need for genuine political reform and said that my party would support...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I concur with everything Senator Barrett said. As I noted on Second Stage, when one reflects for a moment on what took place in this State over the past five years one finds that the failure of the political and regulatory systems to rein in the banks and properly scrutinise developments in the economy resulted in the collapse of the public finances and the bail out of the State by the...

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I intended to speak on amendment No. 13 when discussing the section but it has been mentioned-----

Seanad: Electoral Amendment Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I make no apology to Senator Mooney for not being straitjacketed by the very narrow confines of this Bill. There is a need to ensure that the Government is not let off the hook in terms of the bigger political reform issues that must be discussed. For many years I watched the operation of the political system from the outside as a local councillor and saw the Senator's party talk a great...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I support the amendment. It is in the same vein as our proposal to delete the provision in the Bill which allows for the number of Deputies to be reduced to as few as 153. It is not acceptable that the number of Oireachtas Members is reduced without a corresponding enhancement of local government. I appreciate the Minister's point that local government reform is on the Government's agenda...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: It certainly might. However, that is the point I am making - it then comes down to the issue of jerseys and the GAA rather than what is best for the country. This is being done in the context of the type of clientelist political system we have, whereby national politicians, unfortunately, end up having to watch their back in terms of other elected representatives in their area. The...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed). (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I am not that far away.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I fully agree with Senator Mooney on the establishment of the commission. We see this happen far too often where powers are devolved to a quango or commission. It is a case of politicians abdicating their responsibility. The point has been well made by the Senator that the Minister has a plethora of officials available to him and his Department to do the work of the commission. I gave as...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: We are talking about the Department, not just politicians, with respect to the Minister of State.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: My contribution will be very focused. I wish to put a direct question to the Minister of State. Much of the discussion to date has related to the commission, its workings and its report. I posed two questions to the Minister of State earlier but he did not reply to either. These are the most pertinent questions that have been asked. The first relates to why the number of Deputies needs...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I can return to them in any event.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I will still be obliged to ask the questions again, whether it is now or in a few moments' time.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (21 Jul 2011)

David Cullinane: I am seeking a direct response from the Minister of State with regard to the other question I wish to pose. Is the need to reduce costs a factor in the Government's decision to reduce the number of Deputies?