Tag: Senators
-
Running for the Seanad
So, I had been asked by some people to consider this, in the upcoming election. Run for the university seats, they suggested. These were people I respected, from non-party backgrounds. Some were active in elected politics, others not. They made a persuasive case (but then, some are in the political world). I thought about it, took…
-
What should we do with the Seanad?
So what to do with the Seanad? It now seems certain that there will be referendum on the (very complicated) proposal to reduce the parliament from two to one chambers. Leaving aside the practicalities of same, and disregarding whether after what promises to be a bruising abortion battle in the first half of the year…
-
Default, Regulatory Capture and Banks
Last night in the (darkened, of course for the books and not very conducive to photography on the hoof) confines of the TCD Library Long Room Senator Sean Barrett launched “What if Ireland Defaults”, the book of essays previously noted on the irish debt and economic position. Having entered into TCD ESS (now BESS) in October 1981 I had an…
-
Heel Prick Cards and National Priorities
I guess I had been vaguely aware of the controversy about the retention of “heel prick cards”, the cards containing the blood samples of over 1.5m irish born babies, from the heel prick blood test used on newborns. This test is used to diagnose a variety of diseases, genetic and otherwise. Its been proven to be…
-
Fiscal Compact Referendum : why I am voting “maybe”….
A number of people over the last while asked me how I intend to vote in the forthcoming referendum on the fiscal compact. At the moment I am firmly in the I don’t know camp. I have previously blogged and written about my concerns regarding the fiscal compact. I think we’re being asked to sign up for…
-
Presentation to the Oireachtas Committee on Finance 15Feb2012
Below is a version of the written presentation I circulated to members of the Oireachtas Committee on Finance at our discussions today on ELA and Promissory Notes. ELA is money. It is not a bond. Dealing with ELA does not involve dealing with bondholder although the money so created was used to redeem (pay off)…
-
Seanad : babies and bathwater
As we leave 2011 one of the government promises which they announced as part of their election appears to be still on track. They do appear to be intent on getting rid of the upper house of the Irish Parliament, Seanad Eireann I’m not at all confident that is this a good idea. Most people…