Results 2,161-2,180 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Feb 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to thank everyone who contributed to last night's Private Members' debate on food. Senators raised a wide range of issues and I ask the Leader to keep in touch with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on this issue. The latter has promised to forward to us the replies to questions in respect of which information was not available last evening. I compliment Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2012)

Feargal Quinn: One of the objectives of the Courts and Court Officers Act 2002 was to make an effort to bring down the costs of legal proceedings, an issue which has been at the height of criticism by the troika and the IMF. Sections 13 and 14 of that Act proposed one way of saving a considerable sum of money by increasing the monetary limit - the jurisdiction - in civil proceedings in the Circuit Court...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Second Stage (28 Feb 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. The Bill is worthy of attention and I congratulate him on what he is doing. I have been with him in Drogheda and at the city of science launch recently so I know what he is doing. The aim of the Bill is worthy but we must ensure it achieves what it sets out to achieve. The Minister has told Members that there are estimated to be 35,000 agency workers. Many of them,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Feb 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The House will be interested to know that yesterday the Cabinet approved the Construction Contracts Bill 2010 initiated in this House almost two years ago. I mention this because of the importance of the legislation to the construction industry and the length of time it takes to get things done. A number of amendments to the legislation have been proposed, following which this House will...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: This is the first day of spring and every year at this time I religiously ask that we have this day the whole year around. The reason I say this is that, as the Leader is aware, I have believed for many years that Ireland should join central European time. Making this change would give us an extra hour of daylight throughout the year. I raise this issue again because the British are moving...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I have difficulty hearing with Senator White still speaking. My apologies to the Senator but I was on the point of saying that the idea of having an extra hour of daylight is under consideration in Britain. The British do not use the term "central European time" but refer to retaining "summer time" throughout the year. The additional hour of daylight has a clear benefit to the economy in...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, lines 18 and 19, to delete subsection (2). I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock. This is dangerous legislation. It provides that it shall be deemed to have come into operation on 5 December 2011. This is the first time I have seen an effort being made to introduce retrospective legislation and as such, I am sure it will end up in court....

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I really believe a mistake has been made for two reasons. First, this is shaky legislation which will end up in court. There is a danger that the Attorney General has decided to take a decision "on balance" - the phrase she used. This is very dangerous legislation on which to do so. I had the experience in 1971 - probably before the Minister of State was born - of ending up in the Supreme...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I won the case in the High Court but the State appealed the decision. However, I won in the Supreme Court. I mention this not because I have a legal background, but because I learned enough about legislation way back in 1971 to realise there is always the possibility of dangerous legislation being enacted. Since I came a Member of this House 19 years ago, I have seen a few efforts being...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 4: In page 7, lines 41 to 43 and in page 8, lines 1 to 15, to delete subsection (1) and substitute the following: "3.—(1) For the purposes of this Act, an employee is a comparable employee in relation to an agency worker if— (a) that employee's employer and the hirer of the agency worker is the same person, (b) that employee and the agency worker work at the same...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Mary Ann O'Brien on this issue, about which I, too, have strong concerns. I hope I will not repeat anything the Senator said. During the Celtic tiger years high rates were paid to employees. We should be providing in this legislation that an agency worker be paid what a new employee would be paid. Instead, there is a doubt in terms of employers having to consider...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (1 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Senators Mary Ann O'Brien, Walsh and White have made very strong points. I believe the Minister of State will have to go back to the Dáil with this legislation if we accept his amendment No. 12. On that basis I urge the Minister of State to indicate that he has been impressed by the case made here and will give it some thought so that, on Report Stage, I hope he will be able to accept some...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I will have the pleasure of seconding the motion later.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I second Senator Mary White's motion to hold a debate on No. 11 today. It may have already been seconded by Senator Crown but, in case it has not been, I second it now. It seems out of place for those of us who have already reached the age of 65 years but who have not been forced to retire from the House to force others to retire. This does not make sense. A man was arrested this morning...

Seanad: Early Intervention and Family Support Services: Statements (7 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. Like many Senators, I was delighted when I heard that she was to be appointed to this portfolio. Senator Barrett reminded me that we were getting two for the price of one, as I did not know that the Minister's husband was a professor of paediatrics at Trinity College. I have been educated by this debate and the Minister, but I was also educated at this morning's...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: As a result of the many crises facing us, whether financial, banking or jobs-related, there is a danger that we do not allocate sufficient time to discuss some of the other things in our lives. I hope we can find time to discuss the environment at some stage. I have in mind particularly the diversity of our birdlife. We are experiencing a serious threat to our birdlife, especially...

Seanad: Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Senator may not come in again at this stage.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I am a believer in competition and have been all my life. In general the Minister has got the balance right in this and it is not easy to achieve what he set out to do. In 1936, my father opened a grocery business and fell out with his father, who was also in the grocery business, as my grandfather thought it unethical to cut the price of groceries; he believed people should compete only on...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I wanted to mention the rating agencies. In general, the Minister is heading in the right direction and it has been interesting to hear the criticisms. He is getting the balance right and it is too simple to argue that competition, without some balance, on its own is the only answer.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The integrity of the broadcasting system has been highly valued for many years, but it has been damaged recently by the Fr. Reynolds case and now by the Seán Gallagher case. I support Senators D'Arcy, Paschal Mooney and Rónán Mullen who have all called for an investigation into the matter. It is not enough to have a debate on it in the House; there must be an open investigation into what...