Results 661-680 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Interpretation Bill 2000: Committee Stage. (29 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to add to Senator Ryan's comments and it is an issue about which I spoke earlier. Given the Minister of State's commitment to the promotion of modern means of communications it is surprising that he has not taken this opportunity to include everything that brings us into the 21st century. It is a shame that electronics means of communication have been almost excluded from this Bill...

Seanad: Interpretation Bill 2000: Committee Stage. (29 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: The purpose of my amendment was to improve the Schedule. I have already made the point I wish to make in a shorter manner than I intended. The Bill would be improved if we were able to ensure that, in future, we use electronic communications to reach a wider audience. I cannot express this better than Senator Ryan. It is somewhat similar to not recognising the change from handwriting to type...

Seanad: Interpretation Bill 2000: Report and Final Stages. (29 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I also support Senator Ryan's amendment. The Senator has tabled a logical amendment, as he uses the word "may" rather than "must" and it is already taking place. If someone has a doubt about the intent of legislation and is trying to interpret it correctly, it would be correct to examine what was stated during the debates of the House. This amendment is well worthy of support.

Seanad: Interpretation Bill 2000: Report and Final Stages. (29 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I add my words of thanks to the Minister of State. The Bill has been five years in gestation and I welcome the fact that it is before the House. I believe the Bill can be improved and the Minister of State's words are such that we will see it improved before it becomes law. The objective all of us should have is the one I touched on earlier. I have been a Member of this House for the past 12...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and I welcome this debate. There is not much doubt about what the question is here. I will speak only about the groceries order because it is something I know about. Senator Coghlan stated that prices are high in Ireland because costs are higher. However, prices are higher in Ireland in similar areas because sufficient competition does not exist. Taking the example of...

Seanad: National Consumer Agency: Motion. (29 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: My company may have been big and nasty because it did sell below cost. I would still sell below cost. This below-cost legislation is unfair as it does not apply to companies that are not based in Ireland. If a company's headquarters is in Düsseldorf or London, the company can do as it likes. The Government can write to the company asking for invoices but a reply will not be forthcoming. A...

Seanad: Order of Business. (30 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I have been a member of the Automobile Association for many years. Some years ago, that association ceased to be a members-owned organisation and became a commercial company. I was stunned last week to discover that it has published information in Britain on the location of every speed camera in that country. When asked if it planned to do the same here, the response was that no decision has...

Seanad: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2005: Second and Subsequent Stages. (30 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I congratulate the Minister of State and his officials on the Bill. Senator Henry referred to the Minister of State's comment on streamlining the procedure for adoptions as a reminder that we have not yet covered the issue of surrogacy. I support her comments. Perhaps it is one of the benefits of having a second House that there is a chance to look again at legislation. This Bill would not be...

Seanad: Decentralisation Programme. (30 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: Certainly.

Seanad: Commemorative Events. (30 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Treacy. The issue I wish to discuss is the need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government, to promote a national minute of silence to be observed at 11.02 a.m. on 9 August, the 60th anniversary of the last major catastrophe of the Second World War, the bombing ofNagasaki city, in order that...

Seanad: Commemorative Events. (30 Jun 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for his words. I was unaware that the Taoiseach spoke on this matter in May. I am pleased that he acknowledged it. I am delighted to hear mention of Frank Aiken. He was a good friend of my father and visited our house on many occasions as I grew up. This matter costs nothing but is a question of publicising the commemoration, either on 6 August, Hiroshima Day, or...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Jul 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I ask the Leader to remind Members to keep their eyes on Sellafield this summer. A friend of mine who googled the word "Sellafield" could not believe how many results on implications for Ireland this search returns. We are downwind of Sellafield. To suggest that for nine months the people in Sellafield did not notice a leakage of 83,000 litres is unbelievable. I mention this because we are in...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: Some 48 hours ago I accepted an invitation to visit Trim Castle at the request of a local councillor who was very concerned at the building of a new hotel there. I was shocked at what I saw. It is an example of our heritage being desecrated for purely commercial reasons. I was impressed that this morning the cathaoirleach of Meath County Council called for an inquiry into the abuse that...

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: One of my heroes and one of the heroes of modern Ireland is Dr. T.K. Whitaker, a former Member of this House. I would not like the occasion to pass without recognising a big event in his life last month where at the age of 90 he got married again.

Seanad: Order of Business. (29 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: The relevance relates to the fact that it was a wonderful occasion for a former Member of this House. We recognise deaths and we should also recognise marriages.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: This is an interesting debate. I welcome the Minister of State and his first few words, where he stated, "research both at home and abroad demonstrates the tangible benefits that effective and meaningful information and consultation arrangements can bring to both the business and the individual". I agree entirely with this statement. However, I am worried about the Minister of State's last...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: Every Thursday morning I did so with my colleagues in the company which I ran for over 40 years. We began on the shop floor at 8 a.m. every Thursday, visiting each of the departments and talking to practically everyone in the company. We told them about how well or badly we were doing and about the problems and successes. We shared information on sales, customers and profits. The benefits of...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I am simply taking the United Kingdom as an example.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: This man employs thousands around the world and hundreds in Ireland. However, he said we should be careful about foreign direct investment and what those who have a choice of where to invest might think. We must ensure we do the right thing and do not stifle the enthusiasm that has made Ireland high on their agenda. Senator O'Rourke has spoken wisely about education and about her second point...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Second Stage. (29 Sep 2005)

Feargal Quinn: He said if it was a bigger town, it would have a bigger supermarket and if it was a smaller town, the shop would be smaller. There was no competition because they did not believe in it. It was an effort by that system to protect jobs but it was the wrong system. We should ensure that we do not introduce similar systems. Sometimes, in trying to do the right thing, we stifle the ability to...