Results 101-120 of 602 for speaker:Fiach MacConghail

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: I welcome the Minister to the House for this important debate. I am not sure whether we are allowed to admit that we are enjoying ourselves in this Chamber, but I have found it a hugely enjoyable discussion.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: I say that without irony. It is an educational and historic debate and I have enjoyed hearing Members' views. While my colleagues and I have not tabled an amendment to that effect, something should be done in regard to local elections. I listened with interest to Senator Keane's observations in this regard. The Bill does not require quotas to be applied at local level as political...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: We are here to influence legislation. The Senator should not throw in the towel.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: On a point of order, it says in the Seanad manual that the following week is an appropriate response to this question.

Seanad: Child Abuse: Motion (29 Feb 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: I welcome the Minister. I thank my fellow Member, Senator Jillian van Turnhout for raising this issue, as I knew nothing about this before the briefing from Interpol last week. It was upsetting to see the statistics on offenders that the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children provided to us. The profile of an offender is a person like me, as 59% are married, 41% have children...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: I move amendment No. 1: In page 21, line 18, to delete "Part after Part VIII" and substitute "Parts after Part VIII". Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire ar ais go dtí an Teach. Ócáid stairiúil í seo mar seo í an chuid dheireannach den reachtaíocht, An Bille Toghcháin (Leasú) (Maoiniú) Polaitíochta) sula dtéann sé go dtí an Dáil. Tá cúpla rud gur mhaith liom a chur faoi bhráid an...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: As this is my first time to deal with a Bill on Report Stage, I trust the Leas-Chathaoirleach will guide me gently.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: The new Part X is an attempt to address this issue. When one considers what the leader's allowance is for, there are aspects of it which could be perceived to be open to misappropriation. In that context, certain elements within the media are only dying to jump down our necks in respect of expenses. Members and the House will be left open to accusations of being of ill repute if we do not...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: I would never have considered the Minister a softie.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: It was the Moriarty report.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: Yes, I do.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: We are adding Part 10. It is a grammatical error.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: After that, is the discussion open-ended? The Leas-Chathaoirleach need not be concerned as I will not be open-ended in my response.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: Okay. I thank the Minister for his explanation. I wish to be clear on this issue, having regard in particular to what Senator Norris said. There is nothing naive about what I am proposing. I am not responding in any way to the media but to my responsibility as a parliamentarian who is being given taxpayer's money and being accountable for that. I could decide not to take the money but it...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: The perception is a legitimate one because there is a gap in the legislation, which we have raised. I accept the Minister's acknowledgement of the spirit in which I put forward this amendment. Senator Keane also mentioned the spirit of it in a teacherly way, but I know she was not too critical of me and noted it was loosely worded or not appropriate. This is about joined-up thinking and...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: The commission could draw up guidelines on how our payment is monitored, addressed and all of that.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: It does not have to be binding but we would have to comply with them and it would be our responsibility to do that. While I accept the veracity of what the Minister said and his signalling that this matter will come before the Cabinet in the next few weeks, I will be pressing the amendment.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: Yes.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: I move amendment No. 2: In page 22, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: "85. -(1) There shall be immediate disclosure of all corporate and personal donations during a general election campaign. (2) This disclosure is to commence on the date of the formal dissolution of the Dáil and to cease 6 months after the first sitting of the new Dáil.". I formally congratulate the...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (15 Mar 2012)

Fiach MacConghail: The Minister has been admonishing me slightly in his responses by referring to the "spirit" of the legislation and the "technical" side of it. If this were a football match, the score would be "technical 2, spirit 0". Having said that, since the Second Stage debate we have been highlighting all the amendments we intended to table. Our previous amendment was defeated. I ask the Minister to...