Oireachtas members tweeting during debates

jimd2

During today's debate on abortion, Dr John Crowne was tweeting during the Catholic Church submission. He tweeted that everything they speak that he lapses a little more.

Anyone else agree that tweeting during debates is both disrespectful to the person speaking but also means that the person tweeting cannot be concentrating on the debate in question.

In my opinion tweeting during debates should be banned irrespective of the debate and the person speaking or topic being covered.

What are people's thoughts on this?

Chips Lovell

You could be sitting there, doing nothing and not be paying attention either. Or you could not be in the chamber at all.

Cookie_Monster

Catholic Church submission? That this is even given debating time is a waste of everyones time and him tweeting was probably a more productive use of his time then bothering to listen to the vitriolic ****e they spew

jimd2

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Catholic Church submission? That this is even given debating time is a waste of everyones time and him tweeting was probably a more productive use of his time then bothering to listen to the vitriolic ****e they spew

Are you for real?

I don't happen to agree with their opinion on this issue but they do represent the views of a sizeable portion of our population. Once debating time had been given then it should have been respected. Just because you don't agree with a position doesn't mean you take away their right to make their case.

And what vitriolic ****e did they spew in the debate? I thought it was fairly tame.

Cookie_Monster

jimd2 wrote: »

Are you for real?

yep. it's an organisation that claims to be a charity yet is one of the richest in the world, hides child abusers and actively aided them in the past. Refuses to pay it way for it's crimes, and it's twisted influence continues to hold back Ireland in many many ways. It's an organisation that has no place in Ireland or any civilised country, never mind lobbying the government "on our behalf"

Scofflaw

Well, that went quickly off topic. Oireachtas members tweeting during debates in this thread, please.

moderately,
Scofflaw

expectationlost

i'd call it active engagement and on topic, crowne thats is

AltAccount

jimd2 wrote: »

During today's debate on abortion, Dr John Crowne was tweeting during the Catholic Church submission. He tweeted that everything they speak that he lapses a little more.

Anyone else agree that tweeting during debates is both disrespectful to the person speaking but also means that the person tweeting cannot be concentrating on the debate in question.

In my opinion tweeting during debates should be banned irrespective of the debate and the person speaking or topic being covered.

What are people's thoughts on this?

Maybe he's already intimately familiar with their position and views, and so can justifiably let his attention wander.

He's then giving his supporters an update on his feelings, rather than Tweeting about something unrelated.

Meh

antoobrien

jimd2 wrote: »

Anyone else agree that tweeting during debates is both disrespectful to the person speaking

No more disrespectful than the kind of crap that we see regularly in the dail - shouting at & over people, saying stuff that would be considered libel if said outside the dail (ever hear somebody shouting something to the effect of say that outside) etc.

jimd2 wrote: »

also means that the person tweeting cannot be concentrating on the debate in question.

Not necessarily, you should see the meetings our (software development) team have: people scribbling notes, typing, doing on the fly research etc. It looks like utter bedlam with nobody paying attention and just when you somebody has missed something, they not only tell you where we've been but as often as not how to improve what we're doing.

So some people are good at listening while also doing something related (in tis case twitting).

It'd be disrespectful if he tweeted some anti church websites while they were talking, but tweeting his opinion in running - no not disrespectful.

jimd2 wrote: »

In my opinion tweeting during debates should be banned irrespective of the debate and the person speaking or topic being covered.

I think twitting should be banned full stop, but there's no difference between tweeting and the kind of crap that normally goes on in the dail cham

nuac

tweeting during a meeting is bad manners

jimd2

Scofflaw wrote: »

Well, that went quickly off topic. Oireachtas members tweeting during debates in this thread, please.

moderately,
Scofflaw

Here here. A certain poster tried to derail the thread but couldn't answer the question relating to the content of the submission he/she was criticising.

How anyone can justify tweeting from Oreachtas members during a submission from an invited contributor that represents a substantial part of the population is beyond me.

RichardAnd

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Catholic Church submission? That this is even given debating time is a waste of everyones time and him tweeting was probably a more productive use of his time then bothering to listen to the vitriolic ****e they spew

You have no right to dismiss the opinion of anyone nor have you the right to claim that the views of another are a waste of anyone's time. I may not agree with the Catholic Church on many issues but nevertheless, they are fully entitled to state their views.

I agree with the OP, tweeting or anything similar is hugely disrespectful. I'm reminded of Enda Kenny's recent display of using his mobile phone whilst attending a talk by the Pope (most likely to check up on the GAA football final which was on at the time). It doesn't matter who is talking, they have a right to speak and should be given the respect of attention.

Tweeting and texting would not be tolerated during a meeting in a work place nor would it be entertained by a teacher or lecturer from his/her students. I see no reason why some elected officials seem to believe they are exempt from basic common courtesy. Furthermore by making such an asinine and arrogant remark, Crowne demonstrated that he is unwilling to listen to every side in a debate, need I say more . . .