Results 1,981-2,000 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I am indebted to the Minister of State for his reply.

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 36: In page 32, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:“(6) The Minister shall report to the Oireachtas on the elimination of destructive diseases causing ash dieback and the destruction of forests by the invasive species rhododendron.”.I thank the Minister of State for participating in the debate today and the last day. We learned a lot, as he...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I profusely thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I do not wish to voice my opposition to the section at this time.

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister of State, who has been here for a number of hours, for his patience, his thoroughness and interest in our environmental heritage. He has been most impressive and I thank him for that. I understand he was equally attentive in the Dáil. I assure him his concern for our woodlands is shared by all in this House. We wish him the best in his task.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome Senator Craughwell to Leinster House. JFK used a quotation from Lord Edward Fitzgerald that: "Leinster House does not inspire the brightest ideas". That is wrong. It will inspire the brightest ideas and I hope he will enjoy and learn from it as much as I have. I commend to him our Leader and Deputy Leader, whom he will find most interesting and satisfactory to work with, as well...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: Now, with the two systems being combined it will catch those who did not pay their taxes, those with enough tax lawyers and accountants, but we cannot neglect the fact that the majority were tax compliant. We are dealing with an organisation, Irish Water, which as John FitzGerald in the ESRI points out has more than 2,000 surplus staff. The regulator paid itself a billion in bonuses. A...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: Irish Water needs to be reformed. I wish the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, every success in accomplishing that task.

Seanad: Budget 2015: Statements (14 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Harris. I commend the Ministers, Deputies Noonan and Howlin on their speeches earlier in the other House. Towards the end of his speech, the Minister, Deputy Howlin, said, "This Government is not going to allocate resources to services that are unreformed". We still have much reform to do and perhaps we lost sight of some of it in trying to complete...

Seanad: Budget 2015: Statements (14 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: It has caused political and morale damage. Thousands of extra staff paying themselves bonuses and going on “Morning Ireland” saying they are not bonuses-----

Seanad: Budget 2015: Statements (14 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: Let us never do anything like that again. Although it was indicated by one source that the tax break could be worth €500, €100 is the correct figure. It is most welcome. I hope the Department of Finance will get a grip on Irish Water before it does any more damage. I note the measures on tourism and alcohol. I will be in Cork over the weekend and will look to see if Father...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: Echoing what Senator Bacik said, today “Morning Ireland” reported that the financial pages carried the headline, “Irish recovery stuns Germans” and the sports pages carried the headline, “Irish recovery stuns Germans”. In his speech to the Dáil yesterday, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin said the reform agenda must...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome, as Senator Bacik has, the announcement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, that he has accepted the invitation to the Armistice day event. It strengthens the improvement in relations, as manifested in events such as the Orange Order and Queen Elizabeth coming to Ireland and President Higgins visiting the UK. Some 50,000 Irish people were killed...

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 4: In page 14, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following:“(2) In prescribing the maximum charges the NTA shall take into account the costs of wrongly parked vehicles at parking places.”.Go raibh míle maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirleach. I also welcome the Minister with whom I used to discuss many transport issues in days of yore in the economics...

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: The Minister’s three part division of this issue into the person who is clamped, the clamper and the business is the correct way to go. I share the spirit of what he has said.

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 5: In page 14, line 17, to delete “€100” and substitute the following: “€120 per twenty four hours or part thereof and with a surcharge of €35 for release between 22.00 and 08.00”. These amendments deal with the penalties. The Minister has already said this will be a matter for the NTA. The penalties envisaged in section...

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister for his reply. We wish the NTA every success in dealing with these issues. Perhaps some study or document on the wide variety of practices, including time-of-day charging, removal charges and so on, would be appropriate. In the context of what the Minister said, I will not press this amendment and I do not intend to move amendment No. 6.

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: The powers of the NTA have been covered comprehensively by the Minister so I do not wish to move the amendment.

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 8: In page 15, line 20, after “practicable” to insert “within two hours”.This issue was raised by several Senators. When the money is paid, when can someone expect to have their car released? In one shopping centre it was clarified that, on average, it takes two hours for that to happen because the clampers might serve a number of areas. Not...

Seanad: Vehicle Clamping Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 Oct 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister again. I will not press the amendment.