Results 61-80 of 1,253 for speaker:John Crown

Seanad: Reporting of Lobbying in Criminal Legal Cases Bill 2011: Second Stage (21 Sep 2011)

John Crown: On a point of order, I ask the Leader to clarify what the timetable will be for the proposed legislation on the registration of lobbyists.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Oct 2011)

John Crown: It was nice to have a quick recitation of the civil war. It got me all nostalgic but I remind my colleagues that it ended 89 years ago. Three more contemporary issues need to be discussed this morning. One of these is something we have dealt with before. I am asking my colleagues in the Seanad, the Leader and the leaders of the other parties if they would consider a further all-party...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I am asking my colleagues to consider an all-party motion on the Bahraini doctors and I am asking the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the plight of Pastor Nadarkhani. Indeed, my colleagues may also consider an all-party motion on this issue. Finally, I wish to mention a much less dramatic human rights abuse that is annoying me intensely. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Oct 2011)

John Crown: On a point of information, on that date they were detained and since then they have been found guilty and sentenced.

Seanad: Presidential Elections: Motion (Resumed) (5 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I have held the view since before I had the privilege of entering this House that our Constitution is badly broken and that it needs fixing. It is broken at a number of levels. As I said in my election literature, I believe the Seanad, as currently constituted, is an affront to democracy. I also believe there are significant problems in respect of the other House, the Dáil, which is...

Seanad: Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Statements, Questions and Answers (5 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I am very grateful to my colleague, Senator Barrett, for allowing me to share his time. I will speak for three or four minutes and Senator Barrett will speak for six minutes.

Seanad: Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Statements, Questions and Answers (5 Oct 2011)

John Crown: In my view, the Minister has perhaps the most important portfolio of all of the Ministers in the current Government. The reason is it important is that the major existential threats which will face our species in the years to come are not the IMF or the ECB or Anglo Irish Bank or, indeed, disturbances between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over interpretations of history. Those major threats...

Seanad: Statements on Finance (6 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I wish to preface my questions to the Minister by offering him a very personal and very belated thanks for the attention he gave to cancer services when he was Minister for Health. On his first day as Minister he gave a speech which has been forgotten but should not be in which he was the first person from the public side of governance to acknowledge the disaster which was our cancer...

Seanad: Statements on Finance (6 Oct 2011)

John Crown: -----using different rules. Will the Minister consider amending current pension law to allow people in negative equity and who are in danger of losing their home many years before they can access their pension funds, to be given premature access to that fund? This would give the Minister tax revenue and it would improve liquidity in the banks and reduce personal debt. Will the Minister...

Seanad: Statements on Finance (6 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I asked two questions that were not answered. I asked about the possibility of considering allowing people earlier access to retirement funds if they are in negative equity. I also asked whether the Minister would consider the wisdom of changing mandatory retirement in the public service, which has the effect of transforming productive taxpayers into State dependants.

Seanad: Statements on Finance (6 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I asked about allowing citizens who have substantial savings in private pension funds which they cannot access until they are 65, by which time they may have lost their homes, to get early access to those funds. They could pay the tax, plus a penalty premium for early encashment, thereby giving the Minister tax money, providing liquidity to the banks and reducing personal debt.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I preface my remarks by responding to some of my colleagues' comments. If I wished to publicise both sides of the argument on the forthcoming constitutional amendment referenda in a fashion that it would get the maximum penetration into society and provide the greatest educational opportunities, I might not necessarily pick Seanad Éireann with its extensive media coverage as being the best...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

John Crown: The Minister for Health has recently acknowledged the severity and implications of the obesity problem in our society. It is a problem we rate as being second to, and perhaps on a par with, tobacco as a cause of premature ill health. In addition to the well known increasing risk that obesity contributes to heart disease, strokes and diabetes, recent data have strongly suggested it not only...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

John Crown: However, I ask the Leader to bring these to the Minister's attention because there is a specific issue that we should mention. If we are to raise money from this kind of tax, I hope the money is not just being used to pay German bankers. I hate to delve into the type of stereotyping the former German ambassador used about Irish doctors and other members of our society, but German bankers...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

John Crown: ----- hiring dieticians and fixing the waiting list for the dietary clinic and bariatric surgery in Loughlinstown.

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I hope that the issue of our graduates who are candidates to become dieticians and are emigrating every year will be fixed by this tax.

Seanad: Investment in Science, Technology and Innovation: Statements (11 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I thank the Fine Gael Party and other colleagues for allowing me to break traditional order to speak. It was through no fault of anyone else that I failed to realise the Minister of State was coming before the House. It is important that I should be present and take this opportunity to have a chat with him. By coincidence, the conflicting demand on my time was the visit to the House this...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2011)

John Crown: An article was published in The Sunday Times this week which highlighted the issue of apparent parliamentary interference in the appointment of members of the Judiciary. As Members are aware, I attempted several weeks ago, in the context of criminal trials, to introduce legislation which would have attempted to regularise any connections made between Members of Parliament and the Judiciary....

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I am discussing her positively.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2011)

John Crown: I am making the point that the record should reflect that this woman had a heroic role in Irish family law and criminal law. I would like to ensure there is no ambiguity about that.