Results 1-10 of 10 for standing order motion in 'Seanad debates' speaker:Michael McDowell

Seanad: Restoration of Oireachtas Library and Reading Room: Motion (28 Nov 2023)

Michael McDowell: This motion speaks for itself but I want to put the background to it on the record. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission has not decided anything on the closure of the Members' reading room. The Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform has received a submission but has not approved it. The submission would mean the existing reading room, which is the shared facility of Senators...

Seanad: Crime and Policing: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Michael McDowell: I entirely support everything that is in the motion tabled by the Fianna Fáil Senators here today. I want to say at the outset, however, that I have full confidence in the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána. This House should respect him and support him because he is bringing about effective change in a force which I, as a former Minister for Justice, know needs reform and...

Seanad: Non-Fatal Offences against the Person (Amendment) (Spiking) Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 May 2023)

Michael McDowell: ...'s Department - I am aware I am using the phrase "Deputy Harris's Department" in a temporary sense - has before this House a Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. By simply proposing a Standing Orders motion, this provision could easily be introduced to it as an additional section. It could be done properly, I would say with the consent of all Members of this House, within a...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report Stage (28 Mar 2023)

Michael McDowell: ...for the aforementioned matters having regard to the recommendation of the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) that the system of selection, recommendation and promotion of judges target the appointments to the most qualified and suitable candidates in a transparent way, and having regard to Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)12 of the Committee of Ministers to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Jul 2022)

Michael McDowell: ...during a parliamentary debate. Today, we want to register once again our protest regarding what is proposed in next week's draft schedule of business. The first item for discussion today is a motion which effectively imposes the guillotine right across next week and it is to be done without debate. The only opportunity that is being given to anybody in this House to speak on the...

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2021)

Michael McDowell: ...made, we act recklessly because we scrap everything even though there may only be one paragraph in it to which we object. He cannot annul just one paragraph of a statutory instrument. Either the whole thing stands or it does not. The Houses of the Oireachtas are faced with the same binary choice. If a regulation is made requiring 10 km instead of 5 km, the only thing a Member who...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business to delete the motion relating to the sixth report of the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges on Standing Order 45, which is scheduled to be considered without debate. I do so on the basis that this matter is one for which there was no adequate notice to my group of the proposal to further curtail the amount of time available to...

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2020: Second Stage (18 Nov 2020)

Michael McDowell: ...showed very little interest in having it there. In fairness, that is the truth of the situation. The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, as I understand it hopes to have somebody on the Government benches move an amendment to the motion for a Second Reading of this Bill today to postpone the Second Reading until 31 December 2021 in order that further consideration to the implementation of...

Seanad: Ireland-China Relations: Motion (8 Oct 2020)

Michael McDowell: I second the motion put forward by Senator Mullen. I agree with everything he said. Earlier this year, I was privileged to be invited by the Government of Taipei to witness the elections in that country, which were conducted in January. I visited Taipei for the first time then, even though I have always supported the people of Taiwan in their desire to be free and to be free from communist...

Seanad: Family Law: Motion. (5 May 2004)

Michael McDowell: ...or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. The Senators' motion puts forward the idea, by implication, that Ireland is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights and that a plan is needed to rectify this situation. I do not necessarily agree...