Results 3,701-3,720 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (9 Jun 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, to the House and thank him and his colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coughlan, for the spirit of co-operation that has endured throughout the debate on this legislation. Fine Gael welcomes the amendment that seeks to attach greater urgency to the process whereby documents are separated and...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (9 Jun 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: Very well.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (9 Jun 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I move amendment No. 4: In page 6, after line 47, to insert the following: "(vii) the rights of any person who is the subject of the information under the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2003.". The issue of concern to the Fine Gael Party is that sensitive data held within company records could inadvertently find its way into the public domain. On Committee Stage, the Tánaiste undertook to...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (9 Jun 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: A few weeks ago, we started to try to strike a good balance between conferring on the Director of Corporate Enforcement the sort of powers he needs to do his job correctly and ensuring that those who get involved in entrepreneurial effort in this country - people who become company directors, for example - do not encounter disincentives. I think that balance has been almost achieved at this...

Seanad: Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Statements (27 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I would like to share my time with Senator Cummins. I am 43 years of age and I do not recall in my lifetime a greater veil of shame, horror, angst and despair descending upon this country as a result of what we have heard over recent days. The contribution by Mr. O'Brien on Monday night on RTE laid bare for us all the horror that every single person who was the subject of this report had to...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: Yes, it is.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: Before Senator O'Toole's contribution and after a cursory look at the amendment, I was somewhat conflicted about it. However, having heard the Senator speak, I believe he is employing a subtle and enlightened way of policing the actions of company directors. The previous amendment we dealt with is an instance of employing a machete to remove a tumour. What Senator O'Toole proposes is more...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I welcome the Tánaiste back to the House and hope we can continue in the same spirit of co-operation that was the hallmark of our previous debate. This amendment is about striking a balance between awarding the Director of Corporate Enforcement the powers he needs to carry out his duties and not frightening off anyone from getting involved either in entrepreneurial effort or becoming a...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: Two or three years ago, while channel flicking late at night, I came across a movie, "Song for a Raggy Boy". The end credits confirmed that this horrendous movie was based on real life experiences of children in the institutions we are discussing now. The film crystallised for me the suffering and utter despair endured by these children. It is a credit to the indomitable human spirit that...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Swimming Pool Projects (21 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: Approximately 16 years ago the people of Loughrea were given a very strong indication that the Government of the day was willing to co-fund the provision of a public swimming pool in that town. At the prompting of the Government and local Fianna Fáil representatives at that time the people of the town engaged in a comprehensive fundraising campaign. I bought one of those £100 tickets, as...

Seanad: Swimming Pool Projects (21 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand this €1.7 million is coming from the local authority swimming pool programme pool of funds. The Minister of State said that given the budgetary constraints, it is not intended to launch a new round of the swimming programme at this time and that the matter would be reviewed again later this year. He said Galway County Council has been in discussions with the Department and...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: "(5B) Failure to comply with subsection (5A) is an offence and a company shall be liable to a fine not exceeding €10,000.". As I pointed out the last time I had an opportunity to make a contribution on this Bill, Fine Gael welcomes the legislation and supports it in principle, but we feel a number of...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I am concerned that every amendment proposed by us and Senator O'Toole will be fobbed off with the suggestion that it will be covered when the consolidation legislation is introduced. This is an opportunity to send out a strong signal. It gives discretion to a court to apply a fine of up to €10,000, it need not be the entire €10,000. The Minister should take this on board and send out...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: But not now.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: By her own admission the Tánaiste is highlighting the urgency of this legislation. It is urgent because it serves to give the Director of Corporate Enforcement the powers he needs to police rogue directors and to engender real confidence in the public that we are tackling this issue head on. Is there any mechanism whereby within this legislation we can uniformly apply that new fine across...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, lines 20 and 21, to delete "books or documents" and substitute "classes of documents". As the Cathaoirleach has pointed out, all these amendments seek to achieve the same outcome, that being to formalise and to clarify an existing power available to the director by providing that the director shall specify the books or documents to be produced where and...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: If the Minister is content the definition of "books and documents" does not in any way impede or hinder the director in carrying out his work and if the director and his office have looked at this legislation and he shares that opinion then we are content to withdraw those amendments.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: I move amendment No. 10: In page 5, to delete lines 19 to 38. The Minister accused me of being somewhat exuberant earlier in my pursuit of-----

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Ciarán Cannon: -----wayward company directors. We are trying to strike a balance here between giving the director the powers he requires to do his job properly and ensuring we do not unnecessarily obstruct the entrepreneurial effort of thousands of Irish business people and that is exactly how the second part of that balance is being struck with this amendment. The proposed extended power of seizure at...