Results 1-20 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (13 Sep 2007)

Alex White: The Labour Party group will not oppose the nomination of Senator Moylan to the position of Cathaoirleach. Like many new Members of the House, I only had the briefest of opportunities to meet the Senator yesterday evening, but I know him by reputation to be a fair-minded and courteous person. I am sure he will employ those attributes and talents in his stewardship of the business of the...

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (13 Sep 2007)

Alex White: On behalf of the Labour Party group I join with my colleagues, the other leaders, and Senator O'Toole who is not a leader, in congratulating Senator Moylan on his election to the position of Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2007)

Alex White: With respect, the Cathaoirleach indicated the approach the House will take to the ordering of business and the sequence of speakers. It is necessary for me to record the unhappiness of the Labour Party in regard to the sequence of speakers and groups as it has been outlined. I do not wish to clash with the Chair in this regard today. I realise it is an appropriate matter for the relevant...

Seanad: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach. (26 Sep 2007)

Alex White: The Labour Party will support Senator Burke's nomination to the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach. Unlike the Leader, I have not scanned the records to determine the Labour Party's history of supporting people nominated to that position.

Seanad: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach. (26 Sep 2007)

Alex White: The Leader is still a little sore about the matter, but we must move on.

Seanad: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach. (26 Sep 2007)

Alex White: I have met Senator Burke only once or twice since being honoured to join the House, but he seems to be a congenial and thoughtful person. He will grace the Chair when the Cathaoirleach is not available. The Labour Party will not oppose Senator Burke's nomination and we wish him well in his position.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage. (26 Sep 2007)

Alex White: I congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on his appointment. I wish to share my time with Senator Brendan Ryan. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Senator Quinn is right to say that the philosophy underlying copyright is to further the public interest. We should pause to see it in that context rather than as a direct payment for a product. This would be an interesting debate for...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2007)

Alex White: We are agreeable to the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. I wish to be associated with the expressions of sympathy towards the two brave firefighters who lost their lives earlier this week. It is a matter of serious regret to note reports that the Government has decided not to opt in to a new European directive on illegal employment. Despite many reports to the contrary, there...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: The Labour Party will not oppose the Order of Business. Given that the Government parties have been quick in recent years to claim credit for this country's economic growth, does the Leader agree they must take the blame when the story goes the other way? In the months and years leading up to the recent general election, the Taoiseach or the Minister for Finance tried to claim personal...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: There is an element of déjÀ vu about this when one considers what happened five years ago. During the 2002 general election campaign, many promises were made and we saw a great deal of profligacy on the part of the Government parties, particularly Fianna Fáil. The people discovered a few months later that they were faced with stringent cuts in public services. Can the Leader or anybody...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: How can we believe the Government Senators when they say that? The last time Fianna Fáil made all these promises, it turned its face and did the opposite.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: We need to have some honesty in this House and elsewhere. How can we be sure the Government will not do the same thing it did the last time?

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: The Leader is being selective.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I move AmendmentNo. 1: In page 3, lines 23 and 24, to delete subsection (3) and substitute the following: "(3) The collective citation "the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2007" includes Part 3.". Essentially, this is a drafting amendment. As there is already a Local Government Act 2007, the formulation we have set out in the amendment may be more appropriate.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I move AmendmentNo. 2: In page 3, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following subsection: "(4) Section 7 shall come into operation on the enactment of this Act, and the remaining provisions of this Act shall come into operation on the first making of regulations under section 42A of the Principal Act inserted by section 7.".

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: The proposed amendment will deal precisely with the Minister's area of concern. The Bill potentially contains a serious flaw in this respect. There is no commencement date specified in the Bill, and in the normal run of events such a Bill commences upon its enactment. This means that the exemption in the principal Act for lending by libraries will be repealed. However, it will take some...

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: Surely that means the existing exemption libraries have will not apply for the period between the loss of the exemption they currently have and the regulations being published and introduced.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: That can be addressed further on Report Stage.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: I tabled this amendment. The Minister of State indicated on Second Stage and again today how vital it is that this change is made. He repeated that three times in the House and yet there is a difficulty about making an actual commitment to doing so. There is a preference for saying he might do so. It is ludicrous.

Seanad: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2007)

Alex White: Does it?