O'Rourke, MaryWednesday, 25 November 1998 |
Seanad Éireann Debate
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Business of Seanad.
I always understood that one was paired if one had to be in both Houses simultaneously so I came over to the Seanad. However, when I came into the hall I was stopped and told I had to go to the Dáil ...
Public Transport: Motion.
It is just a summary.
I only met the consultants last week.
The Senator is referring to the draft.
I did not know the Senator was a member of that committee.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be in the House for the fourth time since last May or June, and to take part in this debate. I thank those Senators who tabled this motion. I do not wait to be c...
The Senator has forgotten about the Freedom of Information Act under which he is entitled to a reply.
I request that Robin McKay, the civil servant with whom the Senator dealt and who is in the House this evening, the Secretary General of the Department and the consultant arrange an immediate meeting ...
It is very serious.
In that case it is essential that a meeting be arranged with the Robin McKay, the civil servant who dealt with this matter, the Secretary General of my Department, the independent consultant who prepa...
The charges were so serious that I was obliged to do it.
In that case I withdraw the name.
That is correct.
I began my life here.
My political life, not my real life.
I will use the term “the civil servant in question” and ask the House scribes to amend the record accordingly. Is that in order?
The civil servant in question is with me in the House and I will ask him, the Secretary General of the Department and the assistant secretary in charge of transport to meet Senator O'Dowd tomorrow to ...
I will arrange that meeting tomorrow.
Is this discussion taking place in my time?
I commissioned the report, published it and brought it to the Dáil and Seanad. It lays out a 15 year programme which will cost £590 million. The second Opposition recommendation is, therefore, atten...
You have a noisy lot, Sir.
It is the way of Government to move amendments and this amendment welcomes the Government's speedy decision to provide additional public transport funding, welcomes the Government's decision to appoin...
Senator Norris may say it again.
Good news is well reported twice. I have nothing new to say this evening. The contents of my speech are the same as my speeches of last week and the week before. It would be silly to repeat myself ...
My script is available to anyone who wants it. The independent safety report stated that a salient factor was that in the mid-1980s a decision was taken that all rail investment would stop and a perio...
Fianna Fáil came to power and followed the same principle.
That was an amazing statement for both those Governments to make in 1985. Clearly, this Government is not imbued with the same sadistic thoughts about the railways. This year £56 million will be inve...
I think he did.
Is the Senator aware there is a tunnel between Heuston Station and the port?
I was on it.
And Athlone.
Yes.
Can it end earlier?
Not particularly.
It is £56 million.
I know; I went on it.
Not true.
On a point of information, I did not take the decision, the EU did.
No.
I did.
I put forward £100 million.
He did. I have his words at hand.
He said it was not me.
I assure the Senator that it will be reconciled tomorrow. Neither I nor my Department will accept that.
On a point of information, Senator O'Dowd said he was not impugning me.
The Senator will not make a fool of me.
Tripping and hazard.
The Senator could have fooled me.
He introduced the regional colleges.
I left the Department at 5.50 p.m. to meet with my officials before I came in. I have been around long enough around to know that one is paired in the other House. When I came into the hall an usher...
I was paired.
May I reply so that everybody is clear.
I approached Senator O'Dowd today to discover whether he had received everything he wanted. We did not want him to use the Freedom of Information Act. We wanted to give everything to him today. He ...
Whenever it was, he received them all. I did not want the bother of him using the Freedom of Information Act. I wanted him to have everything he wanted.
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